San Bernardino County, CA Business License Guide: City vs County Rules

San Bernardino County business changes: May 1–October 2, 2026

• County Building & Safety fees changed July 1, 2026. The county’s current permit page says its Building & Safety fee changes took effect July 1. If you need plan review, a building permit, tenant-improvement work, or related construction approval in county jurisdiction, use the current fee schedule rather than an older estimate.
• FBN mail service charges changed July 1, 2026. The Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s Fictitious Business Name page lists new mail charges effective July 1. The underlying FBN filing, publication, and five-year term rules remain separate from those mail charges.
• California bizfile Online access changed August 1, 2026. The Secretary of State now requires User Access for Statement of Information filings and says User Access is required for users conducting online filings in bizfile Online.
• Unincorporated Short-Term Rental fees changed July 1, 2026. The county STR program lists a $1,144 new-application total and different renewal totals depending on changes, including $550 for a no-change renewal. These rules apply to the county STR program, not automatically to incorporated cities.

First, check whether your address is in a city or unincorporated county area

Before you apply or pay any fee, confirm the government jurisdiction for the exact business location. A postal address is not enough. Some properties use a city name for mail but sit outside that city’s legal boundary.

EZOP specifically recommends checking jurisdiction first and provides an Is My Parcel in the County? / Parcel Map Tool. Use it to identify the agencies serving the property, then verify any city boundary question with the city or county before filing.

For unincorporated locations, San Bernardino County Land Use Services and EZ Online Permitting are key starting points. The county’s zoning resources help you check the parcel and the allowed land use. If the property is inside a city, use that city’s licensing and planning process instead.

Why this matters

• Inside an incorporated city: the city may require a business license, business registration certificate, business tax certificate, zoning clearance, home occupation approval, Certificate of Occupancy, sign permit, or another local approval.
• In unincorporated county territory: county Land Use Services may control zoning, home occupation, building, and some business-specific license or permit paths.
• Countywide or broader functions can still matter: FBN filings, business property reporting, Environmental Health programs, and some fire or hazardous-materials functions may apply even when a city handles the basic local business license.

What San Bernardino County, CA may handle

The county is not one all-purpose licensing office. Some functions apply only in unincorporated territory.

Business property is a separate county duty. The Assessor says Form 571-L is due April 1 when filing is required; a filing after May 7 at 5 p.m. can trigger the stated late penalty, subject to the weekend/holiday rule. This has nothing to do with whether a general county business license exists.

The key question is: Is this address in county jurisdiction, and what exact activity is being regulated?

What cities or towns may handle

If your business is inside an incorporated city, the city usually controls the basic local license or registration and may also control zoning, home occupation, building, occupancy, signs, and vending.

The terms differ. The City of San Bernardino uses Business Registration Certificate. Ontario uses business-license wording. Fontana licenses businesses operating in the city. Victorville has separate in-city, home-based, out-of-city, rental, and vendor routes.

BLG also has a separate San Bernardino, CA Business License Guide.

Current city pages show why the address check matters. Ontario requires a business license before commencing business in the city. Victorville says businesses conducting business within city limits need a Business License and its applications are online; it also licenses certain out-of-city businesses that perform work inside Victorville. These are city rules, not countywide rules.

State-level registrations to check

California state registrations are separate from county and city rules. They do not replace local zoning, licensing, FBN, or health permits.

Secretary of State / bizfile Online

For LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, and other state-filed entities, use California bizfile. Effective August 1, 2026, User Access is required for Statement of Information filings and for users conducting online filings in bizfile Online.

CDTFA seller’s permit and tax accounts

If you sell or lease taxable tangible personal property, check CDTFA Online Services. Its registration system identifies seller’s permits and other CDTFA accounts based on the activity.

EDD employer and new-hire steps

EDD says a business that hires employees and pays more than $100 in wages in a calendar quarter must register as an employer within 15 days. California employers must also report newly hired and qualifying rehired employees to the New Employee Registry, generally within 20 calendar days after the first day of work. e-Services for Business supports both account management and new-hire reporting.

