From the Nolo Business & Human Resources Center
Local Start-Up Requirements for Small Businesses
Make sure you follow city and county rules.
When you’re starting a small business, pay attention to your town, city, and
county regulations. You can begin by asking city and county officials about
license and permit requirements for your business.
Ask Your Bureaucrat
If your city does not have a centralized office that provides business
start-up information (and only a few large ones do), there are bound to be many
other offices with lots of helpful information for you:
- the city clerk and the county clerk
- the building and safety department
- the health department
- the planning or zoning department
- the tax office
- the fire department
- the police department, and
- the public works department.
The assessor or treasurer can tell you about local taxes on property,
fixtures, equipment, inventory, and income or gross receipts. The health
department can advise you about permits and regulations if your business
involves food preparation. It also needs to test your water if you work in an
area where water comes from wells or goes into septic systems.
The police, fire or building and safety departments can help you with issues
of crowd control and safe exit from your premises. The fire department will also
be concerned about combustible materials used or stored on your business
premises.
 Unofficial but often extremely helpful sources of information
include: the local chamber of commerce, trade associations, contractors who
remodel commercial space, other people with businesses like yours, and lawyers
who advise small businesses.
Business Licenses, a.k.a. Tax Registration Certificates
In most locations, every business needs a basic business license, sometimes
called a tax registration certificate. You usually get the business license from
your city or county. However, you may need other permits and licenses as well.
No single business license ensures compliance with the numerous licenses,
permits and regulatory requirements that apply to small businesses.
Fictitious Business Names
You may have to register a fictitious business name (the name you do business
under, if it does not include your name as the owner) with the county clerk in
the county where your business is located. Picking a fictitious business name
that no one else is using may involve some research.
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