Applying for a Business License

Applying for a Business License
Once you have determined that your business meets all the specific requirements for operation
within the city or county you have chosen, you are ready for a trip to the Business License Bureau or
the City or County Clerk's Office to legalize your business.
You will be asked to fill out an application. Call ahead to find out what information you will need to
complete the application. This will save you time and ensure that you have all of your information
on hand when it is needed.
The application is usually fairly simple and will require only general information. You will probably
be required to supply such specifics as:
• business name and address
• owner names and contact information
• organization information (manufacturing, wholesale, retail, service)
• type of legal structure
• nature of the business
• expected number of employees
• Federal Employer ID (FEIN) and State Sales Tax No. (Resale)
• expected gross
• other relevant information.
A typical fee for a business may be as little as 10 cents per $1,000 of projected revenues. We have
also seen specific license fees applied to certain kinds of business. For instance, in one eastern city
the charge for a home business license is $350.
You will probably be asked to submit your completed application together with one year's fee
(frequently based on projected gross revenues). Your application will be reviewed by the proper
agents and a license will either be issued or refused within a few days.
Business licenses are renewed annually, subject to that city or county's codes and regulations. Your
renewal notice will be sent to you, but it is your responsibility to see that you renew should you fail
to hear from the licensing agency.