Do I need a license if I only sell services in Ohio?

It depends on the service. Many professional services are exempt from sales tax and need no vendor's license, but regulated occupations require a state professional license, and some services are taxable and do require a vendor's license.

Does an Ohio LLC need a business license?

Forming an LLC is separate from licensing. You file Articles of Organization (Form 610, $99) with the Ohio Secretary of State to create the LLC, then obtain any vendor's license, professional license, and local permits your specific activity requires.

Business License in Ohio: Requirements & Cost (2026)

Q: Where do I get an Ohio vendor's license?

You obtain a regular vendor's license from the county auditor in the county where your fixed place of business is located, or apply online through the Ohio Business Gateway. Transient vendor's licenses are issued by the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Fact-checked by the LegalGlass editorial team against primary sources · Published Aug 6, 2026 · Last updated Aug 6, 2026

Ohio has no single, statewide general business license. Instead, most businesses that sell taxable goods or services must obtain a vendor's license, which costs $25 under Ohio Revised Code section 5739.17, plus any professional and local permits their specific activity requires. If you operate as an LLC, licensing is separate from forming the entity, which you do by filing Articles of Organization (Form 610, $99) with the Ohio Secretary of State.

Quick Answer

General state license: None - Ohio has no single business license
Most common permit: Vendor's license - $25 (ORC 5739.17)
Sales tax agency: Ohio Department of Taxation / county auditor
State sales tax rate: 5.75% state, plus local rates
Professional licenses: By occupation via Ohio eLicense and state boards
LLC formation: Separate - Form 610 ($99), Ohio Secretary of State

Does Ohio Require a General Business License?

Ohio does not have a single, statewide general business license that every company must hold to operate. There is no "Ohio business license" document you apply for at one agency. Instead, the licensing question is answered by what your business does: whether it sells taxable goods or services, whether it works in a regulated profession, and which city or county it operates in. Most small businesses in Ohio need at least a vendor's license for sales tax, and many need nothing more at the state level.

This is different from forming a legal entity. Creating an LLC or corporation is a filing with the Ohio Secretary of State and does not, by itself, license you to do business. If you plan to operate through an LLC, start with how to form an LLC in Ohio, then work through the licenses below. For the national overview of how licensing works across states, see the business license hub and the broader business licenses guide.

The Ohio Vendor's License (Sales Tax Registration)

The most common license Ohio businesses need is a vendor's license. Under Ohio Revised Code section 5739.17, any person or business making retail sales of tangible personal property or taxable services in Ohio must obtain a vendor's license before making those sales. The license authorizes you to collect Ohio sales tax from customers and remit it to the state. The state sales tax rate is 5.75%, and counties and transit authorities add local rates on top, so the combined rate you charge depends on where the sale occurs.

A regular vendor's license is tied to a fixed place of business and costs $25. If you have more than one fixed location, each location needs its own regular vendor's license. Businesses that sell at temporary locations across the state - for example, at fairs, festivals, or job sites - generally use a transient vendor's license, also $25, issued by the Ohio Department of Taxation. Service providers whose services are not taxable, and businesses that sell only exempt items, generally do not need a vendor's license, but you should confirm your specific goods or services against the Department of Taxation's sales-and-use tax guidance. Once licensed, you file periodic sales tax returns through the Ohio vendor's license account you set up.

How to Register: Ohio Business Gateway and County Auditor

There are two main routes to a vendor's license. For a regular (fixed-location) vendor's license, you can apply through the county auditor in the county where your business is located, or apply online through the Ohio Business Gateway, the state's central portal for business tax registration and filing. Transient vendor's licenses and seller's use tax accounts are handled by the Ohio Department of Taxation, also through the Gateway.

To register, you generally need your legal business name and any trade name, your federal EIN (or Social Security number for a sole proprietor), your NAICS business activity code, and the address of each location. After you receive your vendor's license number, you must file sales tax returns on the schedule the Department assigns, even for periods with no sales. Keeping the account current avoids the assessments and penalties described later on this page. If you are still deciding on a structure, compare a sole proprietorship vs. an LLC first.

Ohio Business License and Registration Fees (2026)

The table below lists the state fees a typical new Ohio business encounters. Amounts are effective for 2026 and are set by statute or by the relevant state agency, not by any filing service. Local license and professional board fees vary and are set by each city, county, or board.

Item	Agency	Fee (2026)
Regular vendor's license (per fixed location)	County auditor / Dept. of Taxation	$25
Transient vendor's license	Ohio Department of Taxation	$25
Articles of Organization - create an LLC (Form 610)	Secretary of State	$99
Trade name / fictitious name registration (Form 534A)	Secretary of State	$39
Federal EIN	IRS	$0 (free)
Professional / occupational license	State board via Ohio eLicense	Varies by profession
Local business permits (zoning, health, etc.)	City or county	Varies by locality

Note that Ohio charges no state annual report fee for LLCs and corporations, so there is no recurring state renewal cost for the entity itself - a point covered in detail on the Ohio annual report page and the Ohio LLC cost breakdown.

