11 permits · verified 2026-09-05
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Spokane?
In short
A auto repair shop in Spokane, WA has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Spokane Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office charges $88 for a new business or a business changing location for the fire safety site inspection. 4 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-05 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a auto repair shop in Spokane
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permit | City of Spokane Development Services Center | Wall, projecting, or incidental sign: $48.70 per sign. Pole or billboard sign: $121.00 per sign. Plus a $119 Sign Review Fee. | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-05 |
| Fire Safety Site Inspectiononly if it applies to you | Spokane Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office | $88 for a new business or a business changing location | one-time, tied to registration or relocation | 2026-09-05 |
| Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Washington Auto Repair Act (RCW 46.71)only if it applies to you | Washington State Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division | No fee | not applicable | 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Spokane
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Registration | City of Spokane, Taxes and Licenses | Varies — formula on the Spokane page | annual | 2026-09-05 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Spokane Development Services Center | Varies — formula on the Spokane page | issued once per qualifying occupancy; a temporary certificate is time-limited | 2026-09-05 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Spokane Development Services Center | Varies — formula on the Spokane page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-05 |
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 auto repair shop in Spokane?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a auto repair shop in Spokane, WA, 5 apply to every business of this type and 6 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 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Sign Permit: Wall, projecting, or incidental sign: $48.70 per sign. Pole or billboard sign: $121.00 per sign. Plus a $119 Sign Review Fee.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Spokane permits page and the WA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Spokane?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Spokane, WA come from 6 separate offices: City of Spokane, Taxes and Licenses, City of Spokane Development Services Center, Spokane Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office, Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division, Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service, Washington State Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Spokane, Taxes and LicensesIssues 1 permit on this page: Business Registration(509) 625-6070my.spokanecity.org/business/doing-business/licenses
- City of Spokane Development Services CenterIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit, Sign Permit(509) 625-6300my.spokanecity.org/business/commercial
- Spokane Fire Department, Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Safety Site Inspection(509) 625-7000my.spokanecity.org/fire/prevention/permits
- 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
- Washington State Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Washington Auto Repair Act (RCW 46.71)(800) 551-4636www.atg.wa.gov/auto-repair
What does a auto repair shop need in Spokane that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a auto repair shop here applies to no other business type we cover in Spokane: Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Washington Auto Repair Act (RCW 46.71).
Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Washington Auto Repair Act (RCW 46.71)
No fee applies. The Auto Repair Act statute, RCW chapter 46.71, covers estimates, invoices, replaced parts, required signs, liens and unlawful practices across its fifteen sections and requires no license, registration, permit, bond or fee of a repair shop. Its one license provision is optional: RCW 46.71.100 lets any automotive repair facility apply for a transporter's license under chapter 46.76 RCW to evaluate vehicles on public roads before or after repair. The Act reaches repair shops instead through RCW 46.71.090, under which the Department of Revenue gives written notice of the Act's requirements when it issues a shop's business tax registration certificate. What the Act does require is conduct: a written estimate above $100, no charge over 110 per cent of it without further authorisation, replaced parts returned on request, a posted customer-rights sign, and the loss of your possessory lien if you do not comply.
Shared with other businesses in Spokane
- Sign Permit — City of Spokane Development Services Center, Wall, projecting, or incidental sign: $48.70 per sign. Pole or billboard sign: $121.00 per sign. Plus a $119 Sign Review Fee., one-time, per sign. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Fire Safety Site Inspection — Spokane Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office, $88 for a new business or a business changing location, one-time, tied to registration or relocation. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Spokane, WA; what each one involves is set out on the Spokane 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 auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Spokane?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 2 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Washington Auto Repair Act (RCW 46.71). A retail store needs nothing here that a auto repair shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a auto repair shop | Only a auto repair shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail stores | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the retail stores page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Spokane permits page and the WA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- RCW chapter 46.71 — the Auto Repair Act, fourteen sections none of which creates a licenseWashington State Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.