Augusta County, VA Business License Guide: County, Town, and BPOL Rules

First, check whether your address is in a city, town, or unincorporated county area

Do this before you apply or pay a fee. In Virginia, local rules can depend on the exact address.

Virginia law treats a city as an independent incorporated community, while a town is an incorporated community within one or more counties. This matters because Staunton and Waynesboro are cities, not just neighborhoods inside Augusta County.

What Augusta County, VA may handle

County Business License

Augusta County’s official new business page uses the term Business License. It tells business owners to contact the Commissioner of the Revenue for business license questions and provides a county new business license application link.

Before the county business license is completed, the county says a non-residential business location must first obtain a zoning certificate. For a home-based business, the county points owners to home occupation permit information.

Commissioner of the Revenue

The Augusta County Commissioner of the Revenue is the key county office for the local business license layer. The county lists this office as responsible for programs including Business License, Business Personal Property, Machinery and Tools, Meals Tax, Lodging Tax, and Virginia State Income and Estimated Tax support.

Business personal property and machinery/tools

Business licensing is not the same thing as business personal property tax. Augusta County says individuals and businesses that owned tangible personal property in the county as of January 1, 2026 should receive a statement and return a verified or corrected statement by May 1, 2026. The county’s 2026 tax rate table lists a separate rate for “business, large trucks/trailers, machinery & tools.” Confirm current rates and filing rules with the Commissioner of the Revenue because rates and due dates can change.

Meals tax, lodging tax, and other local taxes

Augusta County lists Meals Tax and Lodging Tax under the Commissioner of the Revenue. A restaurant, prepared food seller, hotel, lodging operator, short-term rental host, or similar business should ask whether local meals, lodging, or transient occupancy rules apply. Do not assume a business license alone covers these taxes.

County Treasurer

The Treasurer is a separate county office. Augusta County says the Treasurer prepares, mails, and collects tax bills for real and personal property located in the county and also collects additional revenues that include business licenses, state-collected revenues and taxes, meals and lodging taxes, and other county fees.

What cities or towns may handle

Augusta County businesses should not assume that one county application answers every local question. The correct local office depends on the exact location.

Town of Grottoes

The Town of Grottoes says its Town Code establishes license requirements to conduct business within the town. Its business page says every person must apply for a license for each business or profession when engaging in business in that jurisdiction, and it tells people to contact the Town Office with questions.

Grottoes also recommends contacting the town Zoning Administrator before signing a lease or buying property so the town can review whether the intended business use is permitted at the location.

Town of Craigsville

The Town of Craigsville says it incorporated in 1960 and maintains local governance with a mayor, town council, and police department. If your business is physically in Craigsville, contact the town and Augusta County before assuming the county business license is the only local step.

City of Staunton

Staunton has its own official Business License & Taxes page. The city says businesses should learn how to register a business name, apply for permits, pay taxes, obtain appropriate licenses, and review business resources in Staunton. A business located in Staunton should check Staunton’s Commissioner of Revenue and zoning/building offices.

City of Waynesboro

Waynesboro has its own business license process through its Commissioner of the Revenue. The city’s license page says zoning verification comes before the business license can be issued, and it also lists steps for contractors, food establishments, fictitious trade names, EIN proof, license rates, and business personal property.

State-level registrations to check

Virginia state registrations are separate from Augusta County’s local business license. Many businesses need both a state step and a local step.

Virginia State Corporation Commission business registration

The Virginia State Corporation Commission says its Clerk’s Office is Virginia’s central filing office for corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and business trusts. Use the SCC’s Clerk’s Information System if you need to create or register a business entity.

Virginia Business One Stop

Virginia Business One Stop is a state resource for entrepreneurs and business owners to plan, develop, and expand a business. It can help organize start-up steps, but it does not replace checking Augusta County, town, city, zoning, tax, and industry-specific permit rules.

Virginia Tax registration

Virginia Tax says businesses may need to register for tax types such as retail sales tax, use tax, employer withholding, and corporate or pass-through entity income tax. If you register to collect retail sales or use tax, Virginia Tax says you receive a sales tax certificate and account information.

