Getting a Business Permit in Pennsylvania
After forming your company, you may need a permit, license, or special registration before you can legally conduct business in PA. Here’s what to know:
Do I need a Pennsylvania business permit?
Pennsylvania does not issue a generic, state-wide business permit—but that doesn’t mean your business won’t need a special registration at the county, city, borough or township level. To see if your type of business requires additional registrations, permits or zoning, check with the Pennsylvania Municipal Statistics Contact Search. You can also contact the Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop directly for more complicated questions, or nuanced scenarios.
How do I get a Pennsylvania business permit?
Since Pennsylvania doesn’t issue permits at the state level, there isn’t a single form or procedure for obtaining a business permit through the Pennsylvania Department of State. Instead, you’ll have to check with your local county, city, township or borough to see what permits might apply to your business.
Is a business permit the same as a license in PA?
Pennsylvania business licenses are different from permits or special registrations, in that they apply specifically to professional services (and thus Professional LLCs). Such occupations include:
- chiropractic
- dentistry
- law
- medicine and surgery
- optometry
- osteopathic medicine and surgery
- podiatric medicine
- public accounting
- psychology
- veterinary medicine
Professional business licenses can be obtained through the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS).
How do I register my Pennsylvania business?
Registering a business in Pennsylvania is not a straight-forward process, since it really depends on what type of business you operate. That said, the PA Department of State offers a Basic Business Registration Overview that covers everything you need to be aware of to make sure you’ve covered all your bases. In addition to checking for local business permits and professional licenses, this can include registering a Fictitious Name (aka DBA) and/or registering with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue using PA’s online portal: Online PA-100.
If this all seems very confusing, fret not. Pennsylvania offers a personalized Registration Checklist service to help streamline and personalize the registration process for your business.
