Auto Repair Shop Permit Requirements in Hilo, HI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Hawaii Department of Taxation — General Excise Tax (GET) License

   Hawaii has no sales tax. Instead the state levies a General Excise Tax on the gross income of the business itself, and unlike a sales tax it reaches services, commissions and rent as well as goods. Every business must register for a GET licence with the Department of Taxation on Form BB-1 before doing business. The rate is 4% statewide, rising to 4.5% on Oahu because of the 0.5% county surcharge, and it is owed on gross income whether or not it is passed on to the customer.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)·Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)

   Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

2. Hawaii DOH Solid & Hazardous Waste Branch — Used Oil and Hazardous Waste

   Auto repair shops must comply with the hazardous waste generator and used oil rules enforced by the State Department of Health Solid & Hazardous Waste Branch — not the HEER Office, which handles contaminated sites and spill response. Used oil must be stored in labelled, leak-free containers and sent to a permitted recycler or licensed hauler, with records kept. Shops generating larger volumes of hazardous waste must obtain an EPA identification number.

   Official government source

   No branch fee for ordinary compliance; costs are the licensed hauler's or recycler's charges. An EPA identification number is free.·No waiting period for the compliance obligations; an EPA identification number is issued shortly after notification for shops that need one

   No branch fee for ordinary compliance; costs are the licensed hauler's or recycler's charges. An EPA identification number is free.

   No waiting period for the compliance obligations; an EPA identification number is issued shortly after notification for shops that need one

1. Hawaii State General Excise Tax (GET) License

   Hawaii County does not issue a general county business license. Every business operating in Hilo must obtain a State of Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) license, a one-time $20 filing with the Dept. of Taxation. Specific business types may need separate state or county permits.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time (State GET license; no general county business license exists)·Same day–1 week via Hawaii Tax Online

   $20 one-time (State GET license; no general county business license exists)

   Same day–1 week via Hawaii Tax Online

2. Hawaii County Planning Department and Building Division — Zoning and Certificate of Occupancy

   Auto repair shops must operate on land zoned for commercial or industrial use. Zoning approval comes from the Hawaii County Planning Department and the Certificate of Occupancy from the Department of Public Works, Building Division — the County Finance Department has no role in either. Both must be in place before opening.

   Official government source

   Set by the Hawaii County building permit fee schedule on the declared value of the work; there is no flat per-project rate published online; zoning approvals are charged separately under the Planning Department's schedule·Applications are filed through the county's EPIC online permit system; review time depends on scope and whether plans require engineering review

   Set by the Hawaii County building permit fee schedule on the declared value of the work; there is no flat per-project rate published online; zoning approvals are charged separately under the Planning Department's schedule

   Applications are filed through the county's EPIC online permit system; review time depends on scope and whether plans require engineering review

Official Sources

• County of Hawaii Finance Department
• Hawaii Department of Health — Used Oil and Hazardous Waste

Related Guides