Two closed binders and a pen on a conference table, How to Start a Business in Carson City, Nevada

How to Start a Business in Carson City, Nevada

Last verified: November 5, 2026

This guide is for someone who will run a business from Carson City and wants the whole order of operations in one place: entity, state license, tax accounts, then the city. If your entity already exists and you only need the city's application packet, use Carson City Business License: Steps and Timeline instead.

Our position: finish the state side first and treat the city license as the last gate, not the first. The city's own Business License Division page says applicants must obtain a State Business License before they apply, so any time you spend on the city packet before that is wasted. For an LLC or corporation the state license is bought when you file the initial list (NRS 76.100), which makes the Secretary of State filing the real starting line.

What You Need Before You Start

Have these ready before you open the filing portal:

  • A name that is distinguishable: the Secretary of State returns articles whose name is not distinguishable from names on file or reserved (NRS 86.171).
  • A registered agent with a Nevada street address: filings under chapter 77 must state an actual street address or rural route box in Nevada (NRS 77.300).
  • Names and addresses of the organizer and the initial managers or members: NRS 86.161 asks for a residence or business address and does not limit it to Nevada (NRS 86.161).
  • The responsible party's Social Security number or ITIN: the IRS online EIN application asks for it, along with your entity type.

If you would rather hand off the filing, our comparison of Nevada LLC services covers what each one does and what it costs. The rest of this page assumes you file yourself.

Choose a Structure

The state-level cost differs by structure, so decide before you file. These are the amounts in the statutes; none of them includes any city fee.

StructureFirst year at the stateEach year afterSource
Sole proprietorshipNo entity filing; $200 state business license before you start$200 license renewalNRS 76.100 and NRS 76.130
LLC$425: $75 articles, $150 initial list, $200 license$350: $150 annual list and $200 licenseNRS 86.561 and NRS 86.263
Corporation$725 at the lowest share tier: $75 articles, $150 initial list, $500 license$650 at the lowest list tier; higher with more authorized sharesNRS 78.760 and NRS 78.150

Our recommendation: an LLC for most people who will have a lease, equipment, clients or employees, because it separates the business's debts from your own for about $150 a year more at the state level than a sole proprietor pays. A sole proprietorship is cheaper at the state level, but you carry the business's liabilities personally. A corporation makes sense mainly when you plan to issue stock to investors. For the tradeoffs, read our Nevada LLC guide.

Step-by-Step: Starting a Business in Carson City

Step 1: Check and Reserve Your Name

Search the Secretary of State's business entity search first. A reservation holds a name for 90 days and costs $25 (NRS 86.176, NRS 86.561), which is worth paying only if you cannot file right away. An LLC name must contain a designator such as LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company or Limited (NRS 86.171). Names containing "accountant" or "accounting" need the Nevada State Board of Accountancy to certify the company first. Our name search guide goes further.

Step 2: Appoint a Registered Agent

You can name yourself or another person as a noncommercial agent, or use a commercial agent; the filing states which (NRS 77.310). The appointment must come with the agent's certificate of acceptance. The state sets no price for agent service, so any annual price you see is the provider's. The state fee to change an agent later is $60 (NRS 77.280). Our registered agent guide covers the choice.

Step 3: File the Articles and the Initial List

File through the Secretary of State's online portal, SilverFlume. The articles cost $75 for an LLC. The initial list, $150, is due when you file the articles, or by an alternative due date the Secretary of State may allow (NRS 86.263). Your $200 state business license is bought at that point too. The statute caps what the office may charge for faster service at $125 for service within 24 hours, $500 within 2 hours and $1,000 within 1 hour (NRS 225.140). Those are ceilings, not a price list, and no standard turnaround is published, so confirm the current charge and timing with the office.

Step 4: Get an EIN

Apply once the entity exists, on the IRS's online EIN application. It is free and the number is issued immediately if approved; the IRS warns that sites charging for an EIN are not the IRS. Whether you need one depends on your entity type and on whether you have employees, which our Nevada EIN guide explains.

