Florida business license guide
Last checked: April 26, 2026
Florida business licensing is layered. There is not one simple state form that covers every business. A Florida business may need a Sunbiz filing, a Florida Department of Revenue tax account, a fictitious name registration, a city or county local business tax receipt, zoning approval, and an industry license.
This guide explains which office handles each part, what Florida calls the main registrations, and what to check before you open.
The short answer
Florida does not use one all-purpose statewide general business license for every business. The official path depends on what you do, where you do it, and how the business is set up.
Most Florida owners should start with four checks: Open MyFloridaBusiness, Sunbiz through the Florida Division of Corporations, the Florida Department of Revenue tax registration page, and the city or county office that handles local business tax receipts and zoning.
Start here: the Florida quick-start checklist
- Write down your exact business activity. “Retail store,” “mobile food truck,” “online handmade goods,” “home cleaning,” and “short-term rental” may lead to different offices.
- Check your business address first. Local rules can change by city limits, unincorporated county area, zoning district, home address, storefront, mobile route, or event location.
- Search your business type in Open MyFloridaBusiness. Florida’s official portal creates business-type checklists for many industries.
- Decide whether you need a Sunbiz filing. LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, foreign entities, and fictitious names are handled by the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations.
- Check Florida Department of Revenue registration. You may need to register for sales and use tax, reemployment tax, or another Florida-administered tax or fee.
- Call the local city or county before signing a lease. Ask about zoning, local business tax receipts, certificate of use, building permits, fire review, and inspections.
- Check industry licenses. Food, lodging, construction, cosmetology, alcohol, tobacco, tattooing, health care, childcare, real estate, and similar fields can require state or county approval before opening.
Florida facts box
| Statewide general business license | Florida’s official startup resources do not point most businesses to one all-purpose statewide general business license. Instead, Florida routes owners by business type, tax account, entity filing, industry license, and local government rules. |
|---|---|
| State business portal | Open MyFloridaBusiness, Florida’s official Business Information Portal. |
| Entity filing office | Florida Department of State Division of Corporations, commonly called Sunbiz. |
| DBA term in Florida | Florida uses the term fictitious name. A DBA is a common nickname, but the state filing is a fictitious name registration. |
| Sales tax registration term | Florida Department of Revenue registration for sales and use tax. Businesses that register to collect sales tax are issued a Florida Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax. |
| Common local license term | Many Florida cities and counties use Local Business Tax Receipt. Older pages may still say occupational license. |
| Local pattern | City and county rules may both apply. Some places require a city receipt and a county receipt. Some also require zoning approval, certificate of use, fire review, or building permits. |
Do not mix up the government layers
In Florida, the word “business license” can mean different things. Use the real name of the requirement when you contact an agency.
| Layer | What it may handle | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Federal | EIN, federal taxes, federal permits for certain regulated activities, and current federal reporting rules. | IRS EIN page and the federal agency for your industry. |
| Florida state | Sunbiz entity filings, fictitious names, Florida tax registration, state professional licenses, food and lodging licenses, agriculture and consumer service licenses, and health-related permits. | Sunbiz, Florida Department of Revenue, DBPR, FDACS, Florida Department of Health, and other state boards. |
| County | Local business tax receipt, county zoning in unincorporated areas, county health department review, county building or fire rules, and tourist tax or local taxes in some cases. | Your county tax collector, county clerk, county zoning or planning office, or county health department. |
| City | Local business tax receipt, certificate of use, zoning approval, home occupation review, building permits, fire inspection, sign permits, sidewalk vending, mobile vending, and local inspections. | Your city business tax office, city clerk, finance department, planning and zoning office, or building department. |
| Private platforms | Marketplace, payment processor, delivery app, landlord, HOA, franchise, or insurance requirements. | Your platform rules, lease, HOA documents, insurer, or contract. These do not replace government requirements. |
Important: Filing an LLC, getting an EIN, or registering a fictitious name does not automatically give you permission to operate from a specific Florida location.
The Florida state steps most owners should check
1. Check Open MyFloridaBusiness by business type
Florida’s official business portal is built around business categories. The portal says it focuses on State of Florida government requirements and resources, and its checklists also include local and federal information.
Use the portal before you assume your business is “unregulated.” A retail shop, food business, contractor, salon, alcohol seller, rental operator, or health-related business can have a different checklist.
2. Register or form your business with Sunbiz when needed
The Florida Department of State Division of Corporations is the state’s central filing office for corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, fictitious names, trademarks, judgment liens, and similar filings.
