How to Obtain Licenses & Permits for Small Business
You will need a variety of licenses and permits to start a business. Some will be simple and straightforward to obtain, such as city and state business licenses. Others require demonstrating competence in a particular field or compliance with applicable regulations, such as industry-specific licenses and permits. Even though it may seem inconvenient and expensive to obtain licenses and permits for your business, it is more of a hassle to start operating without them and then deal with the legal consequences.
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Instructions
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Call your state and local revenue agencies and request permit applications. Find the numbers for these agencies in your local phone book, which will also contain numbers for state government offices. Alternately, use an Internet search engine to find the websites of your state and local revenue agencies and download and print business license applications. Fill out these applications and mail them, along with the designated fees, to the appropriate agencies.
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Call or check the websites of state and local business license agencies for information about industry-specific permits, such as health department permits for restaurants or HVAC certification for refrigeration technicians. Review the necessary steps for obtaining each of these permits and complete the requirements necessary to obtain the relevant licenses, such as setting up your restaurant to comply with health department codes or obtaining the necessary knowledge and experience to obtain HVAC certification.
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Demonstrate competence in your field or compliance with applicable regulations. Schedule a meeting with an inspector if you will be certifying some aspect of your facility or register to take an exam if one is required for licensing in your field.
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References
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