Las Vegas Business License: How to Apply, Step by Step

September 25, 2026

Last verified: November 5, 2026

Which business license you need in the Las Vegas area depends on where your address sits, not on what the mailing address says. The City of Las Vegas licenses only businesses inside its own limits, and a large part of the valley with a Las Vegas mailing address is unincorporated Clark County, which the county licenses. This page is for businesses inside the city: it shows how to check that first, then the city application in the order the city asks for it. For the whole startup sequence for a business in the city, with the state filings first, see how to start a business in Las Vegas; this page covers only the City of Las Vegas license application.

Issuing office: the city, not the county: the Business Licensing Division of the Department of Community Development, City Hall, 495 S. Main St., first floor. In-person hours are Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays (city apply and manage page).
How to apply: online for General business licenses. Privilege business licenses are not online yet and are filed by appointment at 702-229-1840 (city application steps).
Fee: set by the city and dependent on your license category. We could not read the city's fee schedule from our server, so this page lists no city fee. Get the amount from the city before you apply (702-229-6281).
Timeline: the city says a license technician emails you within 5 business days of an online application and that a license is issued within 30 days of applying, usually sooner.
Bring: your Nevada State Business License and tax ID paperwork, plus an EIN and a Clark County fictitious firm name certificate if they apply to you.
Contact: 702-229-6281 or [email protected] (city guide PDF).

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Check Whether Your Address Is Inside the City

Do this before anything else, because every other step depends on it. Southern Nevada has six licensing jurisdictions: Clark County, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City and Mesquite. The primary location of your business decides where you file, and a Las Vegas mailing address does not prove the property is in the city (Clark County Department of Business License guide).

Use the Clark County jurisdiction locator or the city's "Am I in Las Vegas?" map. If the answer is unincorporated Clark County, follow our Clark County business license guide. For Henderson or North Las Vegas, use our Henderson or North Las Vegas guide. If you are based in one jurisdiction but work in others, the city says you may need a license from each, starting with your primary one.

What the City License Is and What It Is Not

The City of Las Vegas business license lets you operate inside city limits. It does not replace the Nevada State Business License, which the Secretary of State issues and which costs $200, or $500 for a corporation (NRS 76.100). The city's own application steps put the state license and Department of Taxation registration ahead of the city application, so plan to have both in hand.

Item	Cost	Source
Nevada State Business License (Secretary of State)	$200; $500 for a corporation	Nevada Legislature: NRS 76.100
Sales and use tax permit (Department of Taxation)	$15 per location	Department of Taxation: start and run a business
Fictitious firm name certificate (Clark County Clerk)	$25 new or renewal	Clark County Clerk: fees
EIN (IRS)	Free	IRS: Employer Identification Number
City of Las Vegas business license	Varies by category; confirm with the city	City of Las Vegas: business licenses
Health permit, if your business needs one	Confirm with the health district	Southern Nevada Health District

Step-by-Step: How to Get a City of Las Vegas Business License

Step 1: Confirm the Address Is in the City

Run the address through the jurisdiction locator above and keep a note of the result. The city's guide says that if the proposed location is in another jurisdiction, you contact that jurisdiction instead.

Step 2: Check Zoning and Building Compliance Before You Sign a Lease

The city tells applicants to confirm that zoning allows the business activity and that the building is code compliant before they finalize a lease or buy a building. Contact the city's Planning and Zoning office, and ask Building and Safety to check that the Certificate of Occupancy covers your use. The city adds that a previous tenant's approval does not guarantee yours, and that businesses that commonly have 50 or more occupants at one time are usually treated as places of public assembly (city application steps).

Step 3: Get Your State Business License and Tax ID

Register the business with the Nevada Secretary of State and obtain the State Business License, then register with the Department of Taxation through My Nevada Tax. Our Nevada business license guide covers the state side. You can file yourself or use a formation service; see our comparison of Nevada LLC services. Keep the documents, because the city asks for them in Step 5.

Step 4: Register a Fictitious Firm Name and Get an EIN

If you operate under a name other than your legal name, the city's guide sends you to the Clark County Clerk for a fictitious firm name certificate; our Nevada DBA guide explains it. The certificate registers the name but does not make it unique or reserve it. Get an EIN from the IRS, where it is free.

Step 5: Apply for the City License

Have your state documents ready, then use the city's online portal for a General business license. Privilege business licenses cannot be filed online yet: call 702-229-1840 to book an appointment, and review the city's requirements, checklists and forms for them first. After an online submission, expect an email from a license technician within 5 business days. The city says it issues licenses within 30 days of applying, and usually much sooner. You can look up an existing license with the city's online license search.

Step 6: Add a Health Permit if Your Business Needs One

The city's step-by-step flyer lists a health permit, if applicable, between the tax registration and the city application. The Southern Nevada Health District issues those permits, and our industry guides cover the rules for each business type.

Home-Based Businesses Inside the City

Working from home in the city means a Home Occupation Permit under the city's zoning code, and the operational standards are tighter than most people expect. These points come from LVMC 19.16.180(G)(1) as the city publishes it (City of Las Vegas: home occupation operational standards (PDF)):

Only the people who live in the dwelling may work in the business, and no employees may report to the property or be dispatched from it.
Customers or clients may not come to the property, except for a cottage food operation, which may have no more than two customers on the property at a time.
No sign or advertising may give the property's address or show that a home occupation exists there.
Only one vehicle of one-ton capacity or less may be used, and at least two on-site parking spaces must remain.
Barber shops and beauty parlors, vehicle repair or painting, commercial food preparation for service on the premises, and weapons or explosives businesses are not allowed as home occupations.

If your plan needs client visits, a hired helper or a shop sign, it will not fit this permit, so look at commercial space before you sign anything. For the state-level view, read our Nevada home-based business guide.

Mistakes That Delay a Las Vegas License

Applying in the wrong jurisdiction: a Las Vegas mailing address can be in unincorporated Clark County, so check the locator first.
Signing the lease first: the city asks you to confirm zoning and the Certificate of Occupancy before you finalize a lease or purchase.
Skipping the state steps: the city's process puts the State Business License and tax registration ahead of its own application.
Using the online form for a Privilege license: the online application is for General licenses only.

Where This Page Stops

This page covers the general city license path. Short-term rentals, food vending, street performing and similar activities have their own city programs, which the city lists on its business licenses page. We could not verify a city fee schedule, so ask the Business Licensing Division for the exact amount instead of relying on a number from a third-party site. For questions about entity choice or tax treatment, see a Nevada business attorney or CPA.

Next Steps

Once the city license is issued, register for sales tax if you will sell taxable goods or services. The Department of Taxation gives 6.85% as the base state rate, and local rates can add to it, so check the rate for your location (Department of Taxation: sales and use tax publications). Our Nevada business taxes guide covers the rest. For the statewide formation steps from a Las Vegas angle, see how to start a business in Las Vegas.

Disclaimer

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees, forms and procedures change, so confirm them with the City of Las Vegas Business Licensing Division, the Nevada Secretary of State and the Nevada Department of Taxation before you file.