Licenses and permits
Find the licenses your business may need
Licenses follow what you do and where you do it—not simply the fact that you formed an LLC. Use this path to find the responsible official agency without assuming a requirement applies.
A simple decision path
- 1.Describe the products, services, and regulated activities.
- 2.Check whether a federal agency regulates that activity.
- 3.Choose your state and review its official business resources.
- 4.Verify county, city, zoning, health, and property rules for the actual business address.
Federally regulated activities
These categories are starting points, not a complete determination. Open the issuing agency to verify applicability.
- Alcohol production or salesAlcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (opens official agency in a new tab)
- Firearms or explosivesBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (opens official agency in a new tab)
- Commercial transportationFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (opens official agency in a new tab)
- AviationFederal Aviation Administration (opens official agency in a new tab)
- Broadcasting or radio communicationsFederal Communications Commission (opens official agency in a new tab)
- Food, drugs, medical products, or cosmeticsU.S. Food and Drug Administration (opens official agency in a new tab)
Choose your state
Open the state's official licensing or business-permit guidance. Local requirements still vary by activity and business address. Sources last reviewed 2026-08-28.
- Alabama — Alabama official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Alaska — Alaska official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Arizona — Arizona official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Arkansas — Arkansas official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- California — California official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Colorado — Colorado official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Connecticut — Connecticut official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Delaware — Delaware official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Florida — Florida official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Georgia — Georgia official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Hawaii — Hawaii official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Idaho — Idaho official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Illinois — Illinois official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Indiana — Indiana official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Iowa — Iowa official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Kansas — Kansas official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Kentucky — Kentucky official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Louisiana — Louisiana official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Maine — Maine official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Maryland — Maryland official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Massachusetts — Massachusetts official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Michigan — Michigan official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Minnesota — Minnesota official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Mississippi — Mississippi official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Missouri — Missouri official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Montana — Montana official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Nebraska — Nebraska official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Nevada — Nevada official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- New Hampshire — New Hampshire official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- New Jersey — New Jersey official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- New Mexico — New Mexico official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- New York — New York official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- North Carolina — North Carolina official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- North Dakota — North Dakota official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Ohio — Ohio official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Oklahoma — Oklahoma official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Oregon — Oregon official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Rhode Island — Rhode Island official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- South Carolina — South Carolina official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- South Dakota — South Dakota official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Tennessee — Tennessee official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Texas — Texas official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Utah — Utah official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Vermont — Vermont official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Virginia — Virginia official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Washington — Washington official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- West Virginia — West Virginia official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Wisconsin — Wisconsin official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Wyoming — Wyoming official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Washington, DC — Washington, DC official licensing and permit guidance (opens in a new tab)