Small Business Licenses, Permits and Regulations

The process of starting a small business involves a number of steps, one of which is registering your business and acquiring the necessary licenses and permits.

Most small businesses in the U.S. must register in their local counties, then follow the licensing restrictions set by the state, depending on the type of business being registered. Each state has its own website that outlines the requirements for business registration and provides resources that will help business owners in each state.

The list below includes links to state pages on the Small Business Administration (SBA) website. The SBA has compiled state-by-state information on small business registration, license and permit information. I also included links to each state's small business division that provides the most accurate and up-to-date small business information for each state, including details on starting and growing a small business.

Alabama

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Alabama Secretary of State Business Services

Alaska

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing

Arizona

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of Arizona Department of Revenue

Arkansas

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Arkansas Business

California

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development

Colorado

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Colorado Business Express

Connecticut

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Connecticut Licensing Info Center

Delaware

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of Delaware's One Stop Business Registration and Licensing System

District of Columbia

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• The District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs

Florida

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Business Portal of the State of Florida

Georgia

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Georgia Business, Labor and Employment

Hawaii

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Idaho

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Business Resources for the State of Idaho

Illinois

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of Illinois Business

Indiana

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Indiana Business and Employment

Iowa

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Iowa Secretary of State's Online Business Center

Kansas

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Kansas Business Center

Kentucky

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Kentucky Business Services

Louisiana

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Louisiana Secretary of State Commercial Division

Maine

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Maine Department of Economic and Community Development

Maryland

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation

Massachusetts

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• The Official Website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts - Business

Michigan

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Michigan Business One Stop

Minnesota

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Positively Minnesota - Department of Employment and Economic Development

Mississippi

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of Mississippi - Secretary of State - Business Services

Missouri

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Missouri Business Portal

Montana

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Montana Business Services

Nebraska

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Nebraska Department of Revenue

Nevada

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Nevada Department of Business and Industry

New Hampshire

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of New Hampshire - Business

New Jersey

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of New Jersey Business Portal

New Mexico

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• New Mexico Public Regulation Commission

New York

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• New York Department of State - Division of Corporations

North Carolina

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Business Link North Carolina

North Dakota

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• North Dakota Secretary of State Business Services

Ohio

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Ohio Secretary of State Business Services

Oklahoma

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Oklahoma Department of Commerce

Oregon

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Oregon Department of Revenue

Pennsylvania

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Pennsylvania Open for Business

Rhode Island

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of Rhode Island - Secretary of State - Business Services

South Carolina

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• South Carolina Business One Stop

South Dakota

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development

Tennessee

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Tennessee Government - Business

Texas

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of Texas - Business and Professional Services

Utah

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Business in Utah

Vermont

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Vermont Business Portal

Virginia

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Washington

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Access Washington

West Virginia

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Business in West Virginia

Wisconsin

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• State of Wisconsin Business Services

Wyoming

• SBA - Business Licenses and Permits
• Wyoming Business Council