How to get an autoshop license

We inspect and license auto shops to make sure they meet City codes. Our goal is to reduce their impact on neighborhoods and the environment. You need a license if you store, repair, or sell cars at your business. See a sample auto-shop license.

You need permits before you can apply, including:

• an Occupancy Permit that states how you can use your property
• an annual Permit to Store Flammable Materials if you use torches or spray paint
• a Class II License if you sell used vehicles on your lot (Contact the Boston Police Licensing Division at 617-343-4425 for more information)
• a Use of Premises Permit if you store or sell cars in an open-space area of your property
• Workers Comp Insurance for your employees and yourself
• a Site Cleanliness License, and
• a Business Certificate.

For a license, you need to pay a $100 fee for the auto shop license.

You need to renew your license each year. The fee to renew your license is $100.

Mail your check or money order made payable to the City of Boston.

You need to give us several documents before you can get your license:

• Please complete and print out an auto-shop application:
  • Auto-shop application (English)
  • Auto-shop application (kriolu, Cape Verdean Creole)
  • Auto-shop application (中文, Chinese, Simplified)
  • Auto-shop application (中文, Chinese, Traditional)
  • Auto-shop application (Kreyòl ayisyen, Haitian Creole)
  • Auto-shop application (Español, Spanish)
  • Auto-shop application (Tiếng Việt, Vietnamese)
• We need to see a site plan that shows where your dumpster is. The plan should show how close your shop is to other properties and public ways, and where you have required fences or screens. If your dumpster is on a public road, we need to see your Street Occupancy Permit.
• We need to see a plan and schedule for how you will take care of your shop.
• Please give us your plan for solid waste disposal, along with a copy of your waste disposal contract. We also need to see your a rodent and pest control contract.

We inspect and license auto shops to make sure they meet City codes. Our goal is to reduce their impact on neighborhoods and the environment. You need a license if you store, repair, or sell cars at your business. See a sample auto-shop license.

You need permits before you can apply, including:

• an Occupancy Permit that states how you can use your property
• an annual Permit to Store Flammable Materials if you use torches or spray paint
• a Class II License if you sell used vehicles on your lot (Contact the Boston Police Licensing Division at 617-343-4425 for more information)
• a Use of Premises Permit if you store or sell cars in an open-space area of your property
• Workers Comp Insurance for your employees and yourself
• a Site Cleanliness License, and
• a Business Certificate.

For a new license, you need to pay a fee to register and for the license itself. The fees are as follows:

• a one-time registration fee of $100 for each location you own, and
• $100 for the auto shop license.

For a license, you need to pay a $100 fee for the auto shop license.

You need to renew your license each year. The fee to renew your license is $100.

You can pay the fee with cash, check or money order made payable to the City of Boston.  We also accept payments made with a credit or debit card.

You need to give us several documents before you can get your license:

• Please complete and print out an auto-shop application:
  • Auto-shop application (English)
  • Auto-shop application (kriolu, Cape Verdean Creole)
  • Auto-shop application (中文, Chinese, Simplified)
  • Auto-shop application (中文, Chinese, Traditional)
  • Auto-shop application (Kreyòl ayisyen, Haitian Creole)
  • Auto-shop application (Español, Spanish)
  • Auto-shop application (Tiếng Việt, Vietnamese)
• We need to see a site plan that shows where your dumpster is. The plan should show how close your shop is to other properties and public ways, and where you have required fences or screens. If your dumpster is on a public road, we need to see your Street Occupancy Permit.
• We need to see a plan and schedule for how you will take care of your shop.
• Please give us your plan for solid waste disposal, along with a copy of your waste disposal contract. We also need to see your a rodent and pest control contract.