Opening up a kitchen wall without a permit
You need the permit anyway even if you open the wall only partial because you need to add a support beam to carry the load and engineering is necessary. If you search the web for permit office and your county name it should be pretty simple to find. For the work you want to do you need more than just a permit. A structural engineer and some calculations are necessary. If you go the unofficial route you need to add a support beam in the opening and you need to double up your framing to carry the load. A good framer should get that done without much of a problem. Again, I am not liable!