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How to Open a Retail Store in Long Beach: Zoning, Seller’s Permit, Signs, Certificate of Occupancy and the License

Checked against the city's pages: October 2026 By Dana Castellano 8 min read

Photo by Clark Street Mercantile on Unsplash

On this page

In brief

A Long Beach retail store needs a zoning answer before the lease, a free state seller’s permit, permits for any build-out, a sign permit if it will display a sign, and a city business license that the city’s guide places after the final inspection or certificate of occupancy. The 2026-27 license tax for the Retail classification is $488.81 plus $12.66 per employee.

  • The city’s retail guide tells tenants to check with Planning that the location “allows (is zoned for) your proposed retail use” before signing a lease1.
  • The California seller’s permit is free; the state “may require a security deposit under certain circumstances”45.
  • A first sign permit is $119.84 and a Creative Sign Permit $3,560.48, as of October 20266.
  • A temporary certificate of occupancy is $44 per $100,000 of valuation on the schedule effective October 1, 2026; the schedule prints no fee for the final certificate7.
  • Alcohol and tobacco sales add state and city layers that a plain retail store does not carry89.

The steps run across several offices, and the order matters: zoning comes before the lease and the license comes after the building. The section pillar, How to Start a Business in Long Beach, covers what every business shares; this page covers what a store adds.

The short answer

If you are… Do this
Signing a lease for a storefront Ask Planning, (562) 570-6194, whether the address allows your retail use, and ask Building and Safety whether its improvements were permitted110
Selling goods that carry California sales tax Register for a seller’s permit; it is free45
Changing only the storefront Minor storefront alterations are among the plans reviewed over the counter at the Permit Center11
Putting up a sign or banner A sign permit is required in any zoning district unless the code exempts the sign12
Selling alcohol or tobacco Expect a state license plus a city layer; see the callout below89
Six-step sequence for opening a retail store in Long Beach: zoning check before the lease, seller's permit from the state, build-out permits at the Permit Center, final inspection or certificate of occupancy, sign permit, and the business license last.
The six steps in the order the city's retail guide gives them. Planning fees as of October 2026; the license from the 2026-27 table.

Zoning and the lease

The city’s guide says to confirm zoning and prior permits before the lease: “allows (is zoned for) your proposed retail use”1. The Planning Bureau answers use questions at (562) 570-6194, and the city’s business guide says: “Before investing in buildout, verify with Planning that your business type is permitted at your location”10. This page does not list which districts allow retail; Planning’s answer is address-specific.

The Planning schedule effective October 1, 2026 charges $213.92 ($191.00 base) for a Business License Zoning Review, and $1,142.40 for a Zoning Confirmation Letter6.

The state papers

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration says a seller’s permit is required if you “intend to sell or lease tangible personal property subject to sales tax sold at retail”; sales at one location for 90 days or less can use a temporary permit4. Registration is free; the state’s publication says “No. The permit is free. However, we may require a security deposit under certain circumstances”5. The city asks for the seller’s permit with the license application, and names and addresses must match the applicant20.

A for-profit business whose name omits the owner’s surname files a fictitious business name with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, with a “Notarized Affidavit of Identity”, and publishes it “once per week for four consecutive weeks in an adjudicated newspaper in Los Angeles County”14. The county filing fee is not stated on the pages used here.

Official pages disagree The County Clerk’s main fictitious-name page says publication starts “within 30 days of filing”14. Its publication page says “within 45 days of filing”15. Planning around the shorter period avoids a missed deadline under either page.

Build-out permits

Plans reviewed over the counter at the Permit Center include “minor storefront alterations and more”; larger work is “Submitted Plan Review”. The center is at 411 West Ocean Boulevard; the city says to book an appointment, and walk-ins “are not accepted from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or after 3:30 p.m.”11. The city’s brochures describe the path: construction documents go to the Permit Center and are routed to Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire and Planning; permits issue when fees are paid; a licensed contractor builds and books inspections online2.

The fee page says “you could expect to spend about 2% of your building costs on plan checks, permits, inspections and other agency fees”16. Building, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical permit amounts depend on the project and are not restated here.

Signs

A sign permit “is required to display, enlarge, modify, relocate or change in any way … an on-premises sign in any zoning district, unless … expressly exempted” and the sign must be used within 180 days12. No permit is needed for window signs covering up to 10 percent of the window, interior signs under 25 percent, or “any other non-prohibited sign, if less than 3 sq. ft.”12. The Code Enforcement fines page lists “Unpermitted or illegal business signs or banners” among fined violations17.

