Small Business License Cost in Kenya: The Single Business Permit, County by County
There is no single national price for a business licence. Each county sets its own fees by activity, size and location. Here's how the charge is worked out, typical ranges, and how to apply in Nairobi, Nakuru and elsewhere.
The 'small business licence' most Kenyans mean is the county Single Business Permit, which Nairobi now calls the Unified Business Permit. Every one of the 47 counties sets its own fees in its Finance Act. That's why two shops of the same size can pay very different amounts in Nakuru and in Nairobi.
What decides your permit cost
- Your activity: retail, wholesale, professional services, food, transport and so on, each with its own schedule
- Size: floor area and number of employees
- Location: CBD premises often pay more than estates or rural markets
- Extra charges billed alongside: fire safety, signage or advertising, and public health for food businesses
Small business permit and licence cost in Kenya: typical ranges
For a small shop or office, most counties charge somewhere from a few thousand shillings to around KSh 15,000 a year for the permit itself. Larger premises, hotels, bars and wholesalers pay far more. Nairobi's 2026 schedule grades traders from mini to large shops, with small trader permits in the region of KSh 4,000 to KSh 10,000 depending on size and staff. Treat any figure you read online, including ours, as a guide: the invoice from the county portal is the amount you pay.
How to apply
- Nairobi: apply and pay online through the county's NairobiPay portal. The county runs a cashless system
- Nakuru and other counties: apply through the county revenue office or its online revenue system, and ask the officer which add-on charges apply to your trade
- Bring your business registration certificate, KRA PIN, ID and a description of your premises
- Display the permit at the premises and renew it every year, usually by the end of the first quarter
Don't forget the other licences
Some businesses need sector licences on top of the county permit: food handlers' certificates, pharmacy and clinic licences, liquor licences, and transport licences from NTSA. Budget for these before you sign a lease, because a shop you can't legally open still pays rent.
Is the business permit the same as business registration?
No. Registration with BRS gives you the legal name. The county permit allows you to operate from a specific premises, and it's renewed every year.
Do online businesses need a county permit?
If you operate from a physical premises, including a home office receiving customers, most counties expect a permit. Ask your county revenue office how they treat home-based and online businesses.
Antony Mungai
Founder, Steff Cloud — building websites, systems and automation for Kenyan businesses from Nakuru.