Business license · California

Does Your LLC Need a Business License in California?

The short answer. California does not issue a general state business license. According to the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), general business licenses are issued locally. A business in California may still need a license from its city or county, or from a state board if its trade is regulated.

California Business License at a Glance

General state business license	No general state license
City or county licenses	Local governments may require one (see Local licenses)
Trade and professional licenses	California Department of Consumer Affairs

Read from the government sources listed at the foot of this page, last checked October 4, 2026. See the sources.

Does California Require a State Business License?

California does not issue a general state business license. According to the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), general business licenses are issued locally.

A business in California may still need a license from its city or county, or from a state board if its trade is regulated.

California's own guide to business licenses and permits is CalGold.

City and County Business Licenses

California cities may license and tax every kind of lawful business in the city, and county boards of supervisors may license businesses in their jurisdiction. A business in an incorporated city gets its license from the city, and one in an unincorporated area gets it from the county.

Where California points businesses for local requirements.

Professional and Trade Licenses

Most California professions and trades are licensed by the boards and bureaus of the Department of Consumer Affairs, which issue more than 280 license types. Some regulated activities are licensed by other state agencies, which CalGold lists by business type. Look up California license requirements.

Our verified guides for specific trades in this state:

See trade and business license requirements by state for every trade we cover.

Other California Registrations to Check

California articles of organization, the filing that creates the LLC itself.
California Seller's Permit, for a business that sells taxable goods or services.
California resale certificate, to buy inventory for resale without paying tax on it.
How to get an EIN, the federal tax ID most LLCs need to open a bank account or hire.

Frequently Asked Questions

: California does not issue a general state business license. According to the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), general business licenses are issued locally. A business in California may still need a license from its city or county, or from a state board if its trade is regulated.
: California cities may license and tax every kind of lawful business in the city, and county boards of supervisors may license businesses in their jurisdiction. A business in an incorporated city gets its license from the city, and one in an unincorporated area gets it from the county.
: Most California professions and trades are licensed by the boards and bureaus of the Department of Consumer Affairs, which issue more than 280 license types. Some regulated activities are licensed by other state agencies, which CalGold lists by business type.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's law and agencies say about a general state business license, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you which licenses your own business needs: that turns on what the business does, where it operates, and what its city or county requires, and fees and exemptions change between our reviews. Confirm your own position with the state agency named on this page, the city or county where the business is located, and any state board that licenses your trade before you open.

Sources

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified California sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.

leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=37101California Government Code 37101
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=16100California Business and Professions Code 16100
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=16000California Business and Professions Code 16000
calosba.ca.gov/business-learning-center/start-up/choose-a-business-structure-and-register-your-business/CalOSBA, Choose a Business Structure and Register Your Business
business.ca.gov/advantages/permit-and-regulatory-assistance/GO-Biz, Permit & Regulatory Assistance
dca.ca.gov/about_us/index.shtmlCalifornia Department of Consumer Affairs, About Us
calosba.ca.gov/for-small-businesses-and-non-profits/permits-licenses-regulation/CalOSBA, Permits, Licenses & Regulation
calgold.ca.govCalGold Permit Assistance Tool
bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/bizfile/bizfile-brochure.pdfCalifornia Secretary of State, Starting a New Business in California
business.ca.gov/resources/permit-and-regulatory-assistance/California GO-Biz, Permit and Regulatory Assistance

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Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.