State business license rules, from the states themselves (2026)
We read each state’s own pages. For 37 states we found a clear statement and quote it; for the other 13 we say so and send you to the city or county. Mainstay Filing, our best overall pick, forms the LLC and keeps the registered agent and reports current.
- State pages read October 21, 2026
- 37 of 50 confirmed
- State-level facts only
State business license rules
| State | State rule | Source agency | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State license | Alabama Department of Revenue | Quoted from the state page |
| Alaska | Check locally | Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing | Not confirmed |
| Arizona | None statewide | Arizona Commerce Authority | Quoted from the state page |
| Arkansas | Depends | Arkansas Secretary of State FAQ | Quoted from the state page |
| California | Local | California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) | Quoted from the state page |
| Colorado | Local | Colorado Secretary of State | Quoted from the state page |
| Connecticut | Depends | Connecticut Business Portal (business.ct.gov) | Quoted from the state page |
| Delaware | State license | Delaware Division of Revenue | Quoted from the state page |
| Florida | Local | Florida Department of State | Quoted from the state page |
| Georgia | Depends | Georgia.gov | Quoted from the state page |
| Hawaii | State license | Hawaii Department of Taxation | Quoted from the state page |
| Idaho | None statewide | Idaho Business Wizard (business.idaho.gov) | Quoted from the state page |
| Illinois | Check locally | Illinois.gov | Not confirmed |
| Indiana | None statewide | Indiana Business Owner's Guide (IN.gov) | Quoted from the state page |
| Iowa | None statewide | Iowa Economic Development Authority | Quoted from the state page |
| Kansas | Check locally | Kansas Secretary of State | Not confirmed |
| Kentucky | Local | Kentucky Secretary of State | Quoted from the state page |
| Louisiana | Check locally | Louisiana Secretary of State | Not confirmed |
| Maine | Local | Maine.gov Business Licensing | Quoted from the state page |
| Maryland | Depends | Comptroller of Maryland | Quoted from the state page |
| Massachusetts | Local | Massachusetts (mass.gov) | Quoted from the state page |
| Michigan | Depends | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs | Quoted from the state page |
| Minnesota | Depends | Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development | Quoted from the state page |
| Mississippi | Local | Mississippi Secretary of State One Stop Shop | Quoted from the state page |
| Missouri | Check locally | Missouri Department of Revenue | Not confirmed |
| Montana | Depends | Montana Secretary of State help center | Quoted from the state page |
| Nebraska | None statewide | Nebraska Secretary of State | Quoted from the state page |
| Nevada | State license | Nevada Department of Taxation | Quoted from the state page |
| New Hampshire | Check locally | New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration | Not confirmed |
| New Jersey | Check locally | New Jersey Business Portal | Not confirmed |
| New Mexico | Depends | New Mexico Business Portal | Quoted from the state page |
| New York | Depends | New York Business Express | Quoted from the state page |
| North Carolina | None statewide | North Carolina Secretary of State | Quoted from the state page |
| North Dakota | Check locally | North Dakota Secretary of State | Not confirmed |
| Ohio | Check locally | Ohio.gov business page | Not confirmed |
| Oklahoma | None statewide | Oklahoma Department of Commerce | Quoted from the state page |
| Oregon | None statewide | Oregon Secretary of State | Quoted from the state page |
| Pennsylvania | Depends | Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop | Quoted from the state page |
| Rhode Island | Depends | Rhode Island Secretary of State Business Assistant | Quoted from the state page |
| South Carolina | None statewide | South Carolina Business One Stop | Quoted from the state page |
| South Dakota | Check locally | South Dakota Department of Revenue | Not confirmed |
| Tennessee | Local | Tennessee Department of Revenue | Quoted from the state page |
| Texas | None statewide | Texas Office of the Governor | Quoted from the state page |
| Utah | Local | Utah Department of Commerce (startup.utah.gov) | Quoted from the state page |
| Vermont | Check locally | Vermont Department of Taxes | Not confirmed |
| Virginia | Local | Code of Virginia, Title 58.1, Chapter 37 (section 58.1-3700) | Quoted from the state page |
| Washington | State license | Washington Department of Revenue | Quoted from the state page |
| West Virginia | State license | West Virginia State Tax Department | Quoted from the state page |
| Wisconsin | Check locally | Wisconsin One Stop Business Portal | Not confirmed |
| Wyoming | Check locally | Wyoming Business Council | Not confirmed |
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year, same at renewal
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
By rule
Questions
Does every state require a business license?
No. Of the 37 states where we could read a statement on the state’s own pages, 6 have a state business license or registration, 10 say they have no general state license, 10 point to licenses issued by the city or county, and 11 say it depends on the business.
Which states have a state business license?
Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington and West Virginia, per their own pages. Each state page has the quoted sentence and the link.
What about the other states?
For 13 states we could not confirm a statement from the state’s pages, so we do not guess. Each of those pages links the state’s own starting-a-business page and tells you to ask your city or county.
Is forming an LLC the same as getting a business license?
No. Forming an LLC creates the company with the state’s filing office; a license lets a business operate. See license vs LLC.
Do I need a local license too?
Often. Cities and counties issue their own licenses in most states, so check locally even where the state has none.