Stack of documents with a paperweight on a leather desk pad, Washoe County Business License: Fees and How to Apply

Washoe County Business License: Fees and How to Apply

Last verified: November 5, 2026

Quick answer: Washoe County licenses businesses in the unincorporated parts of the county, not inside Reno or Sparks. The issuer is the Washoe County Business License office (Community Services Department, 1001 E. Ninth Street, Reno, 775.328.3733, [email protected], Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Apply online through OneNV.us, by mail or in person. A new business pays a fixed $77.75 for its first fiscal year, then $57.75 to $657.75 a year based on gross receipts. The license renews every year and you also need your Nevada state business license.

This page is for anyone who works, rents space or sells in places like Spanish Springs, Sun Valley, Incline Village or Lemmon Valley. If your address is inside Reno or Sparks, the city license is your main one and this county license applies only when you also work in the unincorporated area. Check the address first; it decides which fee schedule you pay under.

Which Licenses You Need: Washoe County, Reno or Sparks

Washoe County licenses business done outside the city limits of Reno and Sparks. You need the county license if your place of business, including a home office, is in unincorporated Washoe County, or if you physically come into the unincorporated area to do business (a plumber based in Reno who services a Sun Valley job, for example). The county also says a state license or a license from another city or county does not replace it (Washoe County Business License: Common Questions, July 2025).

The county lists these among its unincorporated neighborhoods: Cold Springs, Lemmon Valley, Verdi and Mogul, Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Wadsworth, Gerlach, Warm Springs, Spanish Springs, Washoe Valley, Golden Valley and Sun Valley. To check one address, use the county's jurisdiction map (Reno, Sparks or unincorporated) or call Planning and Building at 775.328.6100.

Each jurisdiction has its own license and its own fee. If you operate in more than one of the three, the county describes a multi-jurisdictional process: you apply once at the jurisdiction where your business office is, pay a combined fee, and that office notifies the other two. Some types cannot use it and must apply at each office: second-hand sales, alcohol, auctioneers, escort services, gaming, locksmiths, peddlers and ice cream trucks, towing, vehicles for hire and residential house cleaning. For the city licenses see our guides to the Reno business license and the Sparks business license.

Who Does Not Need the County License

  • Child care in a private home for six or fewer children (the state may still have its own rules)
  • Garage or yard sales under 72 hours, and no more than twice on one property in six months
  • Employees who telecommute from home for a business located elsewhere
  • Informal or seasonal work by minors, such as babysitting or mowing lawns
  • Parades and processions (these may need a Sheriff's Office permit)

The county's exemption list does not name nonprofits or federal agencies, so we do not list them as exempt. If you run a nonprofit, ask the county office before assuming you are exempt.

Washoe County Business License Fees

The fee depends on whether the business is new and on its gross receipts, meaning what the business takes in from work done in unincorporated Washoe County. Every annual fee includes a $2.75 Regional Technology Fee. The table below comes from the county's master fee schedule (effective April 20, 2018), and the county's renewal fees page still shows the same $57.75 minimum and $657.75 maximum.

ItemCostSource and notes
New business, first fiscal year$77.75 flatWashoe County Code 25.025(6)
Annual renewal, general or home-based license$57.75 to $657.75By prior-year gross receipts; see next table
Rental of commercial property or 3 or more residential units on one parcel$77.75 first year; then $57.75 if gross receipts stay under $100,000County renewal fees page
Change of business location$20 administrative feeCounty Common Questions, item 22
Garage or yard sale license, over 72 hours$65Washoe County Code 25.026
Credit card paymentConvenience fee addedSince April 22, 2024; no fee for e-check (County payment options)
Annual Gross ReceiptsAnnual License FeeSource
$25,000 or less$57.75Master Business License Fee Schedule
$25,001 to $50,000$67.75Master Business License Fee Schedule
$50,001 to $100,000$117.75Master Business License Fee Schedule
$100,001 to $300,000$142.75Master Business License Fee Schedule
$300,001 to $500,000$237.75Master Business License Fee Schedule
$500,001 to $1,000,000$347.75Master Business License Fee Schedule
$1,000,001 to $2,500,000$602.75Master Business License Fee Schedule
$2,500,001 to $5,000,000$632.75Master Business License Fee Schedule
$5,000,001 or more$657.75Master Business License Fee Schedule

Liquor and gaming licenses are different: they renew every quarter on a fee schedule of their own, covered on the county's liquor and gaming license page. Special event licenses also have separate fees.

What a New LLC Pays in Total

For a new Nevada LLC located in unincorporated Washoe County, the state minimum is $425 in year one: $75 for the articles of organization (NRS 86.561), $150 for the initial list, and $200 for the state business license (NRS 76.100). Add the county's $77.75 and the first-year government cost comes to $502.75, before any DBA filing, registered agent, special permit or expedite fee. A corporation pays the $500 state license instead of $200. This total is our arithmetic from those sources, not a figure the county publishes.

Step-by-Step: How to Get a Washoe County Business License

Step 1: Confirm the Location and the Zoning

Confirm the address is in unincorporated Washoe County and that the zoning allows your use. Zoning can bar a business outright or require approvals and improvements, so ask County Planning ([email protected] or 775.328.6100) with the property address and a short description of the business before you spend money on a lease. The county's Five Steps to License Locally page puts this first for the same reason.

