Mobile Car Wash Permit Requirements in Concord, NH

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

2. EPA Stormwater Compliance — Clean Water Act Section 402

   Mobile car wash operations that discharge wash water are subject to the federal Clean Water Act. The EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) prohibits discharge of polluted wash water to storm drains or waterways without a permit. Most mobile operators achieve compliance by using containment systems and disposing of water via sanitary sewer. Larger operations (e.g., fleet washing facilities) may require an NPDES permit.

   Official government source

   Free (containment equipment: $200–$1,500)·Before first wash

   Free (containment equipment: $200–$1,500)

   Before first wash

1. New Hampshire Business Registration

   Mobile car wash and auto detailing businesses operating in New Hampshire must register with the New Hampshire Secretary of State if structured as an LLC, corporation, or partnership (Certificate of Formation filing fee: $100). Sole proprietors using a trade name must file a $50 trade-name registration (RSA 349). An LLC is recommended to protect personal assets given the liability inherent in mobile operations.

   Official government source

   $50 (trade name) to $100 (LLC/corporation filing fee)·1–7 business days

   $50 (trade name) to $100 (LLC/corporation filing fee)

   1–7 business days

2. New Hampshire Stormwater and Wash Water Discharge Compliance

   Mobile car wash operations generate wastewater containing detergents, surfactants, oils and road grime. New Hampshire rules, consistent with the federal Clean Water Act, prohibit discharging this wash water to storm drains, street gutters or waterways. Operators should use a containment mat and recovery system (wet/dry vacuum or pump) or direct wash water to a sanitary sewer inlet. The regulator is the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services — there is no "Department of Environmental Quality" in New Hampshire. Businesses handling hazardous solvents or degreasers also fall under NHDES hazardous waste rules.

   Official government source

   No permit and no fee for ordinary mobile car washing — this is a discharge prohibition, not a licensed activity·Not applicable; comply before operating

   No permit and no fee for ordinary mobile car washing — this is a discharge prohibition, not a licensed activity

   Not applicable; comply before operating

1. No Concord General Business License Exists

   Concord does not require a general business license for mobile car wash or detailing businesses. The City's Licensing Services division licenses only specific activities — annual entertainment, charitable solicitation and raffles, door-to-door sales, junkyards, pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers, peddlers and vendors, tattoo artists and establishments, taxicabs, food service and yard sales. Mobile car washing is not among them. Separate obligations may still apply: keep wash water out of storm drains, and confirm home-occupation zoning with the Planning Division if you store equipment at a residence.

   Official government source

   Not applicable — no general business license fee exists·Not applicable

   Not applicable — no general business license fee exists

   Not applicable

2. Wash Water Discharge Rules — No Permit or Fee

   Concord prohibits discharging mobile car wash water — which carries detergents, oils and road grime — into storm drains, gutters or waterways. This is an illicit-discharge prohibition under the city's municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) obligations, not a permit you buy: NHDES issues no individual stormwater permit for mobile car washes. Operators are expected to contain runoff with a berm or mat, recover it with a wet/dry vacuum or pump, and dispose of it to an approved sanitary sewer connection or licensed disposal facility. Public Works may inspect and violations can be fined.

   Official government source

   No permit and no fee — this is a discharge prohibition, not a licensed activity·Not applicable; comply before operating

   No permit and no fee — this is a discharge prohibition, not a licensed activity

   Not applicable; comply before operating

3. No County or State Chemical-Use Registration Exists

   There is no Merrimack County or New Hampshire chemical-use registration for mobile detailing businesses; New Hampshire counties run no environmental-health registry. Businesses using cleaning chemicals, degreasers or solvents must keep a Safety Data Sheet for each product and follow storage and disposal rules under federal OSHA hazard-communication requirements and state waste rules.

   Official government source

   No registration or fee applies·Not applicable

   No registration or fee applies

   Not applicable

4. Concord Zoning — Home Occupation Compliance (if operating from a residence)

   Concord has no standalone home occupation permit — none appears in the City's adopted fee ordinance. Storing a mobile car wash vehicle, equipment and supplies at a Concord residence must comply with the home-occupation provisions of the Concord Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 28), administered by the Planning Division, which has held all zoning functions since September 30, 2024. Contact Planning at 603-225-8515 to confirm what applies to your setup.

   Official government source

   No home-occupation permit fee is listed in Concord's fee ordinance; a zoning application or appeal, where required, is $370 or $460 depending on district·Confirm with the Concord Planning Division

   No home-occupation permit fee is listed in Concord's fee ordinance; a zoning application or appeal, where required, is $370 or $460 depending on district

   Confirm with the Concord Planning Division

Official Sources

• Concord Business Licensing
• New Hampshire Environmental Quality — Water Programs
• EPA NPDES — Stormwater Discharges
• IRS EIN Application

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