11 published records
Business licenses and permits in Yakima County, Washington
Yakima County, in central Washington with its seat at Yakima, regulates businesses through two county-level actors that cover different ground. The Yakima Health District (YHD), Environmental Health, permits food establishments, mobile food units, temporary and seasonal food vendors and water recreation facilities; its Food Permits page states that YHD 'issues food permits for most food services operating in Yakima County', in the cities and the unincorporated area alike. The YHD figures recorded here are its 2026 fees, through 12/31/2026, as printed on YHD's current application forms; the Board of Health adopted a new fee schedule for 2027 on August 26, 2026, and its figures are not published in YHD's posted documents. Yakima County Public Services, Building & Fire Safety, with the Fire Marshal's Office, issues building permits, Fire & Life Safety inspection permits and fire-code permits under Yakima County Code Title 13.24 (2026 schedule, effective 1/1/2026); a county program description states that it administers and enforces the county building, mechanical, plumbing and fire codes for 'all buildings and structures in unincorporated Yakima County'. Washington's Office of Financial Management lists fourteen incorporated cities and towns in Yakima County: Grandview, Granger, Harrah, Mabton, Moxee, Naches, Selah, Sunnyside, Tieton, Toppenish, Union Gap, Wapato, Yakima and Zillah. YHD's food establishment page lists, among the approvals to confirm before opening, a 'Business license from the Washington State Department of Revenue, including any required city endorsements', 'Building and plumbing inspection by the city or county' and 'Fire inspection by the city or county', so a business inside one of those cities stacks the city's own license endorsement and permits on top of the YHD permits. The Washington State business license is recorded at the state layer, and alcohol is licensed by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. The population figure of 258,523 is the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2024 estimate.
What are you opening in Yakima County?
- RestaurantsFull-service restaurants carry the densest permit load of any small business: food, fire, occupancy, waste, and usually alcohol.See the full permit list
- Coffee shopsCafés are permitted as food service establishments even where no cooking happens, and the plan review step catches most operators by surprise.See the full permit list
- Retail storesRetail is the lightest common permit load, but the sales tax permit and the certificate of occupancy are non-negotiable in every jurisdiction.See the full permit list
- Salons and barbersPersonal care is licensed at state board level as well as locally, so the shop license and the practitioner licenses are separate obligations.See the full permit list
- Food trucksMobile food is the one category with no certificate of occupancy — but it gains a commissary agreement, and the unit itself is inspected rather than the premises.See the full permit list
- Fitness studiosPrepaid memberships trigger state registration and often a surety bond, which catches operators who budgeted only for the fit-out.See the full permit list
- Childcare centresThe heaviest permit load of any small business: state agency licensing, per-person background checks, and a stricter fire standard than ordinary commercial use.See the full permit list
- Contractors and tradesLicensed at state board level rather than locally, and the only common category with no premises permits at all — the bond is usually the long pole.See the full permit list
- Auto repair shopsOrdinary commercial permitting plus an environmental layer: waste oil, solvents and stormwater are each registered separately.See the full permit list
- Veterinary clinicsA state facility permit, controlled substances registration at both state and federal level, and a medical waste manifest — none of which a general business license covers.See the full permit list
Permits that apply to every type of business in Yakima County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire & Life Safety (FLS) Inspection Permit | Yakima County Fire Marshal's Office | $60.20–$890.20 per inspection, by IFC occupancy group and floor area (2026 schedule, effective 1/1/2026): B, R, U $60.20 (1-999 sq ft) to $534.80 (over 20,000); A, E, M $79.35 to $712.65; F, H, I, S, R-2 $98.75 to $890.20; each additional building on the site at the 1-hour rate of $91.60; re-inspection $91.60 | annual inspection (the Fire Marshal's Office 'conducts annual Fire and Life Safety Inspections for businesses') | 2026-10-26 |
| Building Permit and Plan Review (Table 1-A)only if it applies to you | Yakima County Public Services, Building & Fire Safety | Yakima County Code 13.24.020, amended Table 1-A (effective 1/1/2026), by total valuation: $1-$500: $26.90; $501-$2,000: $26.90 for the first $500 plus $3.80 per additional $100; $2,001-$25,000: $83.90 for the first $2,000 plus $16.20 per additional $1,000; $25,001-$50,000: $456.50 for the first $25,000 plus $11.95 per additional $1,000; $50,001-$100,000: $755.25 for the first $50,000 plus $8.15 per additional $1,000; $100,001-$500,000: $1,162.75 for the first $100,000 plus $6.50 per additional $1,000; $500,001-$1,000,000: $3,762.75 for the first $500,000 plus $5.55 per additional $1,000; over $1,000,000: $6,537.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.80 per additional $1,000. Plan review is 65% of the permit fee, in addition. Re-inspection and inspections with no listed fee $89.25 per hour. | per project | 2026-10-26 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
What do these permits involve in Yakima County?