If you form a Florida LLC, you file Articles of Organization. If you form a Florida corporation, you file Articles of Incorporation. If you are an out-of-state entity doing business in Florida, you may need to register as a foreign entity.
Tip: Sunbiz is not the same as a local business license office. Sunbiz can create or register an entity, but a city or county may still require a local business tax receipt or zoning approval.
3. Use Florida’s real DBA term: fictitious name
Florida uses the term fictitious name for a business name that is different from your personal legal name or your entity’s legal name.
Before filing, the Florida Division of Corporations says the name must be advertised at least once in a newspaper located in the county where your principal place of business is located. The applicant certifies the advertisement when signing the application.
A Florida fictitious name registration is for public notice. The state says it does not give you ownership of the name and does not stop someone else from using or registering the same name.
As of the source page checked for this guide, the state lists the registration fee for a fictitious name as $50. The state also says a fictitious name registration is valid for five years and expires on December 31 of the final year. Confirm the current fee and term on the official Sunbiz page before filing.
4. Register with the Florida Department of Revenue when your activity requires it
The Florida Department of Revenue says you may be required to register to collect, accrue, and remit taxes or fees if you are engaged in activities tied to a tax or fee.
If your business will sell taxable goods or taxable services, the Department says you must register as a sales and use tax dealer before you begin conducting business in Florida.
Florida’s online Florida Business Tax Application uses an interactive wizard to help determine tax registration requirements. The same registration path can cover several taxes and fees, including sales and use tax, reemployment tax, communications services tax, rental car surcharge, documentary stamp tax, and other Florida-administered items.
5. Understand the Florida Annual Resale Certificate
Florida does not usually call this a “seller’s permit” on official Department of Revenue pages. The Department says businesses that register to collect sales tax are issued a Florida Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax.
The certificate lets a registered business buy or rent certain property or services tax-free when the property or service will be resold or re-rented. It is not a general business license, and it does not replace city or county requirements.
6. Set up employer accounts if you hire workers
If you hire employees, you may need a federal EIN from the IRS. The official Florida startup checklist also points employers to the Florida Department of Revenue for tax registration and new hire reporting.
Florida calls its unemployment tax system reemployment tax. The Florida Department of Revenue registers employers, collects the tax and wage reports due, assigns tax rates, and audits employers for reemployment tax.
Florida’s official startup checklist says employers must report newly hired, re-hired, and temporary employees, and in some cases contractors, through the State of Florida’s New Hire Reporting program managed by the Department of Revenue.
Florida city and county rules may be the step that actually lets you open
Many Florida owners get stuck because they finish the state filings but skip the local layer.
Florida’s official city website directory says new businesses are encouraged to explore local websites for local business tax receipts, building permits, plan reviews, inspections, code compliance, planning, zoning, and economic development resources.
What is a Local Business Tax Receipt?
A Local Business Tax Receipt, often shortened to BTR or LBTR, is a local tax receipt issued by a city or county. Some local pages still call it an occupational license because that older term remains common.
Florida Statutes Chapter 205 covers local business taxes. The local details depend on the city or county ordinance, business category, location, and exemptions.
City and county receipts can both apply
Some Florida places require both a city receipt and a county receipt. For example, Miami-Dade County says businesses located within a municipality must obtain both a city receipt and a Miami-Dade County receipt. The City of Orlando also tells applicants to get an Orange County business tax receipt after the city business tax receipt is issued.
Not every city uses the same setup
Do not assume every city has the same form. Some local governments use a business tax receipt. Some require a certificate of use. Some route businesses through zoning first. Some may not issue a city occupational license at all but still require zoning or other approvals. For example, the City of Tallahassee states that it does not require or issue business or occupational licenses, but it still points businesses to zoning, building, county, state, and federal checks.
Before you sign a lease: ask the city or county whether your exact use is allowed at the address. A local business tax receipt may not be issued if the location fails zoning, fire, building, parking, certificate of use, or inspection rules.
