9 permits · verified 2026-10-26
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Yakima County?
In short
A retail store in Yakima County, WA has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division charges $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online for the articles of incorporation. 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-26 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a retail store in Yakima County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishment License (Risk Level 1, 2 or 3) | Yakima Health District, Environmental Health | $118–$662 2026 fees, through 12/31/2026: new application Level 1 $261, Level 2 $486, Level 3 $662; annual license or renewal Level 1 $118, Level 2 $299, Level 3 $431; Catering/Event-Vending endorsement add-on $180 | annual (YHD: 'Annual renewal') | 2026-10-26 |
| Liquor License — County Notice and Objection (locations outside city limits)only if it applies to you | Yakima County Board of County Commissioners (county legislative authority) | No fee | not applicable — the state license carries its own term | 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.
Local 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 | Varies — formula on the Yakima County page | 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 | Varies — formula on the Yakima County page | 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.
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 Yakima 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 Yakima County, WA, 3 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 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 9 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:
Food Establishment License (Risk Level 1, 2 or 3): $118–$662 2026 fees, through 12/31/2026: new application Level 1 $261, Level 2 $486, Level 3 $662; annual license or renewal Level 1 $118, Level 2 $299, Level 3 $431; Catering/Event-Vending endorsement add-on $180
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Yakima County permits page and the WA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Yakima County?
Permits for a retail store in Yakima County, WA come from 6 separate offices: Yakima Health District, Environmental Health, Yakima County Fire Marshal's Office, Yakima County Public Services, Building & Fire Safety, Yakima County Board of County Commissioners (county legislative authority), 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.
- Yakima Health District, Environmental HealthIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment License (Risk Level 1, 2 or 3)1210 Ahtanum Ridge Drive, Union Gap, WA 98903 · (509) 249-6508 (EH Help Desk); (509) 575-4040 (main)www.yakimacounty.us/3073/Food-Permits
- Yakima County Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire & Life Safety (FLS) Inspection Permit128 North 2nd Street, 4th Floor, Courthouse, Yakima, WA 98901 · (509) 574-2300www.yakimacounty.us/1180/Fire-Marshals-Office
- Yakima County Public Services, Building & Fire SafetyIssues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit and Plan Review (Table 1-A)128 North 2nd Street, 4th Floor, Courthouse, Yakima, WA 98901 · (509) 574-2300www.yakimacounty.us/446/Building-Fire-Safety-Division
- Yakima County Board of County Commissioners (county legislative authority)Issues 1 permit on this page: Liquor License — County Notice and Objection (locations outside city limits)www.yakimacounty.us
- 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 Yakima County that other businesses do not?
Liquor License — County Notice and Objection (locations outside city limits)
Liquor licenses in Yakima County are issued by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, which collects the license fee. RCW 66.24.010(8)(a) requires the Board, before it issues a new or renewal license, to give notice of the application 'to the county legislative authority, if the application is for a license outside the boundaries of incorporated cities or towns' — for Yakima County, the Board of County Commissioners. Under RCW 66.24.010(8)(c) the county may file written objections within twenty days after the notice is transmitted for a new application, or at least thirty days before expiration for a renewal, and under (8)(e) the Board sends the county written notification when a license is granted outside city limits. The statute provides only for notice and objection, so there is no county fee for this role. A restaurant or store applying for a liquor license at a location in unincorporated Yakima County should expect the county to receive notice of its application; inside a city, the notice goes to that city's chief executive officer. Apply for the license itself with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
Shared with other businesses in Yakima County
- Food Establishment License (Risk Level 1, 2 or 3) — Yakima Health District, Environmental Health, $118–$662 2026 fees, through 12/31/2026: new application Level 1 $261, Level 2 $486, Level 3 $662; annual license or renewal Level 1 $118, Level 2 $299, Level 3 $431; Catering/Event-Vending endorsement add-on $180, annual (YHD: 'Annual renewal'). Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Yakima County, WA; what each one involves is set out on the Yakima 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 Yakima County?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 2 of these permits. A restaurant needs Temporary Food Establishment Permit (single event), Seasonal Food Permit (farmers and flea markets, concessions), Fire Code Construction Permit — Hood and Duct Fire-Extinguishing System (IFC 105.7.1) and 2 more, which a retail store does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a retail store | Only a retail store needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 2 | 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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Yakima County permits page and the WA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- RCW 66.24.010, Liquor licenses — issuance, notice to local authorities, objectionsWashington State Legislature · 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.