City business license guide
Last updated: October 2, 2026
Starting a business in Long Beach usually means more than picking a name. You may need a City of Long Beach Business License, a business license tax account, zoning review, state tax registration, and extra permits if you sell food, sell alcohol, work from home, vend on sidewalks, use a food truck, remodel a space, or do regulated work. This guide separates those layers so you can follow the right path.
Bottom line
Long Beach calls its local requirement a Business License, and the city also charges a business license tax. The city says businesses operating in Long Beach, including home-based and out-of-city businesses doing work in the city, need a business license. The Business License Division in the Department of Financial Management handles the city program.
The city license is not the same thing as forming an LLC, filing a fictitious business name, getting a California seller’s permit, or getting a health, building, fire, alcohol, contractor, or professional license. Many Long Beach businesses need more than one approval, and the exact path depends on the activity and address.
Quick start for Long Beach businesses
- Write down every activity in simple words: what you sell, where you work, whether customers visit, and whether you use a home, storefront, vehicle, cart, or event booth.
- Confirm the location is inside Long Beach city limits. Use MapsLB and the city zoning maps when useful; a Long Beach mailing address alone does not answer the jurisdiction question.
- Check zoning and occupancy before you sign a lease, remodel, buy major equipment, or advertise an opening date.
- Use the city’s Apply for a Business License page. Eligible business types may also use the city’s Business Portal.
- Gather separate state, county, health, trade, food, alcohol, or employer registrations that apply to your facts.
- Do not treat an application as permission to operate. Wait until the city license and other required approvals are issued.
Long Beach business changes: April 1–October 1, 2026
- MEHKO: Long Beach created a local home-kitchen path in April 2026. Operators need a Public Health Permit, Business License, food-safety credentials, and home-kitchen inspection.
- Food trucks: the new Mobile Food Facility ordinance took effect June 8, 2026. Motorized MFFs now use a specific city Business License, Mobile Business Permit, Health Permit, and seller’s-permit path.
- Rates: the city’s 2026–27 business-license rate table took effect July 1, 2026.
- California filings: effective August 1, 2026, web User Access is required for online Statement of Information filings in bizfile Online.
Long Beach business license facts box
| City | Long Beach, California |
|---|---|
| Local requirement name | Business License and business license tax |
| Main city office | City of Long Beach Department of Financial Management, Business License Division |
| Who often needs it | Businesses operating in Long Beach, including home-based businesses and out-of-city businesses doing work in the city |
| Renewal | The city says taxes and fees are billed again at the license expiration date; renewal remains the owner’s responsibility even if a bill is not received |
| Important warning | A submitted application is not a license. Other city departments may need to approve the application before the license is issued. |
What does this mean for me?
If you are opening a shop, office, home business, mobile service, food operation, online business run from a Long Beach home, rental business, or service business, start with the city license question. Then identify every extra trigger: your exact address, customers at the site, food, alcohol, employees, construction, signs, a vehicle or cart, or a state-regulated trade. For background, see our guide to city, county, and state requirements.
City, county, state, and federal layers
| Layer | What to check | Why it matters in Long Beach |
|---|---|---|
| City | Business License, business license tax, zoning, occupancy, building, fire, health, sidewalk vending, mobile food, special event, entertainment, and other local permits | The city license is the main local operating license, but a business can need several city approvals. |
| County | Los Angeles County fictitious business name filing | Long Beach is incorporated. Los Angeles County’s general business-license program applies to certain activities in unincorporated areas and three contract cities, not as a second general license for a normal Long Beach location. |
| State | California entity filings, seller’s permit, employer payroll account, new-hire reporting, contractor or professional licenses, alcohol licensing, and state permit lookups | These state steps are separate from the Long Beach Business License. |
| Federal | EIN and federal permits for specially regulated activities | There is no single general federal business license for ordinary businesses. |
The Long Beach Business License
Long Beach says all businesses operating in the city need a business license, including out-of-city and home-based businesses. The General Business License page says other city departments may need to review the application before issuance.
