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Most local businesses need more than one license. Very few need all of them.
Licensing is not one form. It is up to four separate layers of government, each with its own rules, and the combination that applies to you depends on what you sell, where you do it and who you employ. This guide walks the layers in order so you can work out which ones are yours.
Read the licensing guide →What this site is
The full index
12 guidesWhich licenses and permits you actually need
The four layers of licensing — federal, state, county, city — and how to work out which apply to you.
LicensingRegistering a DBA or trade name
What a DBA does and does not do, where it gets filed, and when you need one.
LicensingSales tax permits and when they apply
Seller permits, economic nexus, and the taxability of services.
LicensingHealth permits for food businesses
Plan review, inspections, manager certification and cottage food laws.
LicensingZoning and home-based businesses
Home occupation permits, what typically triggers a complaint, and HOA rules.
PremisesReading a commercial lease
Gross vs. net, CAM charges, personal guarantees, and the clauses worth negotiating.
PremisesSignage permits and storefront rules
Sign permits, size and illumination limits, and accessibility at the entrance.
PremisesSetting up a Google Business Profile
Verification, categories, service areas, and the fields that affect what shows in the map pack.
Getting FoundLocal search: the basics
NAP consistency, citations, reviews, and what a local landing page needs.
Getting FoundHiring your first employee
EIN, state registrations, I-9 and W-4, workers comp, and the posters you are required to display.
OperationsBusiness insurance basics
General liability, property, workers comp, professional liability — and what a BOP bundles.
OperationsHow this site is written
What we check, what we will not claim, and how to tell us we got something wrong.
The Brief