9 permits · verified 2026-10-06
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Spokane County?
In short
A retail store in Spokane County, WA has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Spokane County — County Code Title 7 business licenses (Auditor; Sheriff's Office) charges $50 a year (expires December 31 of the year issued) for the pawnbroker's license. 2 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a retail store in Spokane County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishment Permit (annual) | Spokane Regional Health District, Food Safety Program | $150–$850 a year by establishment type (2026 fee schedule): micromarket $150, concession stand $240, meat and fish shop $250, basic $290, school cafeteria $300, limited $380, seasonal complex $425, complex restaurant $850; caterer $570 with an approved catering kitchen or $260 with a supplemental kitchen | annual (SRHD lists each food establishment permit as due 'Annually') | 2026-10-06 |
| Pawnbroker's Licenseonly if it applies to you | Spokane County — County Code Title 7 business licenses (Auditor; Sheriff's Office) | $50 a year (expires December 31 of the year issued) | calendar year — expires December 31 of the year issued | 2026-10-06 |
| Secondhand Dealer's Licenseonly if it applies to you | Spokane County — County Code Title 7 business licenses (Auditor; Sheriff's Office) | $25 a year or part of a year (expires December 31) | calendar year — expires December 31 each year | 2026-10-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Spokane County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Application and Permitonly if it applies to you | Spokane Regional Health District, Environmental Public Health (water recreation facilities and on-site sewage programs) | Varies — formula on the Spokane County page | renewable permits for one or three years once installed, depending on the system type; inspection and maintenance required before renewal | 2026-10-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
WA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Reseller Permitonly if it applies to you | Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service | No fee | 4 years, or 2 in defined circumstances | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $70 a year | annual — due the last day of the month the entity was formed or registered | 2026-09-03 |
| Washington State Business License | Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service | $50 to open, plus each endorsement's own fee; $5 a year to renew | annual — one expiration date governs every endorsement on the license | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a retail store in Spokane County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a retail store in Spokane County, WA, 2 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Food Establishment Permit (annual): $150–$850 a year by establishment type (2026 fee schedule): micromarket $150, concession stand $240, meat and fish shop $250, basic $290, school cafeteria $300, limited $380, seasonal complex $425, complex restaurant $850; caterer $570 with an approved catering kitchen or $260 with a supplemental kitchen
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Spokane County permits page and the WA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Spokane County?
Permits for a retail store in Spokane County, WA come from 5 separate offices: Spokane Regional Health District, Food Safety Program, Spokane Regional Health District, Environmental Public Health (water recreation facilities and on-site sewage programs), Spokane County — County Code Title 7 business licenses (Auditor; Sheriff's Office), Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division, Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Spokane Regional Health District, Food Safety ProgramIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment Permit (annual)1101 W. College Ave., Spokane, WA 99201 · 509-324-1560 ext. 2 (Food Safety); 509-324-1601 (card payments)srhd.org/programs-and-services/foodsafety/fees
- Spokane Regional Health District, Environmental Public Health (water recreation facilities and on-site sewage programs)Issues 1 permit on this page: On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Application and Permit1101 W. College Ave., Spokane, WA 99201 · 509-324-1560 ext. 1 (on-site sewage); 509-324-1500 (main)srhd.org/programs-and-services/oss/new-systems-or-changes-to-existing
- Spokane County — County Code Title 7 business licenses (Auditor; Sheriff's Office)Issues 2 permits on this page: Pawnbroker's License, Secondhand Dealer's Licenselibrary.municode.com/wa/spokane_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT7BUEGLITA
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation (LLC), Annual ReportPO Box 40234, Olympia, WA 98504-0234 · (360) 725-0377www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/business-entities
- Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing ServiceIssues 2 permits on this page: Reseller Permit, Washington State Business LicensePO Box 9034, Olympia, WA 98507-9034 · (360) 705-6705dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license
What does a retail store need in Spokane County that other businesses do not?
2 of the 3 permits particular to a retail store here apply to no other business type we cover in Spokane County: Pawnbroker's License and Secondhand Dealer's License.