A new application is also required for a change in legal entity, a change in owners of 50% or more, a new business location, or an added business activity. The application instructions ask for the business structure, owners, activity, address, employees, federal tax ID, and state permit information when applicable.
Describe the activity accurately. Retail, consulting, mobile food, sidewalk vending, a MEHKO, contracting, entertainment, and event vending can follow different review paths.
Do not treat the application as approval. Planning, Building, Fire, Health, or another program may need to clear the business before you operate.
For the state layer, use our California business license guide.
Costs you can plan for
Long Beach costs depend on business classification, employee count, location, and extra reviews. Use the city’s Taxes & Fees page and the rate table effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
| Cost item | What to know |
|---|---|
| Base tax | The current table lists different base taxes by classification. |
| Employee fee | Many classifications also have a per-employee amount. |
| Other reviews | Planning, Building, Fire, Health, and Business Improvement District charges can be separate. |
| Renewal | The city bills again at expiration; late payment can trigger penalties. |
The payment and renewal page says renewal remains the owner’s responsibility even if a bill is not received. If the renewal information is wrong, contact the Business License Division before paying.
Zoning, home businesses, building, fire, and health checks
Before signing a lease or announcing an opening date, check whether the use is allowed at the exact address. Start with the city’s Planning Bureau. A lease or landlord approval does not prove the proposed use is allowed.
Home-based businesses
Long Beach home businesses must fit the city’s Home Occupation Standard Rules of Operation, revised in May 2026. The rules cover categories including professional offices, some instructional services, home crafts, cottage food operations, and MEHKOs. For background, see our home occupation permit guide.
Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations
Long Beach now has a separate MEHKO program. Before operating, a MEHKO needs a Long Beach Public Health Permit, Business License, required food-safety certifications, and a home-kitchen inspection. Do not treat a MEHKO as an ordinary home office or cottage food operation.
Building, occupancy, fire, and signs
Remodeling, electrical, plumbing, mechanical work, equipment installation, signs, or a change of occupancy can trigger permits and inspections. Use the Permit Center and Building Permits pages. Long Beach says a Certificate of Occupancy is tied to new construction, additions, and changes of occupancy after required approvals. Some eligible work can be handled through LB Services – Permitting and Licensing.
Food trucks and sidewalk vendors use different paths
The Mobile Food Facilities ordinance took effect June 8, 2026. A motorized food truck needs a Long Beach Business License, Mobile Business Permit, Long Beach Health Permit, and California seller’s permit. The city also has location, insurance, vehicle, commissary, and private-property rules.
A nonmotorized sidewalk food cart follows the separate Sidewalk Vending process and Sidewalk Vending Application. Sidewalk vendors need a business license and sidewalk-vendor permit, and food vendors generally need the applicable health permit.
Events and entertainment
Event vendors should check the Special Event Vendor path. Regular amplified music, dancing, karaoke, DJs, or similar entertainment can require an Entertainment Permit. Food operators should also use the city’s Food Safety Program.
Los Angeles County requirements to check
The most common county step for a Long Beach small business is a fictitious business name, often called an FBN or DBA. Start with the county’s Fictitious Business Name filing page and online Business Filing and Registration System. The county says publication generally must begin within 30 days after filing and run once a week for four consecutive weeks in an adjudicated newspaper.
An FBN is not a business license and does not prove zoning, tax, health, building, fire, or professional compliance. See our guide to business license vs LLC vs DBA vs seller’s permit.
Do not assume a Long Beach location also needs a general Los Angeles County business license. The county Treasurer and Tax Collector says its program covers certain activities in unincorporated areas and the contract cities of Malibu, Santa Clarita, and Westlake Village. A normal location inside Long Beach starts with the city system.
California state registrations and permits
Corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and certain other entities use the Secretary of State’s bizfile system. Effective August 1, 2026, web User Access is required for online Statement of Information filings in bizfile Online.
