Business License in Massachusetts: Who Issues It, Cost & Steps
A business license is a local permit. In Massachusetts, as everywhere else in the US, it comes from a city or county office rather than a state agency — so the first job is working out which local office covers your address.
Massachusetts requires all new businesses to register with the Department of Revenue through MassTaxConnect, not a separate licensing agency.
Massachusetts businesses register for tax purposes through MassTaxConnect, an online system run by the Department of Revenue. You'll need an EIN (or Social Security number for sole proprietors with no employees) and your business start date to register.
- All businesses except sole proprietorships must provide contact information for owners and officers along with their titles and Social Security numbers.
“All businesses except sole proprietorships will need the above information along with: Contact information for owners/officers including their Titles and Social Security numbers.”
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/register-your-business-with-masstaxconnect - Sole proprietors with no employees only need a Social Security number, but those with employees must obtain an EIN from the IRS.
“Social Security number if registering as a sole proprietor with no employees EIN - Required for all businesses including sole proprietors with employees”
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/register-your-business-with-masstaxconnect - Each tax registration certificate must be posted and visible at your business location at all times.
“Each registration certificate must be posted and visible at all times.”
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/register-your-business-with-masstaxconnect - You'll be required to set up two-step verification to protect your MassTaxConnect account when you first log in after registration approval.
“DOR uses two-step verification to protect your MassTaxConnect account. After your registration is approved, MassTaxConnect will prompt you to set up two-step verification.”
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/register-your-business-with-masstaxconnect - You can add new tax types, locations, or licenses to an existing MassTaxConnect registration without re-registering your entire business.
“If your business is already registered with MassTaxConnect , you can easily add an: Account (tax type) New location New license.”
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/register-your-business-with-masstaxconnect
Sources (each one opened and read on 2026-09-15)
- Register Your Business with MassTaxConnect: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/register-your-business-with-masstaxconnect
Who issues a Business License in Massachusetts
This is a local permit. It is issued by your city or county, not by the state of Massachusetts. The state office listed underneath handles a related filing — it does not issue this permit.
- Massachusetts — the state revenue or taxation department (handles state tax registration and permits)
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-revenue
Finding your local office
Start with the city your address sits in — the relevant department is usually called Planning, Building, Community Development, or Business Licensing. If your address is unincorporated, the county performs that role instead. Calling the main switchboard and asking who handles this is usually faster than searching.
Starting point for anything else in Massachusetts: the state business portal, https://corp.sec.state.ma.us. It is a starting point, not the issuer of this permit.
The general US process
This sequence is the shape the process takes across the US. It is not a list of Massachusetts requirements, and no step here should be read as one — the issuing office named above sets the actual requirements.
- Step 1: Work out which government actually licenses you. In most of the country this is the city; unincorporated addresses are usually licensed by the county; a few states also run a statewide business licence.
- Step 2: Check the zoning for your address before paying anything — a licence does not override zoning.
- Step 3: Apply through that office. Larger cities almost all have an online portal; smaller ones may still be paper.
- Step 4: Expect the fee to be flat, or scaled to gross receipts or headcount, depending on the jurisdiction.
- Step 5: Display the licence if the issuing office asks you to.
- Step 6: Put the renewal date in a calendar. Renewal notices are not guaranteed.
What varies: whether a licence is required at all, who issues it, how the fee is calculated, and whether the state has its own layer on top.
Documents usually asked for
A typical list, not a Massachusetts checklist.
- EIN or SSN
- Business name/DBA filing
- Physical address
- Description of business activities
Related permits in Massachusetts
Business License in states bordering Massachusetts
Rules stop at the state line — same permit, each state bordering Massachusetts:
See Business License in all 50 states & DC →
Frequently asked questions
Who issues a business license in Massachusetts?
Your city or county — not the state.
How much does a business license cost in Massachusetts?
We don't publish a Massachusetts figure we haven't verified. The typical US range is $25–$500. The office named above has the real number for your address.
How long does it take to get a business license in Massachusetts?
Typical US processing is 3–30 days, and expedited handling is often available for a fee. The issuing office publishes its own turnaround, and that is the number to trust.
What is Massachusetts-specific on this page: the issuing office, 5 Massachusetts facts, each quoted off the government page beside it. Everything else — the numbered process, the document list, the cost and timeline — is the general US pattern, not a Massachusetts rule, and is labelled that way above. Requirements, fees and deadlines are set by the issuing office; confirm with it before you file or pay.