Sign item Base fee With 12.0% surcharge
Sign Permit, first sign $107.00 $119.84
Sign Permit, each additional $51.00 $57.12
Banner permit, first sign $34.00 $38.08
Banner permit, each additional $17.00 $19.04
Creative Sign Permit $3,179.00 $3,560.48
Sign Standards Waiver $1,772.00 $1,984.64

Source:6, effective October 1, 2026. The Building side adds “Sign Plan Review $180 plus 100% of Zoning Sign Permit fee” and “Monument / Pole Sign Plan Review $360 / Plan Review”7.

The code limits wall signs to “one (1) square foot of sign area per linear foot of building wall”, up to 100 square feet facing a residential, local or collector street and 250 facing an arterial12. A banner is valid “for only ninety (90) days and shall not be renewable in the same calendar year”12. Awnings and encroachments are in Business Signs and Awnings in Long Beach.

Certificate of occupancy

After inspections the city’s retail guide has the tenant “Request approval for use and occupancy of the building (e.g., Certificate of Occupancy)”, and the guide to permits says that once a permit is finalized “you’ll receive clearance for occupancy”110. The only certificate fee on the schedule effective October 1, 2026 is for a temporary one: “$44 / each $100,000 of valuation or fraction thereof”, with renewal at “50% of the initial fee with a minimum of $177”7. A fee for the final certificate or a change of use is not stated on the schedule. See Certificate of Occupancy and Change of Use in Long Beach.

The city license

The license comes last: “Upon receiving a final building inspection or Certificate of Occupancy, file for a business license”1. In the 2026-27 table (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) Retail is $488.81 plus $12.66 per employee; “The owner of a sole proprietorship shall not be deemed to be an ’employee'”313. A license is required “for each separate location in the City”18. The Division says “In most cases a license can be issued upon receipt of the application and payment”; where inspections come first, “this takes two weeks or less” for most businesses19. The application states: “THIS IS NOT A BUSINESS LICENSE: DO NOT OPERATE UNTIL A VALID LICENSE HAS BEEN ISSUED”13.

Good to know The city’s guide gives Environmental Health “tobacco sales or other health-regulated activities”10. The state’s off-sale alcohol license types are Type 20 (beer and wine) and Type 21 (general)8. The Planning schedule lists a Conditional Use Permit at $17,330.88 and a CUP exemption for alcohol sales at $1,694.56, as of October 20266; the code bars conditional alcohol uses within 500 feet of a public school or park, with exceptions9. The alcohol layer is covered in Selling Alcohol in Long Beach; the pages used here do not give the city’s tobacco permit fee or steps.

The steps, in order

  1. Check the zoning with Planning before signing the lease110.
  2. Register for a seller’s permit and, if needed, a fictitious business name414.
  3. Pull build-out permits at the Permit Center if the work goes beyond cosmetic changes11.
  4. Apply for the sign permit before installing a sign12.
  5. Pass the final inspection and request the certificate of occupancy1.
  6. File for the city license13.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a seller's permit to open a retail store in Long Beach?

If you sell tangible personal property subject to sales tax at retail, the state requires one, and registration is free45.

How much is a business license for a retail store?

In 2026-27 the Retail classification is $488.81 plus $12.66 per employee; a sole proprietor is not counted as an employee313.

How much is a sign permit?

$119.84 for the first sign and $57.12 for each additional sign, as of October 20266.

Do I need a certificate of occupancy for a retail space?

The city’s retail guide has tenants request approval for use and occupancy before filing for the license; the schedule prints no fee for the final certificate17.

Can I check whether a space allows retail before signing?

Planning’s line is (562) 570-6194, and the zoning confirmation letter is $1,142.40 as of October 2026610.

How long does the business license take?

In most cases it is issued on application and payment; where inspections come first, “two weeks or less” for most businesses19.

Sources

  1. Retail Permitting Guidelines brochure, November 2024 — City of Long Beach, Building and Safety. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  2. Restaurant Permitting Guidelines brochure, November 2024 — City of Long Beach, Building and Safety. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  3. Business License Rates Effective July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  4. Permits and Licenses — California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  5. Publication 73, Your California Seller’s Permit — California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  6. Planning Bureau Fee Schedule, revised October 1, 2026 (FY27 fees version) — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  7. Building Permit and Plan Review Fees, October 1, 2026 — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  8. License Types — California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  9. Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 21.52 Conditional Uses — Municode. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  10. Business permitting brochures and guides — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  11. Permit Center — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  12. Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 21.44 Signs — Municode. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  13. Business License Application — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  14. Fictitious Business Names — Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  15. Fictitious Business Name Publication — Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  16. Fee Schedules — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  17. Code Enforcement Fines — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  18. Business License Frequently Asked Questions — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  19. Business License Application Instructions — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  20. Required Forms and Permits — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.