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Illinois Business LicenseThe Fastest Way to Get Your Illinois Business LicenseIllinois business licenses are not easy to understand, let alone obtain. Business Licenses, LLC cuts through the clutter and helps business owners understand their Illinois business license requirements.
December 10, 2020 Update: Congratulations on opening your new business or growing your existing business in the state of Illinois. This should be an exciting time for you, but it’s important to get a business license – and quite possibly more than one – in order to operate your business legally in The Prairie State, home to over 12 million potential customers. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t call that easy. The state of Illinois may be ranked #2 among states where businesses are being created the fastest (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), but it is nevertheless a challenge for new business owners. That is especially true in the city of Chicago which, like many urban centers, has strict business license rules and a difficult application process to follow. Indeed, the rules for obtaining a business license in Illinois can appear arbitrary even to seasoned business license experts. For example, vehicular towing companies have different business license requirements depending on whether they tow for voluntary customers after a breakdown or involuntary customers who were caught trespassing. Moreover, these businesses must obtain a business license from the state if they operate in 5 specific counties. If they operate in neighboring counties, just one license at the Illinois state level will suffice. Even alcohol licenses are a unique challenge in the state of Illinois. Bar, restaurant, and pub owners typically need to apply for their liquor licenses at the local county level. This is unusual given that most states regulate their alcohol licenses from the state capital. Explore Local Business License Requirements in IllinoisExplore your local licensing authority requirements by clicking on your county in the list below. You can further drill down to your city to better understand all of your business license and permit requirements. Don't forget that if you're providing services in more than one jurisdiction in Illinois, you will need to review your business license requirements in every city/county in which you're doing business. How Many Business Licenses in Illinois Do You Need?The number of business licenses in Illinois that you will need will depend upon a number of unique factors. Within which city/county will you operate your business? What business activities will you be conducting? How heavily regulated is your industry? Etc. To put it in perspective, we ran the following queries through our own business license research tool. Here are some authentic results: • A dry-cleaning/laundry business in Chicago, IL may require up to 17 business licenses and/or permits, including a local Chicago environmental permit. To obtain this permit, a business owner may need to submit a Recycling Facility Application. The authority also has separate documents related to Environmental Permit Fees. • A plumbing business in Vernon Hills, IL may require up to 12 business licenses and/or permits, including a state-specific Illinois plumbing contractor license. Illinois requires business owners to review many documents and forms to obtain this license, including an Application for Examination for Plumbers License, a Limited Liability Plumbing Contractor Surety Bond, and a Workers' Compensation Coverage Opt-Out Form. • A construction business in Skokie, IL may require up to 15 business licenses and/or permits, including a county-specific Cook contractor license. It's never easy to obtain a contractor license and Cook county is no exception. At the very least, contractors need to submit a Contractor Registration Application. Get Your Illinois Business License RequirementsIt’s a complicated mess. Some business owners allow these confusing rules and regulations to derail their plans for opening their businesses. Business Licenses, LLC offers a more reliable way to get a business license in Illinois. Make It Easy to Understand Your Illinois Business License RequirementsThe first step in getting a business license in Illinois is understanding which licenses you need to obtain and which requirements you need to fulfill. Businesses can spend hours – or even days – just trying to understand the different levels of required regulations for their Illinois business license. Between city/town, county, and state Illinois business license requirements, plus industry requirements, there’s a lot that needs to be accounted for to get a business license in Illinois. Professional Help for Getting Business Licenses in IllinoisBeyond finding and understanding your business license requirements in Illinois, many businesses lose valuable time working on the application process itself. Business Licenses, LLC offers professional help in gathering together all of your business license requirements, filling in the paperwork, and submitting them to the proper authorities in Illinois. Our expert will speak to you directly and fill out the applications on your behalf, regardless of complexity. We will then submit your applications online – wherever possible – or send you “signature-ready" forms to sign, date, and drop in the mail. |
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