Michigan Permit Pathfinder
Michigan business permits and site checks.
Choose the route closest to what you’re opening, buying, moving, or changing. You’ll get a dated call sheet with the offices to contact, questions to ask, documents to gather, and decisions left to the state or local office.
Permit Pathfinder is a free Michigan Porch tool. No account; a saved route can resume on your device for 30 days. It does not issue or approve permits. Read itsprivacy details before using a shared device.
Before a lease or purchase
Commercial property
Start here before a lease, purchase, closing, renovation, demolition, or digging. Check old uses, environmental records, tanks, contamination, zoning, and building work before the deal limits your choices.
Start the commercial property check →Common business routes
Start with what you plan to open.
Restaurant & café
Local health-department review, kitchen plans, utilities, property records, and opening steps.
Start this check →Auto repair & body shop
Registration, zoning, drains, coatings, shop waste, tanks, and building work.
Start this check →Food truck
Food-license type, commissary, water and wastewater, fire systems, and each selling stop.
Start this check →Small manufacturer & fabricator
Air, exhaust, waste, drains, chemicals, equipment, and property history.
Start this check →All 20 checks
Find the closest fit.
More than one route may fit. Buying a gas station? Use Commercial property and Gas station. Leasing an auto-body shop and hiring your first worker? Add Auto repair and First employee.
Food & drink
- Restaurant & caféLocal health-department review, kitchen plans, utilities, property records, and opening steps.Start →
- Food truckFood-license type, commissary, water and wastewater, fire systems, and each selling stop.Start →
- Bar & liquor licenseCurrent license records, the seller's license file, ownership, local approval, closing, and added service areas.Start →
Auto, fuel & vehicles
- Auto repair & body shopRegistration, zoning, drains, coatings, shop waste, tanks, and building work.Start →
- Gas station & convenience storeFuel licenses, tanks, old releases, fire review, food, alcohol, and seller records.Start →
- Car washWashwater, drains, sewer or groundwater review, chemicals, and site history.Start →
- Vehicle dealer & used-car lotDealer class, lot and office rules, seller records, titles, insurance, and local approval.Start →
- Automotive recycler & salvage yardDealer class, vehicle intake, dismantling, fluids, outdoor storage, stormwater, and fire review.Start →
Property, land & building
- Commercial propertyOld uses, environmental records, tanks, contamination, zoning, renovation, and digging.Start →
- Small manufacturer & fabricatorAir, exhaust, waste, drains, chemicals, equipment, and property history.Start →
- Contractor & landscape yardFleet parking, outdoor materials, salt, fuel, washing, drains, waste, and workers.Start →
- Land & water projectGrading, soil erosion, runoff, wetlands, drains, floodplains, shore work, and dewatering.Start →
- Residential builderIndividual and company licenses, contracts, permits, skilled trades, crews, and jobsite risks.Start →
People & personal care
- Salon, barbershop & nail studioPremises license, ownership, inspection, water, ventilation, chemicals, and added services.Start →
- Tattoo & piercing studioHealth review, rooms and sinks, instruments, medical waste, records, and inspection.Start →
- Child-care centerLicensing, zoning, fire and health review, lead, playground, staffing, and background checks.Start →
Water & outdoors
First employees & first trips
What you get
Make the right calls in the right order.
The call sheet names the office, question, documents, official source, and unresolved decision for each task. The state or local office still decides whether a rule applies and whether a permit or approval is issued.
Want to see one first?
Read a worked route.
The sample shows the finished call sheet. The guides walk through one broad example and the official sources behind its tasks. Your own answers may add, remove, or reorder steps.
Official help
No route is a close match? Start with the Michigan Business Roadmap and the State License Search. Then ask the city, village, or township where the site sits and the county about local approvals. Filing a business entity does not create a business license. For broader state help, use the State of Michigan business portal.
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