How to Get a State Business License in Michigan
In the state of Michigan not every business needs a license to operate. Many don't while professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants and real estate agents do. If your business requires a license the set of procedures needed to procure such a license will depend on the type of business it is. For example someone starting a flight aviation school will need some documentation from the Department of Transportation. The following are basic guideline to help you obtain a business license in Michigan.
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Instructions
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Decide what kind of business you want to start. The nature of your business will determine what kind of license requirements if any you will need to meet.
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Use the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's search tool to check if your business requires a license. See first link in Resources below.
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Go through the list of all businesses requiring a license. Alternatively you can go through the entire list of businesses in Michigan that require a license. See the second link in Resources below for this list.
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Find out what the requirements are. If the kind of business you want to operate requires a license, the website will give you the particular requirements and the contact information for the particular government agency you will need to get in touch with in order to get your license. For example to operate an intrastate trucking business, you will need a license from the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, Michigan Public Service Commission(PSC), Motor Carrier Division.
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Clarify with the appropriate local government office. In some cases while the state of Michigan may not require that you have a license to operate a particular business, some cities or counties may do. Check with the relevant local government to see if this is the case. For example the state does not require business licenses for arcade businesses that operate pinball machines and video games, but cities, counties or villages may require a license or permit. Check with your local authorities.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want to make things easy for yourself, you can rely on websites that specialize in procuring business licenses and can take care of all of the bureaucratic hassles for a nominal fee. Businesslicenses.com and Incorporate.com are good examples. See the third and fourth links in Resources below.
