California Business License Finder
California has no statewide business license, and every city sets its own rules. Select your city for the license name, the fee structure and where to apply.
The State of California does not issue a general business license. What you need is a local business tax certificate from your city, or from your county if you're outside city limits. The name, fee and application process differ from city to city. This tool covers California's 35 largest cities.
Select your city to see the license name, who administers it, the fee structure, and the direct application link.
Business License Lookup
Your City's Business License
How this is calculated
This tool is a lookup, not a calculation. The table behind it comes from each city's finance or business-tax department page. California cities use three fee models: a flat fee (sometimes tiered by employee count, as in Huntington Beach and Irvine), a tax on gross receipts (a rate per $1,000 of revenue, as in Los Angeles, Oceanside and San Francisco), or a mix of the two.
Nearly every city also tacks on the state-mandated $4 SB 1186 disability-access fee. Where an exact current dollar figure wasn't confirmable on an official city rate table, this tool says so directly and links you to the city's own portal instead of guessing a number.
If you'll operate under a name other than your own legal name, you also need a Fictitious Business Name (DBA) filing with the county. That goes to the county Clerk-Recorder, not to your city's business license office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does California have a statewide business license?
No. California has no general state business license. Licensing, which is usually a local business tax registration, happens at the city level, or at the county level in unincorporated areas. No single state agency or fee covers every business.
Do I need a business license for a home-based or online-only business?
Almost always, yes. In most California cities the "business license" is legally a tax registration, not a permit to run a storefront, so it applies to home-based, online and service businesses too. Some cities, such as Long Beach and Modesto, charge home-based businesses a lower fee. Very few exempt them.
What's the difference between a business license and a DBA/Fictitious Business Name filing?
They are separate requirements from separate governments. The city business license or tax certificate is a local revenue registration. A Fictitious Business Name (FBN, also called a DBA) is filed with the County Clerk-Recorder. California Business & Professions Code Section 17900 requires it if you operate under any name that doesn't include your own legal surname, and you must also publish a notice in a newspaper.
My city isn't in this list. Where do I find my requirements?
Use CalGOLD (calgold.ca.gov), the state's official permit-lookup directory. Enter your city and business type and it will list every applicable local, state, and federal permit along with the agency to contact. This finder covers California's 35 largest cities; CalGOLD covers all of them.
What is the extra $4 fee added to almost every city's business license?
That is the SB 1186 / AB 1379 disability access and education fee, which state law requires. Nearly every California city adds it to new business license applications and renewals. It pays for disability-access improvements and CASp inspector training. Your city did not set the amount.
This tool provides an educational estimate only and covers 35 of California's 480+ incorporated cities. Fee schedules, department names and application URLs change. Confirm current requirements with your city's finance or business-license department, or through CalGOLD, before applying or budgeting for a fee.