Professional, contractor, and alcohol licenses

Contractors should check CSLB; other regulated occupations can use the DCA license search. Alcohol sellers should use California ABC plus local approvals. ABC says application and annual fees will increase January 1, 2027.

CalGOLD can help route you to permit agencies, but verify each requirement with the issuing agency.

DBA, fictitious business name, assumed name, or trade name layer

California commonly uses the term Fictitious Business Name, or FBN, for a DBA-style filing. San Bernardino County’s Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk handles the county process.

The county says an FBN should be filed within 40 days of first transacting business and is generally effective for five years. It must be published in an adjudicated newspaper once a week for four consecutive weeks, with publication starting within 45 days after filing.

The current filing fee is $90, plus $2 for each additional FBN or registrant name. Mail charges effective July 1, 2026 are $3.50 for USPS Standard Mail or $29 for Priority Mail. Publication cost is separate.

When it may apply

• A sole proprietor or partnership uses a name covered by California’s fictitious-name rules.
• An LLC, corporation, or limited partnership uses a name different from its exact legal entity name.
• An existing FBN expires or a change requires refiling.

An FBN is not a business license, seller’s permit, LLC, zoning approval, food permit, or professional license.

Zoning, home occupation, building, fire, health, and industry permits

For many businesses, the main issue is whether the activity is allowed at the location and whether a separate safety, health, construction, or industry approval applies.

Zoning in unincorporated areas

San Bernardino County Land Use Services regulates zoning in unincorporated areas. Check the zoning and overlay maps and parcel before signing a lease or starting a use. The path can depend on the exact zoning district and activity.

Home businesses have different classes

The county’s Home Occupation page applies only to unincorporated territory and notes Valley, Mountain, and Desert differences. Its linked Development Code material distinguishes three classes: Class I lists no permit requirement; Class II requires a Special Use Permit renewable every 24 months; Class III is Desert Region only and also uses a Special Use Permit renewable every 24 months.

So an Internet-based, no-impact activity should not automatically be treated like a home business with customers, employees, direct sales, or a more intensive use.

Building, signs, and occupancy

For construction, remodeling, tenant improvements, signs, or electrical/plumbing/mechanical work in county jurisdiction, use Building & Safety and EZOP. The process can include plan review, inspections, final approval, and a Certificate of Occupancy where applicable. Building & Safety fee changes took effect July 1, 2026.

Food, mobile food, street vending, and temporary food

Environmental Health Services has separate paths for permanent food facilities, trucks/trailers, compact mobile food operations (CMFOs), temporary food, and cottage food. Start with the Food Facilities program.

Not every food seller has the same permit. EHS says a CMFO can be permit-exempt when total display/inventory is 25 square feet or less and it sells only qualifying prepackaged nonpotentially hazardous food or whole uncooked produce. A mobile-food health permit also does not by itself authorize operation at every location; local land-use and vending rules can still apply.

Temporary event food, food trucks, carts, and cottage-food operations follow different EHS routes. If you are unsure which one fits, use the EHS food-program pages and current forms rather than choosing a permit by name alone. For mobile operations, also check the city or unincorporated land-use rules for where you may actually vend.

Other Environmental Health, fire, and rental paths

Body art, pools, medical waste, wastewater, and similar activities may need separate EHS approvals. The Fire Marshal and Hazmat-CUPA handle fire-safety and hazardous-materials programs where they have jurisdiction; verify the fire authority for the exact address.

Unincorporated territory also has special rental paths. Current County Code contains a Rental Dwelling Unit license chapter, and the Code Enforcement forms page routes the RDU license and Short-Term Rental Special Use Permit through EZOP. The county STR program applies to qualifying unincorporated Mountain and Desert areas. Inside a city, use that city’s rental rules.