Business Licenses and Permits

There are many types of licenses. You need one to operate legally almost everywhere. If the business is located within an incorporated city limits, a license must be obtained from the city; if outside the city limits, then from the county.

General Business License - normally gotten from the city or county in where the business headquarters is located.

Specialty Business Licenses

In some states a separate license it also required to engage is certain types of business activities. Here are examples of some of the specialty licenses required.

• Liquor serving, sales, manufacturing, or importing

• Over-the-counter medicine sales

• Production or contracting of eggs to wholesalers or retailers

• Sales, manufacturing or disposal of vehicles, boats, RV's, or trailers

• Tow truck operation

• Sales or planting of plants

• Sale of cigarettes & other tobacco products

• Debt collection on behalf of others

• Employment agency where the job seeker pays a fee

• Taxi or Limousine service

• Lottery ticket sales

• Private Investigation

• Rental of refrigerated lockers

• Sales of seeds in packages more than 8 oz.

• Travel agency services

• Used vehicle battery collection or storage

• Waste tire transportation or storage

• Use of weighing or measuring devices to determine a fee charged (e.g. yardstick, meter or scale)

• Conducting whitewater rafting trips

• Sale or manufacture of Fireworks

• Telephone solicitation

• Building Contractor

• Operating a Day Care Center or Nursing home

• Operating a school

• Sale or manufacture of Fireworks

Always check with your local governmental unit first. They'll tell you exactly what you need to do