Common Business Permits

Hingham’s priority is to work with people to foster new business formation and growth.  

We recognize that starting a new business can be confusing.  With that in mind, this web page shares information about permits and licenses needed by many small businesses.  Written simply and with web links and contacts, our goal is to answer basic questions and provide basic direction. We hope this background can help business owners get started – and focus on success.

Town staff are ready to assist you with permits, licenses, and other business needs.  For more information – and your first point of contact, reach out to:

Art Robert
Assistant Town Administrator / Operations
RobertA@hingham-ma.gov
781.804.2409

Common Business Permits and Licenses

Name & Link to Full Details Issued By
Commercial Building Permit Building Department
Certificate of Occupancy Building Department
Sign Permit Building Department or Zoning Board of Appeals
Alcohol Permit - One Day Select Board
Business (DBA) Certificate Town Clerk
Farmer's Market Food Service Permit Health Department
Food Establishment Permit Health Department
Food Permit, Mobile Health Department
Food Permit, Temporary Health Department

Commercial Building Permit

Who needs?   
All businesses moving into new space must first apply for a Commercial Building Permit.  This application is needed to secure a Certificate of Occupancy, which grants permission to occupy the space.  A Commercial Building Permit is required in all cases:

  • If tenant fit out is planned 
  • If  fit out is not planned
  • Whether use/line of business remains the same or changes (e.g., from retail to service, or from service to restaurant)

Application:  Online application, new users must register

Fee:  

  • If fit out is planned, fee is $15/$1,000 of estimated cost, or $50 minimum.  
  • If fit out is not planned, fee is $50
  • Fees are usually paid by the contractor
  • Details at the Building Department’s Permit Fees web page

Process:

  • Complete Online Application
  • Inspector completes a site visit (if not fit out is planned)
  • Staff reviews & issues permit
  • May take up to 30 days, from filing complete application to issue of Building Permit

Questions?  

  • The contractor may pose questions from within the online application portal
  • Outside of the application portal, contact the Building Department:
    • Submit electronically through the “Contact Us” online form.  Select the Building Department.
    • 781-741-1420

Notes:  

  • Application must be filed by contractor with Construction Supervisor License (unrestricted)  
  • A floor plan is required.  Ask the Building Department if they have floor plans for the space.  Plans filed by prior tenants may be useful if no fit out is planned.
  • Depending on nature and scale of project, the online application may trigger other departments to get involved.  These could be because of a use change or planned fit out.  Some common examples:
    • Parking - Community Planning
    • Wastewater – Department of Health
    • ZBA – Zoning issues
    • ADA/Architectural Access Board (AAB) compliance 
  • Work cannot begin until a Commercial Permit is issued. The Building Department will not issue a Commercial Permit until the requirements of other departments are met.
  • Work completed under the Commercial Building Permit is followed by inspections and a Certificate of Occupancy

Certificate of Occupancy

Who needs?   
All businesses moving into new space must first receive a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO is the result of an application for a Commercial Building Permit (CO). The business may not occupy the space until the CO is issued.

Issued by: Building Department

Application:  Initiated with an online application completed for the Commercial Building Permit

Fee:  $35, usually paid by contractor

Process:

  • When work under the Commercial Building Permit is completed, the contractor requests final inspection from the Building and Fire Departments
  • Inspection is scheduled and completed.  Re-inspection may be needed.
  • Contractor returns completed “Yellow Form” to Building Department, with $35 fee
  • Staff issues Certificate of Occupancy to contractor; business owner should secure it
  • Usually takes a few business days from requested inspection to issuing Certificate of Occupancy

Questions?  

  • The contractor may pose questions from within the online application portal
  • Outside of the application portal, contact the Building Department: 
    • Submit electronically through the “Contact Us” online form.  Select the Building Department.
    • 781-741-1420

Sign Permit

Who needs?   
Signs erected or placed on property within the Town of Hingham shall conform to the requirements of Hingham’s Zoning Bylaw, Section V-B. Some signs are permitted as-of-right, with no permit required.  Other signs may require a Building Permit, or Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.  Some signs are prohibited.  For details, see Section V-B of Hingham’s Zoning Bylaw.