Industry licenses: common Florida examples
Many Florida businesses do not need a state-issued industry license, but some do. The right office depends on the activity.
| Business activity | Florida office to check | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants, food trucks, caterers, public lodging, vacation rentals | DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants | DBPR licenses, inspects, and regulates public lodging and food service establishments. New food service locations may need plan review, license application, fees, and an opening inspection. |
| Retail food, grocery, convenience stores, bakeries, juice and smoothie bars, packaged food, wholesale or manufacturing food | Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | FDACS handles many food establishment permits outside DBPR’s restaurant and lodging jurisdiction. Confirm the correct food agency before applying. |
| Cottage food from a home kitchen | FDACS cottage foods page | Florida cottage food rules are specific. Do not assume all homemade food qualifies. Check the allowed foods, labeling rules, sales limit, delivery rules, taxes, and local zoning. |
| Alcohol, tobacco, contractors, cosmetology, barbers, real estate, mold services, home inspectors, talent agencies, yacht and ship brokers | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation | DBPR lists many regulated professions and businesses. Its own guidance says to also check county or city local business tax receipts and certificates of competency where relevant. |
| Tattoo establishment | Florida Department of Health and county health department | Florida DOH says tattoo establishments require a license, inspection, business name registration, and biomedical waste permit, with forms and fees submitted to the county health department where located. |
| Childcare, health care, environmental, agriculture, professional, or financial services | State agency or board for that industry | Use Open MyFloridaBusiness and the relevant state agency. Do not rely only on city or county licensing if the activity is state-regulated. |
Food business warning: DBPR guidance for permanent food service says food storage and preparation must be done in an approved, licensed food service establishment, and food service operations may not be conducted in a private residence. Cottage food is a separate Florida category with its own limits.
Home-based Florida businesses still need local checks
Working from home does not automatically remove licensing rules. A home-based Florida business may still need:
- A city or county local business tax receipt.
- Home occupation approval or zoning clearance.
- A certificate of use in some cities.
- Florida Department of Revenue tax registration if selling taxable goods or services.
- A fictitious name registration if using a name that is not your legal name or entity name.
- An industry license if the work is regulated.
- HOA, landlord, or lease permission if applicable.
Home-based food, beauty, construction, childcare, health, tattooing, automotive, warehouse, delivery, short-term rental, or customer-visit businesses can trigger extra rules.
Florida city guides on BusinessLicenseGuide
Use these city guides when your business is in one of these Florida cities. Local rules can change, so also verify each step with the official city, county, and state links in the guide.
| BLG city guide | Local licensing pattern to expect |
|---|---|
| Miami, FL Business License Guide | City of Miami Certificate of Use and Business Tax Receipt, plus Miami-Dade County Local Business Tax Receipt for many businesses. |
| Tampa, FL Business License Guide | City of Tampa Business Tax Receipt, Hillsborough County checks, zoning, and state registrations as needed. |
| Orlando, FL Business License Guide | City of Orlando Business Tax Receipt and Certificate of Use process, plus Orange County Business Tax Receipt. |
| Jacksonville, FL Business License Guide | Jacksonville/Duval County local business tax receipt and city-county permitting checks. |
| St. Petersburg, FL Business License Guide | City of St. Petersburg Business Tax Receipt, Pinellas County rules, zoning, and state steps. |
| Hialeah, FL Business License Guide | City of Hialeah Certificate of Use and Local Business Tax Receipt, plus Miami-Dade County Local Business Tax Receipt. |
Common Florida mistakes to avoid
- Calling every requirement a business license. In Florida, the item may be a local business tax receipt, certificate of use, sales tax registration, fictitious name, DBPR license, FDACS permit, DOH permit, or zoning approval.
- Thinking Sunbiz approval means you can open. Sunbiz is a state filing office. It does not approve your location for city or county use.
- Skipping the fictitious name advertisement step. Florida requires the fictitious name to be advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county of the principal place of business before registration.
- Using a resale certificate as a general license. A Florida Annual Resale Certificate is tied to sales tax registration. It is not a city license, zoning approval, or industry permit.
- Assuming online or home-based means exempt. Local business tax, zoning, sales tax, and industry rules can still apply.
- Opening a food business from a private kitchen without checking the exact food category. DBPR food service rules and FDACS cottage food rules are different.
- Forgetting the county layer. In some Florida locations, the city and county both require a receipt or approval.
- Relying on old “occupational license” language. Many Florida pages still use that phrase, but the current local term is often Local Business Tax Receipt.
What to ask when you contact the agency
Before calling or emailing, have your basic facts ready. Write down your business type, legal name, fictitious name if any, Florida address or general location, city, county, whether it is home-based, mobile, online, storefront, food-related, employee-based, or customer-facing, and what you sell or do.
Phone or email script
Hello, I am planning to operate a [business type] in [city], [county], Florida at [address or general location]. The business will be [home-based / mobile / storefront / online] and will sell or provide [products or services]. Can you tell me whether I need a local business tax receipt, certificate of use, zoning approval, home occupation approval, building or fire inspection, state license, Florida tax registration, or another permit before I start? If your office does not handle this, which office should I contact next?
