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Change of Use (Business License) in Unincorporated Kane County, Utah

Kane County does not issue a standalone 'change of use permit' or a standalone certificate-of-occupancy-reissuance process. Instead, when an existing business's use or occupancy classification changes without new construction (e.g., a retail space becoming a restaurant), the applicant files the county's standard Business License Application and checks the 'Change of Use' status box — one of the application's four status options (New / New Location / New Owner / Change of Use). Per Kane County Code § 3-1-2(D), the County Clerk forwards every business license application to the Building Department and the Land Use Authority (Zoning) for compliance review, and the application form itself requires separate sign-off from both the Zoning Administrator and the Building Inspector before approval — a genuine, distinct two-department review path, even though it runs through the general $100 business-license fee rather than its own itemized fee.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A change in a business's use or occupancy classification at an existing location, without associated new construction, in unincorporated Kane County
  • Application filed with the Business License Application form (checking the 'Change of Use' status box, distinct from 'New', 'New Location', and 'New Owner')
  • Zoning Administrator approval (Approved / Not Approved, signed on the application) confirming the new use complies with the parcel's zone
  • Building Inspector approval (Approved / Not Approved, signed on the application) confirming the building is suitable for the new use
  • Kane County Code § 3-1-2(D): the County Clerk must forward the application to the Building Department, Land Use Authority, and any other County office or department needed to review compliance with State law and county code

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Business License FeeSame fee schedule used for all business license statuses (New, New Location, New Owner, Change of Use) — no separate 'change of use' fee line exists. Sourced directly from the current Business License Application PDF (kane.utah.gov/DocumentCenter/View/317) and independently corroborated by the Kane County Clerk-Auditor webpage's own prose: 'To apply for a business license, print the Business License Application (PDF) and mail it with payment of $100 to Kane County Clerk, 76 N Main, Kanab, UT 84741.' Kane County Code § 3-1-3(A) confirms the fee amount is set annually by County Commission resolution. Re-chased 2026-07-20 (second pass): located and read the actual governing 2026 general fee resolution directly — Kane County Resolution No. R 2026-1, 'A Resolution Establishing the 2026 Schedule of Fees for County Services' (utah.gov/pmn/files/1383549.pdf), effective January 27, 2026 and remaining in force 'until amended by subsequent written resolution.' Its Clerk/Auditor's Office section lists, verbatim: 'Business License Fee — Home Occupation (vacation rental) $100.00; Home Occupation (other) $0.00; All other Businesses $100.00; Late Fee $50.00' — exactly matching the figures already in this entry, now confirmed against the actual numbered, dated legislative resolution rather than only the application form and webpage. The same resolution's separate 'Land Use Authority' section (covering the Land Use/Planning fee schedule: Conditional Use Permit Residential $150, Conditional Use Permit Commercial/Agricultural $500, Zone Change $400, etc.) contains no distinct 'change of use' line item either, independently corroborating that a use-classification change on an existing building runs through the Business License process rather than a separate Land Use Authority fee.
$100.00
Late FeeListed on the current Business License Application PDF fee section; Kane County Code § 3-1-3(C) separately confirms a late penalty applies to any license fee not paid within 30 days of commencing business (amount set by County Commission resolution).
$50.00

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated Kane County’s published plan-review target
0–45 business days

How long did your Change of Use (Business License) permit actually take in Unincorporated Kane County?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

    See the full Unincorporated Kane County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

    Tips

    • There is no separate 'change of use permit' or 'zoning clearance' application in Kane County — the mechanism is the 'Change of Use' status box on the standard Business License Application, confirmed directly on the current form (kane.utah.gov/DocumentCenter/View/317).
    • The application isn't just a formality: Kane County Code § 3-1-2(D) requires the County Clerk to route every application to the Building Department and Land Use Authority for review, and the form itself carries separate approval lines for the Zoning Administrator and the Building Inspector — both must sign off before a change-of-use business license issues.
    • This project searched specifically for a standalone Certificate-of-Occupancy re-issuance process for an existing building with no active construction permit (as distinct from the final inspection/CO that closes out every building permit) and found no such process anywhere in Kane County's Building Department page, Building Department FAQ, Permits and Applications page, Land Use Authority page, or Kane County Code Title 8 (Building) — searched and re-checked 2026-07-20. A use-classification change on an existing building is handled through this same Business License 'Change of Use' track rather than a separate CO reissuance.
    • This process is folded into the general business-license fee structure — there is no itemized 'change of use' fee distinct from the standard $100 business license fee. Confirm current requirements with the County Clerk's office, (435) 644-2458, or the Building Department, (435) 644-4985, before applying.

    Frequently asked questions

    Unincorporated Kane County requires a change of use (business license) permit for: A change in a business's use or occupancy classification at an existing location, without associated new construction, in unincorporated Kane County; Application filed with the Business License Application form (checking the 'Change of Use' status box, distinct from 'New', 'New Location', and 'New Owner'); Zoning Administrator approval (Approved / Not Approved, signed on the application) confirming the new use complies with the parcel's zone; Building Inspector approval (Approved / Not Approved, signed on the application) confirming the building is suitable for the new use; Kane County Code § 3-1-2(D): the County Clerk must forward the application to the Building Department, Land Use Authority, and any other County office or department needed to review compliance with State law and county code. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Kane County Building Department at (435) 644-4985 before starting work.

    In Unincorporated Kane County, the published Business License Fee is: $100.00. Additional published fees: Late Fee — $50.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

    Kane County Code § 3-1-4(A) requires the County Clerk to issue an approved license within 45 days of the completed application being submitted and the fee paid. No shorter timeline specific to 'Change of Use' applications is published.

    You'll need: Business License Application; Detailed Description of Business. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through Kane County Building Department at 76 North Main Street, Kanab, UT 84741. Phone: (435) 644-4985, email: bldins@kane.utah.gov. Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Fri 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Official information: https://kane.utah.gov/165/Building-Department.

    Unincorporated Kane County, Utah has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a); statewide effective 7/1/2026; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendix AQ — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b)-(c); 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d); statewide effective 7/1/2026; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e); statewide effective 7/1/2026; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f); statewide effective 7/1/2026; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); statewide in force. NOTE: the Kane County Building Department webpage (last seen 2026-07-07) still lists '2020 NEC' and '2021 IBC/IPC/IMC' — that page has not been updated to reflect the current statewide codes; the versions listed here are the legally in-force editions per the Utah Legislature's current-version code text.; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h); statewide effective 7/1/2026; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); statewide effective 7/1/2026; International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) — adopted per Utah Code § 15A-2-103; Kane County actively enforces this with a WUI-specific permit fee, Fire Hazard Severity Form, and Wildfire Mitigation Plan requirement given the county's extensive wildland-adjacent terrain near Zion National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Kane County overview page for the full list.

    Not as a standalone application. Kane County's standard Business License Application has a 'Change of Use' status option (alongside New, New Location, and New Owner) that businesses use when their use or occupancy classification changes without new construction. The application still requires separate approval from both the Zoning Administrator and the Building Inspector, and Kane County Code § 3-1-2(D) requires the County Clerk to route it to the Building Department and Land Use Authority for compliance review — so it is a genuine, distinct review path, just not a separately named or separately priced permit.

    No standalone process for this was found published by Kane County. The county's materials only describe a Certificate of Occupancy as the outcome of a final inspection on an active building permit. If the occupancy classification or use of an existing building is changing, the applicable county process is the 'Change of Use' status on the standard Business License Application, which requires Building Inspector and Zoning Administrator sign-off but does not itself issue a document called a 'Certificate of Occupancy.'

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

    Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Unincorporated Kane County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.