7 published records
Business licenses and permits in Kanawha County, West Virginia
Kanawha County, West Virginia, has its seat at Charleston, the state capital. Population 173,906 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). The Kanawha County Planning & Development Department, 407 Virginia Street East, Charleston, "enforces land use ordinances in unincorporated areas of Kanawha County", and issues the county Building Permit there; the permit fee is set by Section 7.10 of the county's 2023 Floodplain Ordinance. Public health permits (food establishments, food trucks and temporary food, tattoo and body piercing, child care centers and recreational water facilities) are issued by the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, 108 Lee St E, Charleston, whose official site is kchd.wv.gov. State registrations also apply: the West Virginia Business Registration Certificate from the West Virginia Tax Division and, for alcohol, licenses from the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 place-by-county file lists 16 incorporated places in the county: Belle, Cedar Grove, Charleston, Chesapeake, Clendenin, Dunbar, East Bank, Glasgow, Handley, Marmet, Montgomery (part), Nitro (part), Pratt, St. Albans, Smithers (part) and South Charleston. The county Planning & Development Department's page describes its scope as the unincorporated areas of Kanawha County; a business inside one of the county's municipalities should also check with that municipality for its own requirements.
What are you opening in Kanawha 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 Kanawha County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia Business Registration Certificate (state layer) | West Virginia Tax Division | $30 one-time, per Business Registration Certificate (a separate certificate for each fixed business location), state fee per TSD 360 | permanent for each location until the business is relocated or closed, or the certificate is suspended, revoked or canceled by the Tax Commissioner (TSD 360) | 2026-10-31 |
| Kanawha County Building Permit and Floodplain Permit (unincorporated areas)only if it applies to you | Kanawha County Planning and Community Development | Per Kanawha County Floodplain Ordinance Section 7.10: cost of development up to $30,000.00, $25.00; for each additional $1,000.00 of the development, $2.50; additionally, Floodplain Permit, $300.00. The applicant also reimburses the Kanawha County Commission for added review or inspection costs such as professional engineering and surveying, and the Floodplain Administrator may require a deposit toward them. Fees are doubled for the first and second offenses of starting work before a permit is obtained, and tripled for each additional offense. | no permit term is stated in the county's Building Permit Guidelines and Procedures | 2026-10-31 |
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 Kanawha County?
West Virginia Business Registration Certificate (state layer)
Every business in Kanawha County, as anywhere in West Virginia, registers with the state before it starts. This is a state registration, not a county one. The West Virginia Tax Division's publication TSD 360, Business Registration Procedures (Rev. March 2023), states that "Any person who is engaging in any business activity in the State of West Virginia must register with the West Virginia Tax Division before commencing business activities in the state" and that "The fee for obtaining a Business Registration Certificate is $30.00." A separate certificate is required for each fixed business location from which property or services are offered, and each location's certificate is permanent until the business relocates or closes, or the certificate is suspended, revoked or canceled. Certain organizations may be exempt from the fee, and TSD 360 lists narrow activities that need no registration. Registration is made on Form WV/BUS-APP or online through Business4WV.gov. Contact Taxpayer Services at (304) 558-3333 or (800) 982-8297.
Kanawha County Building Permit and Floodplain Permit (unincorporated areas)
A business that builds, places or relocates a structure, does earth-disturbing work, clears land, adds a ground- or pole-mounted sign, installs solar panels or fencing, or remodels by more than 50% of market value in unincorporated Kanawha County needs a county Building Permit first. The county's Building Permit Guidelines and Procedures state: "A BUILDING PERMIT SHALL BE REQUIRED IN ANY AREA OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF KANAWHA COUNTY" for those activities, and the application has commercial and residential boxes and asks for the contractor's name and license number. The fee is set by Section 7.10 of the Kanawha County Floodplain Ordinance, adopted by Commission Order 2023-418 on July 27, 2023 and effective August 1, 2023. As the ordinance itself reads, applications "shall be accompanied by a fee, payable to the Kanawha County Commission based upon the estimated cost of the proposed construction as determined by the Building Permit Officer": "Up to $30,000.00", $25.00; "For each additional $1,000.00 of the development", "$2.50 per"; "Additionally - Floodplain Permit", $300.00. The county's application form records in its office-use box whether the floodplain fee applies ("FLOODPLAIN FEE: ___ NO ___ YES (300.00)"). Under Section 7.10(A) the applicant also reimburses the Commission for added review or inspection costs, including professional engineering and surveying, and a deposit may be required. Under Section 7.10(B) the fee is doubled for the first and second offenses of starting work before a permit, and tripled after that. A structure in the 1% (100-year) floodplain needs an elevation certificate by a licensed surveyor or engineer with the lowest finished floor 2 feet above base flood elevation, and a scaled site plan. Septic or aeration system permits go to the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. Contact Planning and Community Development, 407 Virginia Street East, 2nd Floor, Charleston, (304) 357-0570.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- TSD 360 Business Registration Procedures (Rev. March 2023)West Virginia Tax Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- Kanawha County Floodplain Ordinance (Commission Order 2023-418, adopted July 27, 2023, effective August 1, 2023)Kanawha County Commission, West Virginia · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- Kanawha County Building Permit Guidelines and Procedures; Planning & Community Development Building Permit ApplicationKanawha County Planning and Community Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- Planning & DevelopmentKanawha County Commission, West Virginia · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
Who issues business permits in Kanawha County?
Permitting in Kanawha 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.
Kanawha County issuing agencies
- Kanawha-Charleston Health DepartmentFood Service Establishment permits · Mobile Food Permits · Daycare Facility permits · Kennel and family day care plan approval referenced in the City's own Zoning Ordinance7 permits
- Kanawha County Planning and Community DevelopmentEnforces land use ordinances in the unincorporated areas of Kanawha County, including building permits and floodplain management, per the county's Planning & Development page · Issues the Kanawha County Building Permit and Floodplain Permit in the unincorporated areas of the county1 permit
- West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control AdministrationIssues Class A (on-premises) and Class B (off-premises) alcohol licenses in West Virginia (state layer)1 permit
- West Virginia Tax DivisionIssues the West Virginia Business Registration Certificate for each business location in the state (state layer)1 permit
Other West Virginia 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.