Fire & Life Safety (FLS) Inspection Permit
A business in unincorporated Yakima County is inspected under the Fire Marshal's Fire & Life Safety program. The Fire Marshal's Office page states that it 'conducts annual Fire and Life Safety Inspections for businesses' and links a county lookup for owners to check whether a property falls under unincorporated Yakima County; the program page states: 'All occupancy's other than 1 and 2 family dwellings are considered commercial occupancy's and are included in this program.' Per the Yakima County Code 13.24 fee schedule effective 1/1/2026, operational permits required by IFC Sections 105.1 and 105.6 'shall be referred to as Fire and Life Safety Permits', priced by occupancy group and floor area: B, R and U occupancies from $60.20 (1-999 sq ft) to $534.80 (over 20,000 sq ft); A, E and M from $79.35 to $712.65; F, H, I, S and R-2 from $98.75 to $890.20. The schedule's examples include A for drinking and dining facilities, B for offices and professional services, E for schools and day care, M for retail stores and markets, and H for repair garages. Where a site has more than one building, the fee is the largest facility's fee plus the 1-hour rate ($91.60) for each additional building; a re-inspection is $91.60. The schedule provides for annual adjustment, so confirm the 2027 rate with Building & Fire Safety at (509) 574-2300.
Building Permit and Plan Review (Table 1-A)
A build-out, tenant improvement or new commercial building in unincorporated Yakima County needs a building permit from Yakima County Public Services, Building & Fire Safety; the county program description says it enforces the building, mechanical, plumbing and fire codes for 'all buildings and structures in unincorporated Yakima County'. Per the Yakima County Code 13.24 schedule effective 1/1/2026, the permit fee comes from amended Table 1-A by total valuation, from $26.90 for the first $500 to $6,537.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.80 for each additional $1,000, and plan review adds 65% of the permit fee. The Building Permit Fees page states that all applicable fees are due when the application is submitted, that 'Permit fees are based on the rates in effect at the time the permit is issued' and that 'Fees are updated annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI)'. Valuation comes from the ICC Building Valuation Data under Ordinance 4-2021: complete applications submitted from October 1, 2026 use the February 2026 values, and earlier complete applications keep the August 2015 values. The same page notes that additional fees may apply for plumbing fixtures, mechanical equipment and property in a FEMA-designated floodplain or floodway. For an estimate call (509) 574-2300.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Yakima County Code Title 13.24, Building and Construction Fees; Effective 1/1/2026 (Building & Fire Fees 2026 Schedule)Yakima County Public Services, Building & Fire Safety · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
- Fire Marshal's Office — Fire & Life Safety Inspection Program ('conducts annual Fire and Life Safety Inspections for businesses')Yakima County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
- Fire & Life Safety Inspection ProgramYakima County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
- Permit Services (Building and Fire Safety) program descriptionYakima County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
- Building Permit Fees — fee disclaimer (annual CPI update), 65% plan review and ICC valuation updateYakima County Public Services, Building & Fire Safety · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
- Building & Fire Safety — valuation update from October 1, 2026 (Ordinance 4-2021) and contactsYakima County Public Services, Building & Fire Safety · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
Who issues business permits in Yakima County?
Permitting in Yakima County is split across 4 agencies we hold records for, with tax registration handled at state level. No single office issues everything, which is why an opening usually means filing in several places rather than one.
Yakima County issuing agencies
- Yakima Health District, Environmental HealthFood establishment, mobile food unit, temporary event and seasonal food permits for food services operating in Yakima County, in the cities and the unincorporated area · Water recreation facility (pool, spa and wading pool) licenses5 permits
- Yakima County Fire Marshal's OfficeAnnual Fire and Life Safety inspections for businesses in unincorporated Yakima County · Fire code operational and construction permits and fire code plan review under Yakima County Code 13.24.060 and 13.24.0704 permits
- Yakima County Board of County Commissioners (county legislative authority)Receives Liquor and Cannabis Board notice of liquor license applications outside incorporated cities and towns, and may object (RCW 66.24.010(8))1 permit
- Yakima County Public Services, Building & Fire SafetyBuilding, mechanical and plumbing permits and plan review under Yakima County Code Title 13.24, for buildings and structures in unincorporated Yakima County1 permit
Other Washington jurisdictions we cover
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.