What are the local licensing requirements in Illinois?

By visiting the local city and/or county website, you will be able to find what local licensing, permits, and regulations are necessary. Most cities within Illinois do require a general business license issued by the city/county where you are doing business. Some businesses however, do not need one. Some businesses may need an occupations licensing from the Zoning Division if operating their business from their homes within city limits.

CLICK THE LINK TO YOUR CITY BELOW TO APPLY FOR A BUSINESS LICENSE

Arlington Heights	Aurora	Berwyn
Bloomington	Bolingbrook	Champaign
Chicago	Town of Cicero	Decatur
Des Plaines	Evanston	Mount Prospect
Oak Lawn	Oak Park	Orland Park
Palatine	Peoria	Rockford
Schaumburg	Skokie	Springfield
Waukegan

Do I need to register my business in Illinois?

The State of Illinois requires most businesses to register with the State. For example, to form a corporation, LLC, or limited partnership you must register with the State. However, even if you are a sole proprietorship or general partnership, you must register your business with the city or county if you operate under a name different than the name of the owners of the company.

What licenses may be required by the state?

Some licenses and permits may be:

Illinois Department of Labor license or permits (child labor work permits, Farm Labor Certificates, Street Trades Certificate of Registration, etc.)

Licenses and regulations by profession: you can visit the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation website at www.idfpr.com for a list of professions

Liquor licensing

What type of information will be needed or asked for on the license application?

Generally, you will be asked the following:

Name of business

Do you have employees? How many?

Legal status (Individual, Sole Proprietor, Corporation, etc.)

Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN)

List of goods and/or services provided or sold

Date business was established

Address of business

Name and address of owners/operators

Is the business a wholesale, retail/service, construction business, manufacturing business

Disclaimer: This site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial or tax advise. The information on this site should not be relied upon as an official source of information and should be independently verified.