Professional and Occupational Licenses

Many occupations in Ohio are regulated and require a state professional license before you may practice, regardless of the vendor's license. These are administered by dozens of state boards and commissions - for example, cosmetology, construction trades, real estate, accountancy, health care, and food service. Ohio consolidates many of these under the Ohio eLicense system, and other trades license through their own boards.

Whether you need a professional license depends entirely on your field, not on your entity type. A single-member LLC providing regulated services needs the same professional license the owner would need as an individual. Because requirements and fees are set by each board, confirm your specific occupation directly with its licensing authority before you start operating. If your work involves a regulated profession, you may also form a professional entity; see Ohio operating agreements for how ownership and management rules interact, and single-member LLC basics.

Local City and County Licenses

Beyond state requirements, Ohio cities and counties impose their own permits. Common local requirements include zoning approval or a certificate of occupancy for your location, a health department permit for food establishments, building and signage permits, and, in some municipalities, a local business registration or regulatory permit for specific activities such as peddling, short-term rentals, or alarm systems. Home-based businesses should check local zoning rules even when no state license applies.

Because Ohio is a home-rule state, these local rules vary widely from one municipality to the next. There is no substitute for checking with your city or county directly. Contact the local government where you will operate, describe your activity, and ask which permits apply. A business that is fully compliant at the state level can still be shut down for missing a local permit. If you operate under a name other than your legal entity name, you may also need a DBA.

Related State Registrations: Entity, EIN, and Taxes

Licensing usually sits alongside a few other registrations. If you operate through an LLC or corporation, you first form the entity with the Ohio Secretary of State - the LLC document is the Articles of Organization (Form 610), and the Secretary of State fee is $99. Every Ohio LLC must also name a statutory agent in Ohio to receive legal process. You then obtain a federal EIN from the IRS, which is free, to open a bank account and handle payroll and taxes.

On the tax side, in addition to the vendor's license for sales tax, larger businesses may owe the Ohio Commercial Activity Tax (CAT), a gross-receipts tax under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5751. For 2025 and later years, only businesses with more than $6 million in taxable gross receipts are subject to the CAT, so most small businesses are excluded. How your LLC's income is taxed federally and by Ohio is covered on Ohio LLC tax filing. For federal default classification, see the IRS guidance on LLCs and the check-the-box rules.

Penalties for Operating Without a Required License

Operating without a required license or permit carries real consequences in Ohio. If you make taxable sales without a vendor's license, the Department of Taxation can assess the sales tax you should have collected, plus penalties and interest, and can pursue collection against the business and, in some cases, responsible individuals. Making taxable retail sales without a vendor's license is itself a violation of the sales tax law.

Practicing a regulated profession without the required license can lead to cease-and-desist orders, fines, and in some fields criminal charges. At the local level, operating without a zoning, health, or building permit can result in citations, fines, and orders to close until you comply. Because these enforcement paths are independent, being registered with the Secretary of State does not shield you from tax or licensing penalties. The safest approach is to confirm every applicable license - vendor's, professional, and local - before your first sale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ohio require a general business license?

No. Ohio does not issue a single statewide general business license. Most sellers of taxable goods or services need a vendor's license instead, and specific industries and localities require their own licenses and permits.

How much does an Ohio vendor's license cost?

A regular vendor's license costs $25 under Ohio Revised Code section 5739.17. Transient vendor's licenses also cost $25. There is no separate annual renewal fee for the license itself.

Where do I get an Ohio vendor's license?

Get a regular vendor's license from the county auditor where your business is located, or apply through the Ohio Business Gateway. Transient vendor's licenses come from the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Do I need a license if I only sell services?

It depends. Many services are not subject to Ohio sales tax and need no vendor's license, but regulated professions require a state license, and some services are taxable and do require a vendor's license.

Does an Ohio LLC automatically have a business license?

No. Forming an LLC (Form 610, $99) with the Secretary of State creates the entity but does not license it. You still obtain any vendor's license, professional license, and local permits your activity requires.

Sources

Ohio Secretary of State - Businesses (entity formation, forms).
Ohio Secretary of State - Filing Forms & Fee Schedule (Form 610 $99; Form 534A $39).
Ohio Secretary of State - Form 610, Articles of Organization (PDF).
Ohio Department of Taxation - Sales & Use Tax (5.75% state rate; taxable sales).
Ohio Department of Taxation - Sales & Use Tax Registration (vendor's license types).
Ohio Revised Code - Section 5739.17, Vendor's License ($25 fee).
Ohio Revised Code - Section 5739.02, Levy of Sales Tax (5.75% state rate).
Ohio Revised Code - Section 5739.01, Sales Tax Definitions (taxable services).
Ohio Revised Code - Chapter 5751, Commercial Activity Tax.
Ohio Department of Taxation - Commercial Activity Tax ($6 million exclusion for 2025+).
Ohio Revised Code - Section 1706.16, Articles of Organization.
Ohio eLicense - Professional Licensing Portal.
IRS - Employer Identification Numbers (free EIN).
IRS - Limited Liability Company (LLC) (federal classification).
Cornell LII - 26 CFR 301.7701-3, Entity Classification.

LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws, fees, and license requirements change; verify current requirements with the Ohio Secretary of State, the Ohio Department of Taxation, and your local government before acting.