Ask the agency to give you the exact name of the license, permit, tax account, or approval. Do not rely on a vague “business license” answer.
- Write down the agency name and the person or department that responded.
- Write down the date of the call or email.
- Write down the exact permit, license, receipt, tax account, or approval name.
- Ask for the official application link or fee page.
- Ask whether city and county approvals both apply.
- Ask whether zoning must be approved before you apply.
- Ask whether a state license must be shown before a local receipt can be issued.
- Ask whether renewal dates, inspections, or display rules apply.
Official Florida agency directory
| Agency or portal | Use it for | Official link |
|---|---|---|
| Open MyFloridaBusiness | Business-type startup checklists and state/local/federal starting points. | Open MyFloridaBusiness |
| Florida Department of State Division of Corporations | LLCs, corporations, foreign entities, fictitious names, annual reports, and business record searches. | Sunbiz |
| Florida Department of Revenue | Sales and use tax, reemployment tax, Florida Business Tax Application, resale certificates, and several state taxes and fees. | Account registration |
| Florida DBPR | Many professional and business licenses, including alcohol and tobacco, construction, cosmetology, hotels, restaurants, real estate, and related fields. | DBPR licensing and regulation |
| DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants | Public food service, lodging, food trucks, caterers, temporary food events, and vacation rental licensing. | Hotels and Restaurants |
| Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | Retail food establishments, certain consumer services licenses, agriculture-related licenses, cottage food information, and food permit resources. | FDACS Business Services |
| Florida Department of Health | Tattooing, body piercing, biomedical waste, certain health and environmental health programs, and county health department referrals. | DOH Licensing and Regulation |
| IRS | EIN, federal business taxes, employment taxes, and federal tax forms. | IRS businesses page |
Official sources used for this Florida guide
- Open MyFloridaBusiness: About the Florida Business Information Portal
- Open MyFloridaBusiness: Standard registration process for non-regulated businesses
- Open MyFloridaBusiness: Florida city websites and local business tax receipt notes
- Florida Division of Corporations: Start a Business
- Florida Division of Corporations: Fictitious Name Registration
- Florida Department of Revenue: Account Registration
- Florida Department of Revenue: Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax
- Florida Department of Revenue: Florida Reemployment Tax
- DBPR: What Services Require a DBPR License?
- DBPR Hotels and Restaurants: Licensing
- FDACS: Retail Food Establishment Permit
- Florida Department of Health: Tattoo Establishment Licensure Requirements
- Florida Statutes Chapter 205: Local Business Taxes
Review note
This guide was last checked against official Florida state, county, city, and federal source pages on April 26, 2026. Florida rules, forms, fees, portals, local ordinances, and agency responsibilities can change. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency before filing, paying, leasing space, opening, or advertising.
FAQ
Does Florida have one statewide general business license?
Florida does not use one all-purpose statewide general business license for every business. Most owners need to check Sunbiz filings, Florida Department of Revenue tax registration, industry licenses, and city or county local business tax receipt rules.
Is a Florida LLC the same as a business license?
No. A Florida LLC filing with Sunbiz creates or registers a business entity. It does not replace a local business tax receipt, Florida tax registration, zoning approval, or industry license that may apply to your business.
What is a Florida fictitious name?
A Florida fictitious name is a name used to do business that is different from your legal name or your entity’s legal name. Florida calls this a fictitious name, and it is often called a DBA.
Do I need to register for Florida sales tax?
You may need to register with the Florida Department of Revenue if you sell taxable goods or taxable services, rent or lease taxable property, or owe another Florida-administered tax or fee. Confirm your exact activity with the Florida Business Tax Application or the Department of Revenue.
What is a local business tax receipt in Florida?
A local business tax receipt is a city or county receipt showing that a local business tax has been paid. Many Florida local governments still describe it as an occupational license, but the official local term is often local business tax receipt.
Can I run a Florida business from home?
Maybe. You still need to check zoning, HOA or lease rules, local business tax receipt rules, state tax registration, and any industry license. Food, childcare, beauty, health, and construction work can have extra rules.
Where should I start if I am not sure what license I need?
Start with your business type, address, and activity. Then check Open MyFloridaBusiness, Sunbiz, the Florida Department of Revenue, and your city or county business tax and zoning offices before spending money on a lease, build-out, or equipment.
Disclaimer
BusinessLicenseGuide.com provides general information only. This article is not legal, tax, financial, insurance, employment, immigration, safety, zoning, or professional advice. Rules, fees, forms, portals, and agency policies can change. Confirm important details with the official agency or a qualified professional before acting.