Step 2: Register With the State First

The county wants proof of the state registrations before it issues a license. Form the entity first if you are using an LLC or corporation (see our Nevada LLC guide, or compare LLC formation services if you would rather hand it off). The state business license comes from the Secretary of State through the Nevada ORION business portal, which replaced SilverFlume. The Department of Taxation, not the county, handles the sales tax permit, which costs $15 per location. If you use a name other than your legal name, file a fictitious firm name certificate with the Washoe County Clerk (see our Nevada DBA guide).

Step 3: Gather the Required Documents

The county's required documents checklist lists the completed application, the DBA certificate if you have one, proof of your Nevada state business license and Department of Taxation registration, articles of incorporation and a current officer list if you are incorporated, any state or federal professional licenses, and the state industrial insurance compliance form (D-25). The D-25 is required even with no employees. Only complete applications are accepted, so assemble everything first.

Step 4: Complete the Application

Use the general and home-based business application and instructions, or create an account and apply online. For the online route, the county's OneNV help site explains how to register. If you already hold a county license but have not used the online portal, email the license office with your license number so it can link your account.

Step 5: Submit, Pay and Wait for Agency Approvals

Submit online, by mail to Washoe County Business License, 1001 E. Ninth Street, Reno, NV 89512, or in person at the same address. The county mails the license within 5 working days of review and approval, and it does not issue licenses over the counter. Storefronts and some services need sign-off from partner agencies first, for example fire officials on exits and the health department on food preparation, and that can take longer than the license office itself. For food, start with Northern Nevada Public Health.

Home-Based Businesses in Unincorporated Washoe County

A home-based license is a version of the general license, with a supplemental form and standards. The county's home-based business requirements and standards form sets these limits:

  • Space: the business may use no more than 33 percent of the home's floor area, and a garage cannot lose its use as a parking space
  • Customers: no more than three business visitors a day or at one time
  • Employees: residents plus one non-resident assistant or employee
  • Advertising: no advertising that calls attention to the home as a business, and no home address in telephone listings or ads
  • Selling from the property: no on-site sales except artist's originals and items made to order on the premises
  • Vehicles and deliveries: one business vehicle up to 8,000 pounds, and two product deliveries a week by vehicles under 16,000 pounds

The form says these types are not allowed at home: auto and equipment uses, commercial food preparation beyond what NRS 446 and the health district allow for cottage food, explosives, beauty parlors, barber shops, liquor sales, funeral services, medical and dental clinics, adult businesses, and ambulance services. A business using more than 10 percent of the home also needs Building and Safety and fire district approval. The copy we read carries a 10/14 revision mark, so confirm with the license office that it is still current. The county does not enforce HOA rules, so check your CC&Rs separately. For the statewide picture see our Nevada home-based business guide.

Renewals and Late Penalties

A county license is valid for one year from issue, and the county mails a renewal form about a month before expiry (it is still your job to renew if it does not arrive). The renewal asks for last year's gross receipts, and you pay online, by mail or in person. The penalties are set in Washoe County Code Chapter 25:

  • Renewal within 30 days after expiry: no penalty
  • 31 to 60 days after: 25 percent of the next year's fee is added
  • 61 to 90 days after: 50 percent is added
  • Opening before you hold a license, or letting one lapse and continuing: a penalty of 100 percent of the license fee, unless the delay was beyond your control

The state license is separate. Per the Secretary of State business license FAQ (Wayback Machine snapshot of October 14, 2026), it renews on the last day of your anniversary month and a late renewal carries a $100 penalty. Confirm with the Secretary of State before relying on that figure.

Checking Whether a Business Is Licensed

We could not confirm a public search tool on the county site, so we do not point you to one. To verify a vendor or contractor, call the license office at 775.328.3733 or email [email protected]. Contractors also hold a state license, which you can check with the Nevada State Contractors Board (see our contractor license guide).

What to Do After You Are Licensed

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Washoe County license if I sell only online?

Only if your business office or home is in unincorporated Washoe County, or you physically do business there. A purely online seller based in Reno or Sparks needs that city's license instead. Either way you still need the state business license if you operate in Nevada.

Can I use my Reno or Sparks license in unincorporated Washoe County?

No. The county says each jurisdiction has its own license, though the multi-jurisdictional process lets you apply for all of them at your home jurisdiction's office.

Do I need a DBA before I apply?

Yes, if you operate under any name other than your legal name or the name on your state license. The county requires the Clerk's fictitious firm name certificate before it issues a license.

Does a new owner inherit the previous owner's license?

No. A license belongs to a specific person, firm or corporation, so a buyer must apply in their own name.

What happens if I operate without a license?

The county adds a penalty of 100 percent of the license fee to your application, and Chapter 25 allows revocation and enforcement for non-compliance. We have not found a published fine schedule beyond that, so ask the license office about your case.

What This Page Does Not Cover

Reno and Sparks fees, Northern Nevada Public Health permit fees and liquor or gaming license fees are not covered here, and we have not verified them. The county fee schedule we used is dated 2018 and the Chapter 25 copy is a working copy, so confirm the fee with the license office before you send a check. For zoning, a land use attorney or County Planning can answer what we cannot; for the tax side, a Nevada CPA. The Nevada Small Business Development Center offers free counseling.

Disclaimer

This guide is informational content and is not legal, tax, or professional advice. Business licensing requirements, fees, and procedures can change, and specific requirements vary by location and business type. Before you apply for a Washoe County business license, verify current requirements and fees with the Washoe County Business License office.

Sources

Keep exploring: related Nevada guides