Fort Worth Business License Cost Estimator
Estimates based on the City of Fort Worth's published fee schedules: the Development Services fee schedule (FY2026, effective October 1, 2025) and the Consumer Health Division Schedule of Fees (effective September 1, 2025). Fort Worth and the State of Texas have no general business license, so this calculator adds up the activity-specific permits your business actually needs.
Things that apply to most businesses
Estimates are based on the City of Fort Worth Development Services fee schedule (FY2026, effective October 1, 2025) and the Consumer Health Division Schedule of Fees (effective September 1, 2025). Health permit fees were amended to comply with Texas SB1008, effective September 1, 2025. New FY2027 development fees take effect October 1, 2026. We are not a government agency and are not liable for differences between these estimates and final city billing. Fee schedules current as of September 2026.
Business Licenses in Fort Worth: The Honest 2026 Guide
The first thing to know is the thing most "business license" websites get wrong: Fort Worth does not have a general business license. The City of Fort Worth does not issue one single citywide license that every business must hold. The State of Texas does not have one either. The Governor's Business Permit Office says so plainly: there is no general license, and the certificate of formation from the Secretary of State (or the assumed name certificate from the county clerk) is what satisfies the "general business license" requirement that exists in other states.
What Fort Worth does have is a set of activity-specific permits. Whether you need any of them depends on what you do and where you do it. That is exactly what the calculator above adds up.
What Fort Worth actually charges businesses
| Permit / license | Current fee | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Occupancy (application + inspection) | $87.75 one-time | Any business operating in a commercial building |
| Change of occupancy | $90 one-time | Building's use is changing (e.g. retail becomes restaurant) |
| Temporary / Limited Certificate of Occupancy | $378 | Occupying unfinished space up to 60 days |
| Food establishment annual health permit | $258 / $515 / $773 | Restaurants, by gross annual food sales tiers |
| Health plan review | $150 one-time | New fixed food establishments |
| Mobile food vendor annual permit | $258 | Food trucks, trailers, push carts |
| Mobile vendor plan review | $65 one-time | New mobile food units |
| Food handler certification | $10 per person | Anyone handling food (city online course, valid 2 years) |
| Temporary food permit | $52 | Events and short-term food service |
| Hotel / motel annual health permit | $773 full service, $580 limited | Hotels and motels |
| Child care annual health permit | $385 + $5 per employee | Child care facilities |
| Swimming pool / spa annual permit | $580 + $5 per employee, per pool | Public pools, spas, spraygrounds |
| Contractor registration | $168.75 / $562.50 per year | Building, sign, wrecking, moving, irrigator ($168.75); parkway/utility ($562.50) |
| Secondhand dealer license | $100 per year | Secondhand dealers |
| Sidewalk cafe permit | $189 per year | Restaurants with outdoor seating on the sidewalk |
| Specialized CO (sexually oriented business) | $1,125 | Sexually oriented businesses |
| Temporary street use permit | $100 | Events or work needing temporary street use |
What that looks like in real numbers
- Office in a leased space, same use as prior tenant: just the Certificate of Occupancy package, about $87.75, one time. No annual city license fee at all.
- New restaurant doing $200,000 in food sales: $773 annual health permit + $150 plan review + $87.75 CO, about $1,010.75 in year one, then $773 a year after that.
- Food truck, two employees: $258 annual permit + $65 plan review + two $10 food handler certs, about $343 in year one.
- Building contractor: $168.75 registration per year. A parkway/utility contractor pays $562.50 plus a bond.
- Secondhand dealer: $100 per year.
Compare that with the city's own estimate: in a 2023 budget response, Fort Worth figured the city fees to open a 1,000 square foot restaurant, including building and trade permits for the buildout, health plan review, the annual health permit, and the Certificate of Occupancy.
Fee schedules change on a rhythm
Fort Worth runs on an October-to-September fiscal year, so development fees refresh every October 1. New FY2027 fees take effect October 1, 2026: change of occupancy goes from $90 to $94.50, the occupancy application fee from $31.50 to $33.08, the occupancy inspection from $56.25 to $59.06, and the sidewalk cafe permit from $189 to $199. Health permit fees run on a different clock: they were amended September 1, 2025 to comply with Texas SB1008, which is why mobile food vendor fees dropped to a flat $258. We re-verify these numbers every July and every October.
