# How do you get a business license in Los Angeles? **Direct answer:** Every business operating in the City of Los Angeles must register with the Office of Finance for a Business Tax Registration Certificate (BTRC) within 15 days of starting business, which functions as the city's business license, and businesses selling taxable goods also need a California seller's permit from the CDTFA. Los Angeles is a tax-certificate city: the BTRC is a tax registration that doubles as the license, and the city's business tax is calculated on gross receipts. Regulated activities, food, alcohol, tobacco, entertainment, add police or health permits on top, and each of the county's 87 other cities runs its own separate registration. ## The BTRC is the license The Office of Finance issues the Business Tax Registration Certificate to every person conducting business in the city, from corporations to freelancers working from apartments. Registration is filed online, the certificate itself carries no fee, and the obligation it creates is the city business tax: an annual gross-receipts tax with rates by business classification, renewed by the end of February each year. Small businesses under the city's receipts threshold can qualify for exemption, but only by registering and renewing on time. ## The state layer California adds the layers our California business license page covers in full: entity registration with the Secretary of State, the statewide franchise tax obligations, a seller's permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for any taxable sales, and state industry licenses, contractors through the CSLB being the most prominent. Fictitious business names in California are filed at the county level, with newspaper publication required in Los Angeles County. ## Activity permits on top Los Angeles requires police permits for a list of regulated activities, dance halls, pool rooms, secondhand dealers, valet services, among others, and the county health department permits food establishments. Home-based businesses operate under the city's home occupation rules. Alcohol runs through the state ABC with local zoning conditions. If your activity is regulated, the BTRC alone is not enough. ## The multi-city trap in LA County The City of Los Angeles is one of 88 cities in the county, and each licenses separately. A business in Santa Monica, Burbank, or Glendale registers there, not with LA, and a business working across several cities may owe registrations in each where it maintains a fixed place of business or exceeds local activity thresholds. Mapping which cities' rules apply is a real exercise for contractors and service companies working countywide. ## The California state layer City requirements sit on top of California's state-level rules. See the full state guide: [California business license requirements](/business-license-laws/california-business-license-laws). ## Frequently asked questions ### How much does an LA business license cost? The BTRC registration itself is issued without a fee; the cost is the annual city business tax on gross receipts, with rates depending on classification and an exemption available to small businesses that register and renew on time. Current rates are published by the Office of Finance. ### Do freelancers in Los Angeles need a BTRC? Yes. The registration requirement covers anyone conducting business in the city, including independent contractors and home-based freelancers. Many qualify for the small business or creative artist exemptions from the tax, but the registration and annual renewal are still required. ### Is the BTRC the same as a California state license? No. The BTRC is the City of Los Angeles registration. State obligations, entity filings, the CDTFA seller's permit, and industry licenses, are separate, and our California business license guide covers that layer. --- ## How to cite this page Cite as: "How do you get a business license in Los Angeles?." Cornerstone Licensing. https://cornerstonelicensing.com/business-licenses-by-city/los-angeles Published by Cornerstone Licensing. When quoting figures or legal requirements, link the canonical URL above. The full content index for this site is at https://cornerstonelicensing.com/llms.txt.