Sales and use tax

Virginia’s retail sales and use tax applies to many sales, leases, and rentals of tangible personal property, accommodations, and some taxable services unless an exemption or exception applies. If you sell taxable goods or taxable services, check Virginia Tax before opening.

Employer taxes and unemployment insurance

If your business has employees in Virginia, the Virginia Employment Commission says you must register with the VEC to determine whether you are liable for state unemployment insurance tax. This is separate from the county business license and separate from federal payroll tax duties.

State professional and contractor licenses

Some work needs a state professional license. For example, the Virginia Board for Contractors licenses businesses engaged in construction, removal, repair, or improvement of facilities on property owned by others. Contractor licenses include a class and a classification or specialty. Other regulated fields may be handled by DPOR or another state board.

DBA, fictitious name, assumed name, and trade name layer

In Virginia, the common “DBA” concept is usually called an assumed or fictitious name. The SCC says fictitious names are also referred to as assumed names, “t/a,” “dba,” or “aka.”

Augusta County’s new business page says sole proprietors, partnerships, and LLCs must register fictitious names with the State Corporation Commission and receive a confirmation letter to attach to the business license application.

The SCC says its Clerk’s Office is the central filing office in Virginia for fictitious names. It also says fictitious names do not have to be unique and do not have the same wording restrictions as business entity names.

Zoning, home occupation, building, fire, health, and industry permits

Zoning certificate for non-residential locations

Augusta County says a non-residential business location must obtain a zoning certificate before the business license. The zoning certificate verifies to the Commissioner of the Revenue that the business is a legal use where it is being conducted.

Home occupation permit

If your business is home-based, Augusta County points to home occupation permit rules. The county lists limits such as no outside storage, off-street parking for the business, limits on vehicle trips, and limits on commercial vehicles. The county also says applicants who have customers coming to the dwelling should bring a site drawing showing the parcel, dwelling, business area, driveway, and parking information.

If the proposed home business does not meet the home occupation criteria, the county says the owner may have the option to apply for a special use permit if allowed in the zoning district, or otherwise may need to move the business to another location.

Building permits and certificate of occupancy

For non-residential additions or new construction in Augusta County, the county says site plan approval must be received before applying for a building permit. The county also says electrical, plumbing, and mechanical sub-permits are obtained separately by the individual or company doing the work.

The county’s non-residential building permit page says a Certificate of Occupancy is required before a building is occupied and can be obtained only after final inspections are approved and any required sewage and water operation permit is acquired from the Health Department.

Signs, alarms, tents, trade permits, and related building items

Augusta County’s printable permit applications page lists building permit applications and trade permits, including non-residential/commercial, signs, electrical, alarms, mechanical, gas/oil lines, range hood/hood suppression, plumbing, demolition, tanks, tents, sprinklers, and amusement devices. Ask the Building Inspection Department which forms and fees apply to your project.

Food service, mobile food, temporary food, and lodging

The Virginia Department of Health says a new or remodeled foodservice facility, including a mobile food unit, must complete plan review with the local health department before opening, then submit a foodservice permit application and request inspection. The Central Shenandoah Health District says its Environmental Health staff permit and inspect food establishments, tourist lodging establishments, campgrounds, summer camps, and related facilities.

Contractors

Augusta County’s new business page says contractors licensed through DPOR must register through DPOR and supply the Virginia state contractor number and expiration date on the county business license application. It also says contractors must submit workers’ compensation insurance information by filing Form 61A with the Commissioner of the Revenue.

Short-term rentals and lodging

If you operate lodging, short-term rental, rooms, cabins, campground spaces, or similar lodging activity, ask the Commissioner of the Revenue, zoning office, and health department about lodging tax, transient occupancy rules, zoning approval, health department rules, and building/fire requirements. Do not assume a state platform listing or marketplace account replaces local approval.

Alcohol, tobacco, and other regulated sales

Alcohol, tobacco, vape, cannabis-related products, motor vehicle sales, professional services, daycare, health services, and other regulated industries may require separate state or local approvals. Start with the local license office, then check the relevant Virginia state agency.