  • A new businesses entering a new location must have a Certificate of Occupancy before a Sign Permit is issued.  In this case, a business may apply for a Commercial Building Permit and Sign Permit at the same time.
  • An existing business changing its name and remaining in the same space only needs a Sign Permit.  No Commercial Building Permit is required

As a first step, a business should review the “Schedule of Sign Regulations” in Section V-B of the Zoning Bylaw to determine if their preferred sign is allowed by right, permitted by the Building Department or ZBA, or not allowed.

Issued by: 

  • Permit - Building Department
  • Special Permit - Zoning Board of Appeals                


If Permit is to be issued by the Building Department:

Application:  Online application, new users must register

Fee:  $3/square foot, $50 minimum.  See details on the Building Department’s Permit Fees web page

Process:

  • Business owner usually hires a sign company, which applies for a permit
  • Sign company or business owner completes an application through the online system
  • Staff reviews & determines whether the sign is allowed by right, or if a Building Permit or ZBA Special Permit is required.

Questions?  

  • The contractor may pose questions from within the online application portal
  • Outside of the application portal, contact the Building Department:
    • Submit electronically through the “Contact Us” online form.  Select the Building Department.
    • 781-741-1420

Note:  The Building Department needs a sketch of the proposed sign, including dimensions. Will the proposed sign be a new face on existing sign? The Building Department may have a sketch for the existing sign on file.


If Special Permit is to be issued by the Zoning Board of Appeals:

Application:  Submit a complete application; use the “SPA1 Findings Form 2C”, available in PDF format on the ZBA’s Application Forms web page.

Fee:  $300

Process:

  • Talk with Land Use and Development staff, to confirm the best path forward
  • Submit a complete application
  • Staff reviews & schedules discussion on a future ZBA meeting agenda.  The ZBA generally meets once a month, in the evenings.
  • Be prepared to describe your request for a Special Permit during the scheduled meeting
  • The ZBA decides whether to issue the Special Permit  
  • The process, from receipt of a complete application to ZBA decision, generally takes two months

Questions?  

  • Contact the Land Use and Development Department
  • Donna Thompson, Land Use Coordinator thompsond@hingham-ma.gov 
  • 781-741-1494

Alcohol Permit - One Day

Who needs?
One day liquor licenses are necessary for events that are held at facilities that don’t hold a traditional liquor license. These include events taking place on public property, events open to the public, or other events where alcohol is being sold or tickets to an event includes the price of alcohol.

  • Businesses - The Town may issue special licenses for the sale of wines and/or malt beverages to any Hingham-based business
  • Non-profits – The Town may issue a permit for the sale of all alcoholic beverages only to non-profit organizations seeking to serve alcohol at an event in Hingham
  • The license is to be utilized for a single day.

Application:  Download the fillable application(PDF) from the Select Board’s One-Day Liquor Licenses web page

Fee:  $50/event

Process:

  • Complete the application
  • Present application and required attachments, with $50 check, made out to “Town of Hingham” to the Town Administrator’s Office
  • Application will be reviewed by the Police Chief and then approved by the Town Administrator or Select Board, which approves larger events.  
    • Select Board approval requires a meeting vote, the applicant will be asked to attend a Select Board meeting, to describe the event and answer questions.   
    • Police review may result in a requirement to hire a police detail or other restrictions.
  • Please submit the application three weeks prior to the event as approval may require a meeting of the Select Board.  

Questions? 