For taxable sales or leases of tangible personal property, check CDTFA’s seller’s permit rules. CDTFA says a seller whose qualifying retail merchandise sales are exclusively through a registered marketplace facilitator generally does not need a seller’s permit solely for those marketplace sales. Direct taxable sales can change the answer.
If you hire employees, EDD says employers generally register for a payroll tax account within 15 days after paying more than $100 in wages in a calendar quarter. Use the employer registration page. New or rehired employees must also be reported to the New Employee Registry within 20 calendar days of their start date.
Regulated work can add more state licenses. Contractors should check CSLB; alcohol businesses should use California ABC’s new-license path; and CalGold can help identify other permit agencies.
Future change to watch: California ABC has published 2027 alcohol-license fee schedules effective January 1, 2027. It says application and annual fees will rise 3.31% over 2026 amounts. Alcohol businesses applying near year-end should check the upcoming ABC fee schedule.
Federal steps
Most small businesses do not have one general federal business license. Federal steps usually depend on tax status, workers, or a specially regulated activity. The IRS provides its official Employer Identification Number service and says an EIN is free directly from the IRS. An EIN is commonly needed for employers, corporations, partnerships, and certain federal tax filings.
If your activity is federally regulated, use the U.S. Small Business Administration’s licenses and permits guide to identify the federal agency. Keep this layer separate from Long Beach licensing: an EIN or federal permit does not replace the city Business License.
Real-world examples
| Business idea | Likely checks | First question |
|---|---|---|
| Home graphic designer | Business License, home-occupation rules, FBN if needed | Does my activity fit the home rules at this address? |
| Retail shop | Business License, zoning, seller’s permit, building/occupancy and sign review if triggered | Is retail allowed here and which departments must clear the location? |
| Food truck | Business License, Mobile Business Permit, Health Permit, seller’s permit, vehicle/location rules | Which MFF steps apply before I operate? |
| Sidewalk food cart | Business License, Sidewalk Vendor Permit, applicable Health Permit, seller’s permit when required | Does my setup use the sidewalk-vending path rather than the MFF path? |
| Home meal business | MEHKO eligibility, Public Health Permit, Business License, food-safety certification, inspection | Do I qualify for MEHKO or another home-food category? |
| Bar with DJ nights | Business License, zoning, fire, ABC, entertainment permit, health if food is served | Can this address have alcohol and entertainment? |
For mobile food background, see our food truck license guide, then use the Long Beach route that matches the actual setup.
A compact compliance checklist
- Confirm the operating address is inside Long Beach city limits.
- List every activity and every place you will operate.
- Check zoning and occupancy before signing a lease or opening from home.
- Apply for the Business License and any activity-specific city permit before operating.
- Use the MFF path for a food truck, the sidewalk-vending path for a cart, and the MEHKO/cottage-food path that fits a home food business.
- File an FBN when required and complete the publication step.
- Check CDTFA seller’s-permit rules and EDD registration/new-hire duties if they apply.
- Check building, fire, health, alcohol, contractor, entertainment, and event rules when triggered.
- Save licenses, permits, renewal notices, inspections, and agency emails.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Opening before approval. A submitted application is not a Long Beach license.
- Calling an LLC or DBA a license. Entity and name filings do not replace the city operating license.
- Skipping zoning or occupancy. A signed lease does not prove the business use is allowed or that construction can open to the public.
- Using an expired rate table. The prior 2025–26 business-license rate table was replaced July 1, 2026.
- Grouping every mobile food business together. A food truck and a sidewalk food cart now follow different Long Beach permit paths.
- Treating every home food business as an ordinary home occupation. MEHKO, cottage-food, and other home uses have different rules.
- Stopping after EDD registration. Employers also have new-hire reporting duties.
- Forgetting renewal. Long Beach says not receiving a bill does not remove the duty to renew.