The state and county layers
City permits are only one layer. The others:
- Texas Secretary of State: an LLC certificate of formation costs $300, one time. Texas has no general business license, so this is the closest thing to one.
- Tarrant County clerk: an assumed name (DBA) certificate costs $25.
- Texas Comptroller: a sales tax permit is free if you sell taxable goods or services.
- State trade licenses: master plumbers, electricians, and other trades are licensed by the state, not the city. If you hold the state license, Fort Worth charges no city registration fee for you.
Activities that need their own city permission
Beyond the table above, Fort Worth regulates a handful of specific activities: door-to-door vendors must register with the city (the police department enforces it), alarm systems need an alarm permit, and newsracks, signs, and special events have their own permits. If your business does something unusual, check with the city before you assume you are covered. The door-to-door vendor rules were under active city council review in early 2026, so confirm the current registration fee if that is your business.
Where to apply
- Development Services (permits, certificates of occupancy, contractor registration): 817-392-2222
- Consumer Health Division (food, hotel, pool, child care permits): 817-392-7255
- The city's small-business starting point: fortworthtexas.gov/business
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a business license in Fort Worth?
No, not a general one. Neither the city nor the state issues a general business license. You need activity-specific permits: a Certificate of Occupancy for your space, health permits if you handle food, contractor registration if you are a contractor, and licenses for specific activities like secondhand dealing or sidewalk cafes.
How much does a business license cost in Fort Worth?
There is no single price because there is no single license. A typical office in a leased space pays about $87.75 once for the Certificate of Occupancy. A restaurant pays $258 to $773 a year for its health permit plus the CO. Use the calculator above for your situation.
What is a Certificate of Occupancy and do I need one?
It is the city's sign-off that a commercial building may be occupied for your type of business. Most businesses in commercial space need one, and it is often the biggest (sometimes the only) city item. If the building's use is changing, a change-of-occupancy fee applies on top.
How much is a food permit in Fort Worth?
For a fixed restaurant, the annual health permit is $258, $515, or $773 depending on gross annual food sales, plus a $150 plan review for new establishments. A food truck or push cart pays $258 a year plus a $65 plan review. Food handler certifications are $10 each through the city's online course.
Do contractors need a license in Fort Worth?
Texas has no state general-contractor license. Fort Worth requires contractors to register with the city annually: $168.75 for building, sign, wrecking, moving, and plumbing irrigator contractors, $562.50 for parkway and utility contractors. If you hold a state master trade license (plumbing, electrical), the city charges you no registration fee.
What about a home-based business?
Home-based businesses are strictly regulated in Fort Worth, and a residence may not be used as a food establishment. Check zoning and the home-occupation rules before you start.
When do Fort Worth fees change?
Development fees refresh every October 1 with the city's fiscal year. Health permit fees follow state law and were last amended September 1, 2025.
Sources
Every fee on this page comes from an official city or state source, verified September 2026:
- Consumer Health Division Schedule of Fees, effective September 1, 2025 (PDF) - fortworthtexas.gov
- Health permit fee schedule change under Texas SB1008 (city council documents) - fortworthgov.legistar1.com
- Development Services fee schedule, Ordinance No. 27191-09-2024 (effective October 1, 2024) - fortworthtexas.gov
- FY2026 recommended fee adjustments, budget response 26-002 (August 19, 2025) - fortworthtexas.gov
- FY2027 recommended fee adjustments, budget response 27-010 (August 18, 2026) - fortworthtexas.gov
- Requirements and costs to open a small business in Fort Worth, budget response 24-024 (September 13, 2023) - fortworthtexas.gov
- Contractor registration - fortworthtexas.gov
- Mobile food vendor fees and requirements - fortworthtexas.gov
- Mobile vendor plan review fees (cook-and-serve and wrapped/prepared food truck documents) - fortworthtexas.gov
- Texas Business Permit Office (no general business license in Texas) - gov.texas.gov
Fees on this page come from the City of Fort Worth's published fee schedules and the Governor's Business Permit Office. Fee amounts refresh every October 1 (development) and were last amended September 1, 2025 (health), so confirm current fees with the city before finalizing your business budget. Last updated September 2026.