

Industry licensingĬertain highly regulated industries such as banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals, transportation, energy, and agriculture require federal licenses.
#HOW TO GET A FREE BUSINESS LICENSE LICENSE#
If you're a member of a licensed profession such as architecture, engineering, construction, or real estate, you may need a state business license in addition to your individual professional license. Examples include gambling and games of chance, public events, sales of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, food service, and daycare operations. Permits for regulated activitiesĬertain business activities require special permits at the federal, state, county, or local levels. They may also require sign, alarm, and elevator permits.

Many cities and counties require businesses to obtain building permits or home occupancy permits. Tax registrationsįederal, state, county, and local governments require many businesses to register for income taxes, payroll taxes, and sales taxes. Sole proprietorships are often exempt from these requirements. Each jurisdiction sets up its own rules for the types of businesses that must be licensed. Many states, counties, and cities issue general business licenses.
#HOW TO GET A FREE BUSINESS LICENSE REGISTRATION#
Sole proprietorships and partnerships operating under their owners' names generally don't have to meet business registration requirements. Legal business entities such as LLCs and corporations must register to do business with the secretary of state. Obtain licenses for regulated activitiesīusiness licenses fall into these general categories: 1.Here are our 6 steps to obtain a business license: Depending on your business, you may be able to check some of the steps off your list without any work at all. These six steps will help you drill down to the relevant licenses and apply for the ones you need. To find out which licenses apply to your particular situation requires some homework. Your location, the nature of your work, and even your signage can affect the licenses and permits you need to legally operate your small business. One popular pizza shop was fined more than $1,000, receiving a separate ticket for each window panel. You want to make sure your business is legal and fully licensed, but where do you begin? This article walks you through six simple steps to register and license your business the right way.Ī few years ago, Chicago made headlines for issuing tickets for missing sign permits.