Phone and email scripts
Have the exact address, activity, and setup ready before you contact an agency.
City business license script
Hello, I plan to operate a [business type] at [address] in Long Beach. Which Business License category applies, and does Planning, Building, Fire, Health, or another city program need to approve it before I operate?
Planning and occupancy script
Hello, I am checking [address] for a [business type]. Is this use allowed, and will I need a land-use approval, building permit, change-of-occupancy review, Certificate of Occupancy, or sign permit?
County FBN script
Hello, my principal place of business will be in Long Beach and I plan to use [business name]. Does my setup require a Los Angeles County FBN, and what publication step follows filing?
Food business script
Hello, I plan to sell [food] from a [truck / sidewalk cart / home kitchen / event booth]. Which Long Beach path applies, and which business, health, seller’s-permit, location, and inspection approvals do I need before operating?
Give the agency the real setup. “Food business” or “home business” alone may be too broad to route correctly.
What to do if this doesn’t work
If you cannot tell which permit applies, do not guess. Contact the Long Beach Business License Division and describe the exact activity and address. For land use, use Planning; for construction or occupancy, use Building and Safety or the Permit Center; for food, use the Bureau of Environmental Health. If an office sends you elsewhere, keep the email chain and ask for the exact permit name, application page, or code section so you can follow the correct route.
Official resources
- Long Beach Business License Division, application page, Taxes & Fees, and renewals.
- Long Beach Planning, Permit Center, LB Services – Permitting and Licensing, and Building Permits.
- Long Beach Food Safety, MEHKO, Mobile Food Facilities, and Sidewalk Vending.
- Los Angeles County Fictitious Business Name filing and county business-license jurisdiction.
- California Secretary of State bizfile, CDTFA seller’s permit, EDD employer registration, EDD new-hire reporting, CSLB, and California ABC.
- IRS EIN and the SBA federal licenses and permits guide.
About this BusinessLicenseGuide.com page
BusinessLicenseGuide.com is not a government agency, law firm, CPA firm, or filing company. Our goal is to turn official licensing information into plain English so small-business owners know what to check, which office handles it, and what mistakes to avoid. We use official sources first and tell readers to confirm important details with the agency that controls the rule.
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FAQ
Does Long Beach require a business license?
Yes. Long Beach says businesses operating in the city need a Business License and must pay the applicable business license tax and fees. This includes home-based and out-of-city businesses doing business in Long Beach.
Is a Long Beach Business License the same as an LLC?
No. An LLC is a state entity filing. A Long Beach Business License is a city operating license and tax requirement. A business may need both.
Do home-based businesses need to check Long Beach rules?
Yes. Home-based businesses need the city license and must fit Long Beach zoning rules. Food businesses may instead follow a cottage-food or MEHKO path.
Do I need a California seller’s permit in Long Beach?
You may need one for taxable sales or leases. CDTFA says qualifying sellers whose retail merchandise sales are exclusively through a registered marketplace facilitator generally do not need one solely for those marketplace sales.
What should I check before signing a Long Beach lease?
Check zoning for your exact use, occupancy and construction issues, building or fire review, health rules, and whether the city Business License can be issued for that location.
Update note
Last updated: October 2, 2026
Next review: December 31, 2026
This review rechecked Long Beach licensing, the 2026–27 rate schedule, zoning and occupancy, home occupations, MEHKO, building and permit systems, food trucks, sidewalk vending, event and entertainment paths, Los Angeles County FBN rules, California entity and seller-permit systems, employer duties, and federal EIN guidance. Material review-period changes include the MEHKO program, the June 2026 Mobile Food Facility ordinance, the July 2026 city rate schedule, and the August 2026 bizfile User Access requirement.
Disclaimer
This guide is for general information only. Business license, tax, zoning, health, building, employment, and permit rules can change and can depend on your facts. Confirm current requirements with the official agency before you apply, pay a fee, sign a lease, remodel, or begin operating.