Start and protect
Licences and permits
Which licenses and permits does your business actually need, and how do you keep them current?
Six short steps. No email or account.
- Who needs it
- Every trade with a licensing board (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, cosmetology), and most businesses with a physical or mobile presence in a city.
- When it matters
- Before performing licensable work. Penalties for unlicensed work are per-incident and can void insurance.
- Compare first
- Jurisdiction coverage
- Matters most when
- still planning, just started
Is this the right tool for you?
Requirements come from several levels at once: the state, the county, the city and sometimes the trade's own board. Working without the right license can mean fines, unenforceable contracts or losing the right to be paid, and renewals, continuing education and bond requirements are easy to miss once you are busy.
Signs you need it now
- You are not sure whether the city you are working in needs its own license on top of your state one.
- Renewal dates live in your memory or on a sticky note.
- A customer or general contractor has asked for your license number and you had to go looking.
- You are expanding into a new trade, service or town and have not checked what changes.
- Permits for jobs are pulled inconsistently, depending on who is running the job.
When another area fits better
- You have not yet registered the business itself. Read the business formation guide
- The requirement you are facing is a bond or proof of insurance rather than the license itself. Read the business insurance guide
Recognise two or more of these? Sort out licences and permits next.
Tell us how your business runs and get a plan that puts licences and permits in order with everything else: what to set up first, your must-haves and what to compare.
What matters at your size
Working alone
Make a single list of every license, registration and permit, with issuer and renewal date, and check it against your state and city's official sources.
A small team
Track licenses held by individuals as well as the business, including employees' certifications, and who is responsible for each renewal.
Several teams or locations
Multiple locations or states mean many overlapping requirements. A compliance service or tracking tool, with one person accountable, starts to earn its keep.
How the way you work changes the choice
- Licensed trades: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, general contracting
- State or local trade licenses, often with exams, continuing education and bonding. Job permits are a separate, per-job process run through the local building department.
- Crews working across many towns
- Local business licenses and registrations can differ in each city or county you work in. Check before taking the first job in a new area.
- Shops, food and retail
- Sales tax registration, health or safety permits, signage and occupancy rules. Many are tied to the premises, so a move can restart the process.
- Professional firms
- The license is usually held by the individual practitioner and sometimes the firm too. Your licensing board sets the rules for both.
What to compare
Jurisdiction coverage
City-level requirements are where most services get thin. Check yours is covered.
Renewal tracking
The value is mostly in not missing a renewal. Confirm reminders are included.
Filing versus research
Some services only tell you what you need; others file on your behalf.
Cost and setup effort
- The license fees themselves are set by each authority; the larger cost is usually time spent researching, applying and completing education or exams.
- Research services can compile a list of what applies to you, but confirm the results with the issuing authority before relying on them.
- Setup is a calendar: every renewal date, continuing-education deadline and bond expiry in one place, with reminders well ahead.
Trade-offs to weigh
- Research it yourself or pay a service
- Doing it yourself is free but slow and easy to get incomplete. A service is faster but still needs you to verify the answers for your trade and town.
- Spreadsheet or tracking tool
- A shared spreadsheet with reminders is enough for a handful of licenses. A tool matters once there are many people, locations or states.
When to sort it out
Before performing licensable work. Penalties for unlicensed work are per-incident and can void insurance.
Your next step
Answer six short questions about how your business runs. You get an operating plan: where licences and permits fits among your priorities, the must-haves to hold every option to, and what to compare when you choose.
Where this comes first
Trades and businesses that usually sort this out early.
Often decided alongside
Other parts of start and protect.