  • Contact Name: Sharon Perfetti, Office Manager, Town Administrator's Office
  • Email:  Submit electronically through the “Contact Us” online form, selecting the Town Administrator's office.
  • Phone:  781-741-1451

Notes:  

  • For more detail, see the Town’s One Day Liquor Licenses web page
  • One-Day permit holders may not purchase alcoholic beverages from a package store.
  • One-Day permit holders may not purchase alcoholic beverages from a package store.
  • One-day permit holders can only purchase alcohol from licensed wholesalers, importers, manufacturers, farmer-wineries, farmer breweries, or other special permit holders.  
  • The Town may not grant a one-day permit to:
    1. any person for more than a total of 30 days per calendar year,
    2. to any person that has an on premises license application pending before it,
    3. any premises that has an alcoholic beverages license.

Business (DBA) Certificate

Who needs?   

  • Any Hingham-based business under a “doing business as” name, or a corporation not filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth
  • Businesses that are incorporated, that do business in that corporate name, and submit filings with the Secretary of the Commonwealth do not need to secure a Business Certificate from the Town

Issued by: Town Clerk                

Application:  Downloadable application (PDF) from the Clerk’s Business (DBA) Certificate web page.

Fee:  $50 for a certificate valid for four years

Process:

  • Complete the application
  • Present application, with $50 check, made out to “Town of Hingham” at the Town Clerk’s office
  • Normally, the application is processed and DBA Certificate is issued during your visit

Questions?  

Note:  Application must be notarized.  In many cases, the Town Clerk staff can do that for you.

Food Establishment Permit

Who needs?   
Anyone who serves food to the public from a fixed/brick and mortar building.  You will need to also get a building permit and meet our FOG regulations for internal and external grease traps if on sewer.  Please contact the office to discuss procedure.

Issued by: Health Department                

Application:  Online application, new users must register

Fee:  $250-$400, paid online

Process:

  • Complete online application
  • Usually takes 14 days from filing complete application
  • Staff reviews & issues permit

Questions?  

Web page:  Procedures and application can be found on the Food Permits page

Food Permit, Temporary

Who needs? 
Anyone giving or selling food to the public from 1-14 consecutive days in a year.

Issued by: Health Department

Application:  Fillable PDF Application

Fee: $50

Process:

  • Usually takes 14 days from filing complete application
  • Send application and fee to: 
    • Town of Hingham Board of Health, 210 Central St, Hingham MA 02043
    • Pay by check, made out to “Town of Hingham Board of Health”
  • Staff reviews & issues permit

Questions?

Notes:  Submit complete application two weeks before event

Web page:  Procedures and application can be found on the Food Permits page

Food Permit, Mobile

Who needs?  
Anyone serving food from something with wheels.  
The Town only offers yearly mobile food permits; permits for one day or one event are not issued.  If you are having an event at your store please see the website for a list of already permitted food trucks.

Issued by:  Health Department

Application:  Online application, new users must register

Fee:  $200

Process:

  • File online
  • Usually takes 14 days from filing complete application.  
  • The Health Department will arrange for food truck inspections by the Health Department Food Inspector and by Fire Marshal Jeff Saunders prior to issuing a Fire permit.    Health Department staff reviews inspection results and & issues the permit.

Questions?

Notes:  A food truck can provide short-term food service.  Contact the Health Department for a list of food trucks with current permits.

Web page:  Procedures and application can be found on the Food Permits page

Farmer’s Market Food Service Permit


Who needs?  Anyone selling food at a Hingham Farmer’s Market

Issued by:  Health Department

Application:  Download and Print Application

Fee:  $200 for new vendors, $100 for returning vendors

Process:

  • Send application and fee to:
    • Town of Hingham Board of Health, 210 Central Street, Hingham MA 02043
    • Pay by check, made out to “Town of Hingham Board of Health”
  • Usually takes 14 days from filing complete application.  Please include your commissary kitchen license with last inspection and a menu.  Also Include the following:    
    • ServSafe
    • Food Establishment License
    • Food Labels
    • Allergen
    • Residential Kitchen Menu
  • Staff reviews & issues permit

Questions?  

Notes:  

  • Submit complete application two weeks before Farmers Market first spring date.  
  • Contact the farmers market first to be accepted then we can process the application. 
  • Permit covers summer and winter market

Web page:  Application and details  on the Regulations, Procedures & Applications page