Food Establishment Permit (annual)
A restaurant, coffee shop or other permanent food business anywhere in Spokane County — the City of Spokane, Spokane Valley, any other city or town, or the unincorporated area — needs an annual food establishment permit from the Spokane Regional Health District. Under the 2026 fee schedule adopted by SRHD Board of Health Resolution #25-05 on October 30, 2025, the annual fee is set by establishment type: Basic Food Establishment $290; Complex Restaurant $850; Limited Food Establishment $380; Seasonal Complex $425; Concession Stand $240; Meat and Fish Shop $250; Micromarket $150; School Cafeteria $300; a caterer pays $570 with an approved catering kitchen or $260 with a supplemental kitchen. SRHD's own food-safety fee page lists the same amounts, each due 'Annually,' and states the fees 'apply to the 2026 calendar year'; permit fees must be paid before the permit is issued. A Donated Food Distributing Organization pays $60 for recognition, and processing of an exempt-from-permit application is $45. These are the 2026 fee schedule amounts; SRHD's Board of Health had a proposed 2027 schedule before it as of October 2026, so confirm the amount with SRHD Food Safety, 509-324-1560 ext. 2, for any permit year after 2026. The same 2026 schedule lists the food worker card each food employee needs at $10.
Pawnbroker's License
This applies only to a store that operates as a pawnbroker — a business that lends money on the security of pledged personal property, as Spokane County Code §7.04.010 defines it — not to retail generally. Spokane County Code §7.04.020 makes it unlawful to operate as a pawnbroker without a license, and §7.04.030 sets the fee: 'The fee for the license required of every person, association or corporation operating as a pawnbroker in the county of Spokane shall be fifty dollars. The license shall expire on December 31st of the year issued. Pawnbrokers' licenses shall be issued by the Spokane County auditor.' The fee is fixed in the County Code itself. Pawnbrokers doing business in the unincorporated areas of Spokane County must keep a transaction record (§7.04.040), keep it open to inspection for three years (§7.04.050), furnish the Spokane County Sheriff a daily transcript of the previous day's transactions (§7.04.060), issue numbered pawn tickets (§7.04.070) and hold pledged property ninety days after the redemption period before selling it (§7.04.080). A pawnshop inside a city follows that city's rules.
Secondhand Dealer's License
This applies only to a store that deals in secondhand goods. Spokane County Code §7.05.010 defines a secondhand dealer as a person engaged, more than three times a year, in purchasing, selling, trading, consignment selling or otherwise transferring for value secondhand property, including metal junk and precious metals, and includes sellers at flea markets or swap meets more than three times a year. A store selling only new merchandise is outside this definition. Section 7.05.020 makes it unlawful to do business as a dealer in secondhand goods without a license, and no license may go to anyone under eighteen. Section 7.05.030 sets the fee: 'twenty-five dollars for each year or part thereof,' expiring December 31 each year; the fee is fixed in the County Code itself. Dealers doing business in the unincorporated areas of Spokane County must keep a transaction record with seller identification and a digital photograph or thumbprint (§7.05.040, citing RCW 19.60.020(2)), furnish the Spokane County Sheriff a daily transcript of the previous day's transactions (§7.05.060), and hold property thirty days before removing it (§7.05.080). A dealer inside a city follows that city's rules.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Spokane County, WA; what each one involves is set out on the Spokane County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across WA and are covered on the WA state page.
How does a retail store compare with other businesses in Spokane County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A retail store also needs Pawnbroker's License and Secondhand Dealer's License. A coffee shop needs Temporary Food Establishment (TFE) Permit and Large-Event Organizer Fee, Food Establishment Permit and Food Worker Card, which a retail store does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a retail store | Only a retail store needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Spokane County permits page and the WA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- SRHD Board of Health Resolution #25-05, 'Adopting the 2026 Spokane Regional Health District Fee Schedule' (signed October 30, 2025; RCW 70.05.060) with the attached 2026 Fee ScheduleSpokane Regional Health District Board of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Spokane Regional Health District — food safety fees for 2026Spokane Regional Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Spokane County Code Chapter 7.04, Pawnbrokers (§7.04.030 licence fee and issuance, Res. 06-0889)Spokane County (Municode Library) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Spokane County Code Chapter 7.05, Secondhand Dealers (§7.05.030 license fee, Res. 08-0026)Spokane County (Municode Library) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.