Do I need to get a city business license for each I plan to do inspections in? I was talking to a local cpa, and he asked if I was state licensed… Yes, then asked if I got with each city in my area I plan to do inspections and get a city business license from each one. Just wondering if that sounds right to others?
No! you need a license ( Business tax) from whichever municipality your business is registered in. That is it! You do not have to register with anyone else!
Theoretically I suppose you should but you would be a fool to do so, as there are how many cities in the areas you serve. At minimum you realistically only need to have the license where your principal address of business is (home office), and even that is somewhat suspect. Most inspectors I know don’t pay it or register theirs with the city. I do, just to keep things legal beagle and avoid problems in case competitors or some angry person decides to cause issues, as the penalty for not doing it goes back since your business was started and its a few hundred a year here in St Pete as a penalty x how many years you haven’t paid it. The license itself is cheap, like $65
Ok thank you. I read something saying the place for the main address which I can deal with. Every city would be a little extreme I think.
We do the city and the county and the state.
I believe they call it a tax certificate now
For a HI, I believe you only have to register within the city (or county) that your physical business is in. As a contractor however, I have to register in every tax district there is, if I do construction work in their jurisdiction. I would just register in your city, the cost is minimal.
For the state contractor license, you have to register the license and pay each city a fee. They usually want your proof of insurance on file.
In Lee County, they vary in price from $0 at Fort Myers Beach to $25 at Sanibel.
Lee County $25
City of Fort Myers $25
City of Sanibel $25
Town of FMB $0 they just want insurance on file
Cape Coral $10
Bonita ?
They basically enforce the fee here by not issuing a permit until the fee is paid for contracting.
everyone is correct 
Except Glen 
Sorry no offense meant. You would be sort of if a contractor performing work needing permits. Not likely necessary if inspecting or consulting.
They must register in the places they intend to work. A home Inspector has a State license and does not need to pull permits. I believe that is why contractors must do it. It gets them and their info in the cities system for permit info.
Do not know if I am for sure right just my opinion
Same here.
I would not use that CPA
Not really wrong Mike, I said ‘theoretically’. Pinellas County has no county wide business tax or certificate but states on their website to check with each city to see what regulations are in place for performing work on locations within city limits, building contractor or not. Thus why I said ‘theoretically’. If someone wants to trudge all over each city hall and find out if they need a business license to inspect a house within that cities limits and possibly pay needless money to do so when nobody else does, then so be it.
Legally you are required to have a business license in each municipality you do work in. If you are not licensed and caught there may be a fine imposed that is equal to or double the license fee. Typically, one only gets a license for the place of business as you are only in an area for an inspection about 1-3 hours.
This may be true for contractors, but not for every other business (only the municipality your physical business is in). Do you have a link for that statement?
Do not have a link as we would need to list links for all city’s and/or county’s that we physically do business in. It is our responsibility to contact each area we work and question if they reciprocate or require a separate local license. We are state CERTIFIED and need a tax certificate or business license to do work in their area. It is a tax tool that they raise money. Some require and some don’t. There will be nothing on the state site.
Just busting ye ole chops 
I will pretty much bet " not 100% sure" That you will not catch any crap unless you have an office in the area complaining about you. As long as you are just looking at stuff I do not BELIEVE you need a license in that city or even to register. If anyone can prove me wrong please do and site source so i too can learn.
The above remarks was just my opinion and not to be taken as legal advice as I am not a lawyer
There that should cover my a s s 
I just learned something new I will share with you all. For absolutely no reason I tried to Bold a smiley and Nothing happened. I now assume you cannot change the appearance of a smiley by clicking bold once it is highlighted. Whoopee I learn something new everyday.
When I first started my company, I was told I needed to file with the State, get and “Occupational License”, now the tax certificate, for the County and city where my office was located.
That was directly from Broward County and Coral Springs. When I moved to Coconut Creek, I contacted the building department and they said the same thing, I needed the tax certificate from where my business was located.
For the last 20 years I have done it this way.
Contractors, electricians, etc…may be different.
Not exactly. I pay the business tax in Seminole County, where I live. To do inspections in Orange County, I have to pay a business tax there also. It is considered a mobile operation and exempts me from having to pay taxes in the individual cities. Osceola County also requires a business tax to do inspections there. Volusia County does not require you to pay a business tax unless your business is located there.
You need to call the tax office in each county you do inspections to find out how their ordinances are set up.
By the way, if you live in a city, you probably have to pay the tax in the county also.