Step 5: Register for State Tax Accounts

The Department of Taxation's start and run a business page lists the sequence: EIN, then the state business license, then tax permits. Which accounts you need depends on what you do:

  • Sales and use tax permit: required of every retailer selling tangible goods that will be stored, used or consumed in Nevada (NRS 372.220). The fee is $15 per location, applied for through My Nevada Tax. The Department states a base rate of 6.85%, with local additions on top. Its published Carson City rate sheet is dated, so look up the current combined rate with the Department instead of relying on a figure from a guide.
  • Modified Business Tax: a payroll tax on employers who pay Nevada unemployment insurance. The general rate is 1.17% of quarterly wages above $50,000 (rate effective July 1, 2023), and every employer files each quarter even when nothing is due (Department of Taxation: Modified Business Tax).
  • Commerce Tax: only if your Nevada gross revenue exceeds $4,000,000 in a fiscal year (Department of Taxation: Commerce Tax); see our Commerce Tax guide.

Nevada has no state income tax on individuals (Department of Taxation: income tax in Nevada), so there is no state income tax withholding to set up for employees. Federal tax obligations are separate.

Step 6: Apply for the Carson City License

Do this last, with the state license number in hand. The next section covers what the city adds; for the forms checklist and the application walk-through, use our Carson City business license page.

What Carson City Adds to the State Steps

Everything above applies in every Nevada city. These items come from Carson City's own Business License Division page (archived copy dated August 6, 2026, because the live site blocks our server):

  • Who needs the city license: a business located in Carson City, or one that physically conducts any business activity there.
  • How it works: you email the packet to the Division, the city reviews it and emails an invoice, and the city quotes about 14 to 21 business days when the packet is complete. Inspections can add time.
  • The fee: the city points to Carson City Municipal Code 4.04.020 and we could not read the current amounts from our server. Ask the Division before you budget a figure.
  • Home-based businesses: the packet includes the city's Provisions Regulating Home Occupations form. That is separate from the state rule that excludes some very small home businesses from the state license (NRS 76.020); see our home-based business guide.
  • Assumed names: if you trade under a name other than the owners' legal names, NRS 602.010 requires a certificate with the county clerk (NRS 602.010), and the city's packet includes its own Fictitious Firm Name form. Confirm which office takes the filing and its fee. Our DBA guide explains the state rule.
  • Specialty licenses: the city asks for a copy of any state specialty license your trade needs, and gives real estate, contractor and cosmetology as examples.

The city also lists a Small Business Permit Guide. We could not read its current contents, so check it for zoning and inspection steps before you sign a lease. Contact the Business License Division at 775-887-2105 or [email protected].

The state offices that take your paperwork have Carson City addresses. The city's page lists the Secretary of State's State Business Registration Office at 401 N. Carson St., and the Department of Taxation's mailing address for paper registration and Commerce Tax payments is 3850 Arrowhead Drive, Carson City. We have not verified walk-in hours at either, so call before you drive over. Most of the work can be done online without leaving home.

What to Budget

ItemCostNotes
LLC articles of organization$75NRS 86.561
Initial list, LLC$150NRS 86.263
State business license$200; $500 for a corporationNRS 76.100; renewed yearly at the same amount
Name reservation (optional)$25 for 90 daysNRS 86.561; Secretary of State name reservation page, archived September 26, 2026
Sales tax permit$15 per locationDepartment of Taxation
Carson City business licenseSet by CCMC 4.04.020 and invoicedAmount not verified; ask the Division
Assumed name certificateSet by the countyNRS 602 sets no fee; confirm locally
Faster Secretary of State serviceCeilings of $125, $500 and $1,000NRS 225.140; a cap, not the price

After You Open

The yearly state obligations for an LLC are the $150 annual list, due by the last day of the month in which your organization anniversary falls, and the $200 license renewal, submitted with it (NRS 86.263, NRS 76.130). Missing the list puts the company in default with a $75 penalty added (NRS 86.272), and the charter is revoked on the first day of the first anniversary of the month after the filing was due (NRS 86.274). Our annual list and license renewal guide covers reinstatement.

Mistakes That Cost Time

  • Applying to the city before the state license exists. The city asks for the state license first.
  • Treating no income tax as no business tax. Sales tax, the Modified Business Tax and, above $4,000,000, the Commerce Tax can all apply.
  • Reading the expedite caps as prices. They are statutory ceilings.
  • Paying a third party for an EIN. The IRS issues it free.
  • Quoting a city fee you cannot source. Wait for the city's invoice.

Disclaimer

This article is general information about starting a business in Carson City, Nevada, not legal or tax advice. State and city rules change. Check fees and forms with the agency named in each step, and talk to a Nevada-licensed attorney or a CPA about entity and tax choices. The Nevada Small Business Development Center (nevadasbdc.org) and the SBA's Nevada district office offer free or low-cost guidance.

Sources

Keep exploring: related Nevada guides