Business Licenses and Permits Checklist for a New Service Company

Requirements vary by state, city, county, and trade, and they change — this is a general checklist, not legal advice. Verify each item with the relevant authority.

Why this matters up front

Getting legal isn’t bureaucracy for its own sake — the right registrations let you open a business bank account, build business credit, pull permits, get insured and bonded, and win commercial work. Doing it properly from day one avoids painful catch-up later (business credit).

The checklist

1. Business formation & registration

• Choose and register your entity (LLC, corporation, etc.) with the state (LLC vs S-Corp).
• Get a federal EIN from the IRS.
• Register your business name / DBA if needed.
• Register with your state tax authority.

2. General operating licenses

• General business license (city/county/state, depending on location).
• Local operating permits for your municipality.
• Home occupation permit if you run it from home.

3. Trade & contractor licensing

• Contractor/trade license for your specific trade and state (licensing by state).
• Any specialty certifications your trade requires.

4. Tax registrations

• Sales tax permit if you must collect sales tax (sales tax on services).
• Employer registrations if you have staff (state withholding, unemployment).

5. Insurance & bonding

• General liability insurance (general liability).
• Workers’ comp if you have employees (workers’ comp).
• Commercial auto for your vehicles (commercial auto).
• Surety bond if required for your license (surety bonds).

6. Job-specific permits

• Building/trade permits pulled per job as the work requires — an ongoing, not one-time, item.

How to work through it

1. Start with entity + EIN + bank account — the foundation everything else builds on.
2. Check state, then local requirements — both layers matter.
3. Line up insurance and bonding alongside your trade license.
4. Keep a renewal calendar — most of these expire and must be renewed.
5. Keep clean records from day one (chart of accounts).

Legitimate on paper, trusted in public

Being properly licensed and insured makes you legitimate; reviews make you the obvious choice. Once the paperwork’s handled, your reputation is what actually wins the jobs. Tailwind builds that reputation automatically from your very first completed job — see how it works.

Get legal, then get busy. See how Tailwind works.