Licenses & Registration
The permissions and upkeep nobody warns you about: federal, state, and local business licenses and permits, a seller’s permit and collecting sales tax, professional and occupational licenses, the registered agent every entity needs, registering to do business in another state, the annual reports that keep you in good standing, and business insurance. Fees and rules vary by state — confirm locally.
All Licenses & Registration guides
- Specialty Licenses: Food, Liquor, Childcare, and More
Beyond a general business license, food, liquor, childcare, salons, cannabis, firearms, and trucking need extra state, local, or federal permits.
- Resale Certificates and Sales Tax Exemptions
How a resale certificate lets you buy inventory tax-free to resell it - and why using it for personal purchases is fraud.
- Professional and Occupational Licenses
Many trades and professions need a personal state license on top of a business license. How to find your board, meet its rules, and move states.
- What Is a Registered Agent (and Do You Need One)?
A registered agent accepts lawsuits and official state mail for your LLC or corporation. What it means, the trade-offs, and how to set one up.
- Doing Business in Another State: Foreign Qualification
Operating, hiring, or opening a location in another state usually means registering there ("foreign qualification") — here's what that involves.
- Business Licenses and Permits, Explained
There's no single "business license" — small businesses face federal, state, and local layers. Here's how to find which apply to you.
- Annual Reports and Keeping Your Business in Good Standing
Missing your state's annual report can cost your LLC its good standing and lead to dissolution. Here's what to file, when, and how to stay compliant.
- Seller’s Permit and Collecting Sales Tax
When you need a state seller's permit, how to collect and remit sales tax, economic nexus after Wayfair, and marketplace facilitator rules.
- Small Business Insurance Basics
A plain-English guide to general liability, BOP, E&O, commercial property/auto, cyber, and workers' comp for owners.