Business license · Florida

Does Your LLC Need a Business License in Florida?

The short answer. We have not confirmed whether Florida requires a general state business license, so do not assume it does not; check Open MyFlorida Business (Florida Business Information Portal). Your local government may also require its own license.

Florida Business License at a Glance

General state business license	Not confirmed
City or county licenses	Local governments may require one (see Local licenses)
Trade and professional licenses	Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation

Read from the government sources listed at the foot of this page, last checked September 30, 2026. See the sources.

Does Florida Require a State Business License?

We have not confirmed whether Florida requires a general state business license, so do not assume it does not; check Open MyFlorida Business (Florida Business Information Portal).

Florida's own guide to business licenses and permits is Open MyFlorida Business (Florida Business Information Portal).

City and County Business Licenses

Florida counties and incorporated municipalities may levy a local business tax for the privilege of engaging in any business, profession or occupation within their jurisdiction, and they issue a Local Business Tax Receipt as proof. Check with your county tax collector and your city.

Where Florida points businesses for local requirements.

Professional and Trade Licenses

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses and regulates many businesses and professionals, such as cosmetologists, veterinarians and real estate agents. Other regulated activities are licensed by the state agency for that field, which the state's Business Information Portal identifies by business type. Look up Florida 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 Florida Registrations to Check

Florida articles of organization, the filing that creates the LLC itself.
Florida Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration, for a business that sells taxable goods or services.
Florida 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

: We have not confirmed whether Florida requires a general state business license, so do not assume it does not; check Open MyFlorida Business (Florida Business Information Portal).
: Florida counties and incorporated municipalities may levy a local business tax for the privilege of engaging in any business, profession or occupation within their jurisdiction, and they issue a Local Business Tax Receipt as proof. Check with your county tax collector and your city.
: The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses and regulates many businesses and professionals, such as cosmetologists, veterinarians and real estate agents. Other regulated activities are licensed by the state agency for that field, which the state's Business Information Portal identifies 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 Florida 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.

openmyfloridabusiness.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/OMFB-eGuide-English.pdfOpen MyFlorida Business, Guide to Starting a Business in Florida (revised 4/6/26)
openmyfloridabusiness.gov/faq/Open MyFlorida Business, FAQ
openmyfloridabusiness.gov/about/Open MyFlorida Business, About
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0205/Sections/0205.032.htmlFla. Stat. 205.032, Levy; counties
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0205/Sections/0205.042.htmlFla. Stat. 205.042, Levy; municipalities
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0205/Sections/0205.022.htmlFla. Stat. 205.022, Definitions
www2.myfloridalicense.com/about-us/department-overview/Florida DBPR, Department Overview
dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/about-us/faqs/Florida Division of Corporations, FAQs

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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.