| If you are planning to open a new business in Miami-Dade County , there are several certificates and/or licenses that you must obtain before you are allowed to begin operating. The certificates and licenses explained below are not issued by DERM, but do require DERM‘s approval before issuance to verify that your business will comply with all local, state, and environmental laws.
Please review the information below to determine which one(s) you will need to obtain in order to start your new business.
Certificates of Occupancy (CO)
The Certificate of Occupancy used to be a part of - the Certificate of Use and Occupancy. When the new Florida Building Code went into effect, it required Building Officials to issue a Certificate of Occupancy – when a structure or building (i.e. a house, an office building, a warehouse, etc.) was fit for occupancy. Whenever a person gets a building permit for new construction or improvement to an existing building, he/she will be required to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from the Building Department upon completion of any construction work.
In the unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County, prior to the Building Department issuing the Certificate of Occupancy, the applicant also must comply with the requirements of all other Departments (i.e. DERM, FIRE, Zoning, Public Works, etc.). In order for DERM to allow the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy, the applicant - must submit a number of different Certifications depending on the project. These are a few, but not limited to, the certifications DERM requires: Final Elevation Certificate, Engineer's certification of treatment systems, Engineer's certification of hazardous materials storage systems, Certification of Water Main Extensions Sanitary Sewer Main Extensions, etc.
Certificates of Use (CU)
This is the second portion of what once was the Certificate of Use and Occupancy. This is also referred to as a Zoning Permit. It is an approval of a specific use at a specific location. It is required in the unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County for all non-residential uses (i.e. any business in unincorporated Miami-Dade County requires a Certificate of Use). In order to open a business, you must apply for a Certificate of Use. It also applies to changes or transfers of ownership of a business. Prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Use, the applicant must obtain DERM’s approval. In order for DERM to approve a Certificate of Use, the applicant must comply with DERM's Land Use Regulations (i.e. Wellfield Protection Areas, Uses Served by Septic Tanks, etc), obtain the appropriate Sewer Capacity Certification (aka Sewer Allocation), and obtain any required DERM Operating Permits (i.e. Industrial Waste, Air Source, Storage Tank, Grease Discharge, etc.)
If you have any questions concerning the Certificates of Use/ Zoning Permit, please contact The Department of Planning & Zoning.
Miami-Dade County Occupational License
Anyone doing business in Miami-Dade County, both unincorporated or the municipalities, needs to have a Miami-Dade County Occupational License. Unlike the Certificate of Use, the business is not tied to a specific location. It can be a mobile business. This license has been comparedto a tax on businesses and/or individuals conducting business in Miami-Dade County.
Municipality Occupational Licenses
This is the equivalent of the Certificate of Use in the unincorporated areas. Each municipality will issue its own type of Zoning Permit, and as with the Certificate of Use, the applicant must obtain DERM’s approval prior to the municipality issuing the License. In order for DERM to issue its approval, the applicant must comply with DERM's Land Use Regulations (i.e. Wellfield Protection Areas, Uses Served by Septic Tanks, etc), obtain the appropriate Sewer Capacity Certification (aka Sewer Allocation), and obtain any required DERM Operating Permits (i.e. Industrial Waste, Air Source, Storage Tank, Grease Discharge, etc.)
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