Permit411: Business Permits & Licenses in Plain English
Starting or running a US small business means paperwork — an LLC filing here, a sales tax permit there, a city business license, maybe a food or contractor or short-term rental permit. Every state, county, and city has its own version of each. This site is the plain-English map: what the permit is, what it costs, how long it takes, and the direct link to the government office you actually file with.
Browse by permit type
- LLC Formation
- Business License
- Food Truck Permit
- Short-Term Rental Permit
- Cottage Food License
- Sales Tax Registration
- Employer Registration
- Contractor License
- Home Occupation Permit
- DBA Filing
- Sign Permit
- Sidewalk Cafe Permit
- Building Permit
- Health Department Permit
- Alcohol License
- Cosmetology License
- Massage Therapy License
- Childcare License
- Professional License
- Reseller Permit
Browse by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- District of Columbia
What this site does not do
Permit411 doesn't file paperwork for you, doesn't take a cut of a filing service, and doesn't sell your info to lenders or lawyers. Every 2026 number on this site was pulled from a public government source, and every "where to file" link points at the actual government office — no middleman. If that's what you were looking for, welcome.