Apply For A Business License Seattle, Washington
How do I obtain a business license in Seattle?
Any business or individual that owns or operates a business within the city limits of Seattle is required to obtain a Seattle Business License for the city. You will also need to register with the State of Washington to receive a Unified Business Identifier (UBI) registration number and complete the Master Business Application.
If your business has not already done so, you will need to be in compliance with the zoning codes. Contact the Department of Planning and Development at (206) 684-8850 for more information. You must also be aware of your tax requirements.
How do I apply for a license?
The City of Seattle currently is not accepting electronic forms and so fees and applications must be either sent in the mail or delivered in person to: City of Seattle, Revenue and Consumer Affairs, 700 5th Avenue, Suite 4250, P.O. Box 34214, Seattle, WA 98124-4214. For further questions about licensing, contact the department either by phone (206) 684-8484, fax (206) 684-5170, or email rca@seattle.gov.
What is the cost of the licenses?
All fees must be paid either in the form of a check or money order and made payable to the City of Seattle. Fees are based on the total gross income of the business and/or value of current products. There are some businesses or services that require special requirements or additional fees. Please carefully review the application to see if they apply to your business.
Licenses are valid until the end of the calendar year (December 31st). If a license is issued during the final six months (after July 1st) of the year, the fee will be half of the standard rate. Here are the costs of the licenses:
- Master Business Application fee is $15 and includes the UBI number
- Seattle Business License fee is $90, plus $10 for each added location within Seattle
What information will I need to fill out the Seattle business license application?
You will need the following:
- State of Washington Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number
- FEIN number
- State of Washington Contractor number if applicable
- City of Seattle Vendor ID number if applicable
- Internet address if applicable
- Name of business and birthdates and contact information for all corporate officers, owners, and partners
- Physical address of all business locations in Seattle
- Start of business date in Seattle
- Type of business
- Description of business activity
See the official Seattle city website for more information.
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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.
