Do you know that California is only state in the US where there are more business license applications? Thankfully, the process of applying for a business license is quite simple, all you have to do is “sit up and pay attention.”

First and foremost, you will need to ensure that you know the type of business you want to start (Limited Liability Company, sole proprietorship, Limited Partnership etc.) because a lot of the business license applications are for sole proprietorship.

You will only need a couple of forms in order to register for a California business license. The average cost of obtaining a business license in the state of California can cost you about 99 dollars.

As soon as you have picked out a name for your business, you will have to make sure that the name is totally unique by conducting a search on sos.ca.gov. You may never know, but someone might be using the same name you plan to use for your business – so it is important that you find out before you contact the printer who will be doing your posters, banner signs and fliers.

In order to obtain information on local business requirements all you need to do is to visit business.gov. A lot of business permits in the state of California are issued locally by the town in which the business is operated.

This is the part where you ask “What exactly am I should I do in order to obtain a California business license?”

A California business permit applicant will have to file a fictitious or DBA business name and ensure that it is published in a local paper.

In the state of California, every retailer and wholesaler will need to get a seller’s permit – California residents will be glad to know that this permit is FREE! The process of obtaining this permit is simple and uncomplicated; the forms can be gotten on the internet at sba.gov.

If you plan to hire employees, you will be required to fill out additional employer forms (this is needed for tax and insurance purposes).

There are a couple of internet based companies that will assist you in carrying out all the processes involved in getting a California business license – this service includes helping you get the seller’s permit and even the fictitious name too. This is a truly great option for those who do not have the time or the patience of obtaining the California business permit by themselves.

You will be glad to know that the process of obtaining a business permit in California is far easier and smoother than the business permit application in many other US states – yay!

The California state government has even dedicated a website in order to help business owners to easily find out what legal licenses they are required to obtain from their county or city, and any other state requirements. A lot of business owners or prospective business owners can easily and quickly obtain a California business license in order to legally run their business.

Seriously – you really do not want your business to be closed down by the government just because you failed to do the right thing, just think of what your nosey neighbours would say!

5 Easy Steps to Obtaining a California Business Permit

1. Simply visit the “CalGOLD” web site – view the “Resources” section, and type-in the kind of business operation you wish to run in the search box.
2. Choose the county and the city where you run your business in California
3. Ensure that you carefully read the required business licenses and permits. For instance, you will need a business license if you run a general business operation in Los Angeles. You will be provided with contact information (this will also include applicable sites), for the right officials that you will need to contact in order to apply for your California business license.
4. Log-on to the website of your county or city or simply call the telephone number that was provided by CalGOLD in order to find out how you can obtain your business license. A large number of California Jurisdictions such as Los Angeles have forms available on the internet which can be filled out, printed and hand delivered or mailed to the right officials.
5. You will need to pay the associated fees and taxes when applying for California business license. You can do this by mailing in a money order or you can visit the county or city government office with either cash or pay via credit card. Getting a business license in California can cost you about 99 dollars.

Why You Need a California Business License

Business permits are required by the California state, county and city government. There are cases when one may also be required to get a business permit by the Federal Government. A business license issued by a California county or municipal government is a general license that will give you the legal right to run a business within the jurisdiction of that city or county.

How to Get Your Business License – Local Level

• Ensure that you get all your business paperwork together. Ensure you have your EIN (Employer Identification Number).

• Contact your city hall or county government office in order to find out what type of business permit you need to get, and to also get a copy of the business permit application form.

• After completing the application and filing it along with the appropriate fee, you will also need to ensure that you remember to file your business permit renewals – they don’t renew themselves automatically. The renewal process is done annually.

How to Get Your Business License – State Level

A California license is needed for the operation of enterprises that provide goods or services that are regulated by the California State law. If the type of enterprise you run is required to meet certain codes or standards, you will need to get a business permit. The process for getting a California State business license is pretty similar to obtaining a license at the local level (explained above). The first thing you need to do is to contact the appropriate officer in order to find out what type of  license you need. You can get information from your local government – simply contact the State of California, business.ca.gov/StartaBusiness/RegisteringaBusiness/Locallicensesandpermits.aspx, in order to obtain a California license. File the appropriate paperwork and of course, the appropriate fee; then ensure that you renew your license yearly.