Business license · Washington

Does Your LLC Need a Business License in Washington?

The short answer. Washington has a state business license, the Washington business license, issued by the Washington Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service, but not every business needs one. The test for who needs it is below. The application processing fee is $50 to open a new business, and each city, county or state endorsement you add carries its own fee.

Washington Business License at a Glance

General state business license	Only for some businesses (see State license)
License name	Washington business license
Issued by	Washington Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service
State license fee	Varies (see Cost)
Renewal	Depends (see Cost)
City or county licenses	Local governments may require one (see Local licenses)
Trade and professional licenses	State licensing boards (see Trade licenses)

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

Does Washington Require a State Business License?

Washington has a state business license, the Washington business license, issued by the Washington Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service, but not every business needs one. You need one if any of the Department of Revenue's tests applies, such as gross income of $12,000 or more a year, selling something that requires collecting sales tax, owing other taxes or fees to the Department, hiring employees within 90 days, using a name other than your full legal name, or needing a city, county or state endorsement.

You apply for the Washington business license with the Washington Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service. You can apply online or on paper. Go to the application page.

Washington's own guide to business licenses and permits is Business Licensing Wizard (Washington Department of Revenue).

What It Costs and When to Renew

The application processing fee is $50 to open a new business, and each city, county or state endorsement you add carries its own fee.

A license carrying a state or city endorsement renews every year by the expiration date printed on it, for a $5 processing fee plus the endorsement fees. The tax registration endorsement itself stays valid for as long as you stay in business.

City and County Business Licenses

Washington law recognizes city and town general business licenses that all or most businesses must hold, and requires a city that requires one to issue it through the state Business Licensing Service. The Department of Revenue also takes applications for endorsements from listed cities and from counties for their unincorporated areas.

Where Washington points businesses for local requirements.

Professional and Trade Licenses

Washington's Department of Licensing issues many professional and business licenses, such as those for architects, cosmetology, real estate and security guards. Other state agencies license other activities, and many state endorsements are issued through the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service. Look up Washington license requirements.

Our verified guides for specific trades in this state:

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

Worth Knowing in Washington

The license is issued under your Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number, which you use whenever you file taxes or make changes to your business.

Other Washington Registrations to Check

Washington articles of organization, the filing that creates the LLC itself.
Washington Tax Registration Endorsement, for a business that sells taxable goods or services.
Washington 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

: Washington has a state business license, the Washington business license, issued by the Washington Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service, but not every business needs one. You need one if any of the Department of Revenue's tests applies, such as gross income of $12,000 or more a year, selling something that requires collecting sales tax, owing other taxes or fees to the Department, hiring employees within 90 days, using a name other than your full legal name, or needing a city, county or state endorsement.
: The application processing fee is $50 to open a new business, and each city, county or state endorsement you add carries its own fee. A license carrying a state or city endorsement renews every year by the expiration date printed on it, for a $5 processing fee plus the endorsement fees. The tax registration endorsement itself stays valid for as long as you stay in business.
: You apply for the Washington business license with the Washington Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service. You can apply online or on paper.
: Washington law recognizes city and town general business licenses that all or most businesses must hold, and requires a city that requires one to issue it through the state Business Licensing Service. The Department of Revenue also takes applications for endorsements from listed cities and from counties for their unincorporated areas.
: Washington's Department of Licensing issues many professional and business licenses, such as those for architects, cosmetology, real estate and security guards. Other state agencies license other activities, and many state endorsements are issued through the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service.

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 Washington 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.

dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-licenseWashington Department of Revenue, Apply for a business license
dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license/variable-business-license-processing-feesWashington Department of Revenue, Variable business license processing fees
dor.wa.gov/open-business/business-licensing-and-renewals-faqsWashington Department of Revenue, Business Licensing and renewals FAQs
app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.02.070RCW 19.02.070, Issuance of licenses, business license application and fees
app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.02.090RCW 19.02.090, Business license expiration date
app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=458-20-101WAC 458-20-101, Tax registration and tax reporting
app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=35.90.010RCW 35.90.010, Definitions (city general business license)
app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=35.90.020RCW 35.90.020, Licensing as partnership with department
app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=35A.82.020RCW 35A.82.020, Code cities, licenses and permits
dor.wa.gov/manage-business/city-endorsementsWashington Department of Revenue, City endorsements
dor.wa.gov/manage-business/county-endorsementsWashington Department of Revenue, County endorsements
dor.wa.gov/manage-business/state-endorsementsWashington Department of Revenue, State endorsements
dol.wa.gov/professional-licensesWashington State Department of Licensing, Professional Licenses

More for Washington LLCs

Start and set up

Taxes, money and growth

Stay compliant

Operate in other states

Compare structures

By owner type

By profession

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.