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If your business sits inside American Fork city limits, the license comes from American Fork City, not Utah County. The Licensing Department shares an address with Planning on 200 North, applications are filed online, and the fee schedule was readopted effective July 1, 2026. This guide covers the fees the city posts, which form to use, and where the city's own paperwork disagrees with itself.
American Fork City licenses every business inside the city, through online applications linked on americanfork.gov. Under the fee schedule effective July 1, 2026, a new commercial license costs $60 to apply, plus a $40 annual processing fee and a $125 fire inspection. A home occupation with no impacts costs $0, and one with impacts costs $40. Opening before the license is issued adds a $100 penalty, so file first and open second.
Utah County only licenses businesses outside any city, so a shop on Main Street, an office, or a home business inside American Fork gets its license from the city. The county overview is in our Utah County business license guide. This page stays on American Fork.
The Licensing Department is at 275 E 200 N, the same address as the Planning Department, and takes calls at (801) 763-3060. The city lists its hours as Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. City Hall is at 51 E Main St, (801) 763-3000, and lists Friday hours of 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Do the state paperwork first: the city's home occupation form says all federal and state numbers must be obtained before the application and fee are accepted.
The city's Business License page links ten online applications, all hosted on the Civic Review platform. Pick the one that matches what you do.
The city adopted a fee schedule effective July 1, 2026, and its business license amounts match the 2025-26 schedule. The Business License page itself prints no fees, so these come from the schedule PDF. The schedule labels the commercial application fee as "plus processing fees," so ask the Licensing Department for your total before you pay.
| License or charge | Fee |
|---|---|
| New commercial application | $60 |
| Annual business license processing fee (commercial, and home occupations with impacts) | $40 |
| Fire inspection for a new commercial license (includes the initial inspection) | $125 |
| Home occupation, no impacts, no certificate of license | $0 |
| Home occupation, with impacts and a certificate of license | $40 |
| Day care or residential facility application | $60, plus $125 fire inspection |
| Temporary license, up to 10 consecutive days | $200 |
| Seasonal license, up to 4 months | $300 |
| Alcohol or beer license | $300 |
| Solicitor (individual) | $40 |
| Food truck vendor, per company | $60, plus $100 fire inspection |
| Change of location | $125, plus the annual processing fee |
| Late renewal | $50 per month, up to two months |
| Opening before the license is issued | $100 penalty |
| City inspection of a business operating without a license | $200 |
Add the three commercial lines and a new storefront pays $60 to apply, $40 for the annual processing fee and $125 for the fire inspection, which is $225 before any extra processing charge the city adds. After the first year the recurring piece is the $40 processing fee. A renewal that runs late costs $50 for each month it is overdue, up to two months.
The fire inspection is the line people forget. A salon taking over a unit pays it up front, and the schedule charges $200 if the city has to inspect a business that is already operating without a license. Call the Licensing Department before you sign a lease, then file the application before you open.
The fee schedule splits home businesses by whether they have impacts. No impacts means no application fee. A home business with impacts and a certificate of license pays $40, plus the $40 annual processing fee.
The city still posts an older printable home occupation form, a PDF created in 2015, and its questions show what the city has screened for. It asks whether the business is conducted entirely inside the dwelling, excluding the garage, and only by family members who live there. It asks whether more than 25% of the ground floor goes to the business. It limits signs to one non-flashing sign no larger than 2 square feet. It asks for the greatest number of customer vehicles at one time and whether the business needs a special entrance. The form also wants a Planning Department signature at 275 East 200 North for zoning clearance, and a self-fire inspection form for everything except day cares.
Do not trust that PDF's fees. It lists $50 plus $7 for a new home occupation and a $50 penalty, while the current schedule shows $0 or $40 and a $100 penalty. Use the online Civic Review application and the 2026-27 schedule, and confirm the zoning questions with Planning at (801) 763-3060 before you buy a sign or hire a helper.
Planning is the zoning check. The Planning Department page links the city's zoning map and land use map, so you can look up your parcel before you call. If the zoning does not allow your use, find that out before you sign a lease.
Fire is the other gate. A new commercial license carries a $125 inspection fee that covers the initial inspection, and the city's Fire Inspection Guidelines are linked from the Business License page. For a home business the city asks for a self-fire inspection form instead.
The American Fork City Council adopted Ordinance 2026-03-06 on March 24, 2026, amending Title 5 of the city code, the business license title. The public notice says it covers application requirements, fees, appeals, revocation procedures and bonds. On May 26, 2026 the council adopted Ordinance 2026-05-08, which amends Title 5 again, this time on the final appeal to the city council of certain business license decisions.
We could not read the amended code text for this guide, so we cannot say what the new bond or revocation rules require. If a license is denied or revoked, ask the City Recorder at (801) 763-3000 for the current ordinance text and appeal steps. The notices say the ordinances are available for public inspection Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The American Fork Chamber of Commerce is at 31 N Church Street, (801) 472-7467, and lists monthly Learning Luncheons plus events such as Steel Days and Halloween on Main. Set up a Google Business Profile with the exact name and address on your license. Our Google Business Profile guide walks through it, and you can add the business to the Local Directory.
We publish Provo FOMO, a free daily newsletter with more than 3,000 Utah County subscribers, and we sell ads in it, so weigh this knowing that. A grand opening is what our newsletter ads are for: a single issue costs $99, and a one-time event listing costs $99. Our guide to where to advertise in Utah County compares the options with prices, and if you are hiring for opening day you can post the job locally for $149.
