How to Get a Business License in Long Beach, California

October 29, 2026

If you are opening a shop, running a service company or starting a food truck in Long Beach, you will deal with two layers of paperwork. The state registers your business entity. The city issues the annual business license. California has no general statewide business license, so the license you pay for in Long Beach is the city's own business tax. This guide covers the state filings to complete first, the city's rates for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, how renewal works, and the extra rules for home-based and mobile food businesses.

Disclaimer: This guide is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your exact amount with the city before you pay, and talk to a qualified attorney or CPA if your ownership, entity or income situation is complex.

Start With the State

The Secretary of State issues no licenses or permits, and the CDTFA seller's permit is not a business license. Most Long Beach businesses complete these steps in roughly this order:

1. Register your entity with the Secretary of State. File through bizfile Online. An LLC files Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) for $70. A stock corporation files Articles of Incorporation for $100. A name reservation costs $10 and lasts 60 days, and it cannot be renewed for consecutive periods.
2. Register with the CDTFA if you sell taxable goods. The seller's permit is free. The statewide base sales tax rate is 7.25%, and district taxes push city rates to between 7.25% and 11.75%. Confirm the Long Beach rate with the CDTFA at cdtfa.ca.gov before you set prices. A resale certificate has no required form.
3. Register with the EDD if you have employees. Register with the Employment Development Department within 15 days of paying more than $100 in wages in a calendar quarter.
4. Get the license for your activity. Regulated trades go through state agencies. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) licenses construction work, and a CSLB license is required for contracting work with a total value of $1,000 or more. Other regulated professions go through Department of Consumer Affairs boards, and alcohol sales go through the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).
5. Get the Long Beach business license. Details are in the next section.

Entity Rules That Change Your Costs

If you form an LLC, budget for the $800 minimum annual franchise tax. Every LLC organized or registered in California in 2024 through 2026 owes it from its first year. The first-year exemption covered only LLCs formed from 2021 through 2023. An LLC whose first taxable year begins in 2027, 2028 or 2029 pays $400 in year one under RTC 17941(g)(2), so confirm that amount with the Franchise Tax Board. LLCs also owe an LLC fee of $900, $2,500, $6,000 or $11,790 once California-source total income reaches $250,000, $500,000, $1,000,000 or $5,000,000, respectively. A newly incorporated corporation or S corporation owes no $800 minimum in its first taxable year.

Keep two ongoing filings on your calendar. An LLC files a Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) for $20 within 90 days of filing its articles and every two years after that. A corporation files a Statement of Information (Form SI-550) for $25 within 90 days and every year after that. The Franchise Tax Board assesses a $250 penalty if the Statement of Information is missed after a Secretary of State notice. Every California LLC or corporation must also keep an agent for service of process in California, and an LLC must keep a California office. California does not allow a domestic series LLC, and an LLC cannot render a licensed professional service, so professionals form a professional corporation instead.

Doing Business Under a Different Name

If you operate under a name other than your legal entity name, you need a Fictitious Business Name Statement. File it with the county clerk-recorder for the county where your principal place of business is. Most Long Beach businesses file in Los Angeles County. File within 40 days of starting to do business, publish the statement in a newspaper once a week for four weeks, and expect it to expire after five years. The statutory fee is $10 plus $2 for each additional name or owner, but counties charge more and the newspaper publication fee is separate. Details are at the Secretary of State's fictitious business names page.

The Long Beach Business License

The city issues its license through the Financial Management Business License Division at City Hall, 411 W. Ocean Blvd. You can reach the division at [email protected] or 562-570-6211. The license is a tax measure, not a permit. It has three features that matter for budgeting:

• A flat base tax set by business type, plus a fee for each employee.
• An annual charge, with one license required for each location.
• A license that cannot be transferred to a new owner.

Every application also carries the $4 state disability access fee. The table below shows the rates effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

Business type	Base tax	Per employee fee
Contractors (construction)	$488.81	$25.36
Home-based business	$299.54	$12.66
Independent contractors	$299.54	$25.36
Manufacturing	$488.81	$12.66
Professionals	$488.81	$38.00
Recreation and entertainment	$488.81	$25.36
Retail	$488.81	$12.66
Services	$488.81	$25.36
Wholesale	$488.81	$12.66

Other Business Types on the Same Schedule

Business type	Rate
Amusement games or machines	$814.08 per machine or seat
Mobile food vendor	$615.08 per vehicle
Miscellaneous mobile	$325.64 per vehicle
Farmers market	$108.51 per stall
Vehicle for hire	$687.49 per vehicle
Vending machines	$4.93 per $1,000 of gross receipts, with a $104.40 minimum
Commercial space rental	$0.038 per square foot
Swap meet	$5,427.20 plus $3.05 per stall
Special event booth selling	$72.31 per booth per day

Worked Example

A retail shop with three employees pays the $488.81 base tax plus 3 x $12.66 in employee fees, which is $526.79. Add the $4 state disability access fee and the total is $530.79. A home-based business with no employees pays the $299.54 base tax plus the $4 fee. Ask the city how owners are counted in the employee total, because that count changes the bill.

Businesses Based Outside Long Beach

A business located outside Long Beach that works in the city can buy a shorter license. The 3-month license costs $122.10, the 6-month license costs $244.21 and the 9-month license costs $366.31. Each one adds a per employee fee of $6.33, $12.66 or $19.03, respectively.

Renewing Your Long Beach Business License

There is no renewal application. The city mails a bill about 15 days before your expiration date, and paying that bill renews the license. Your renewal date is the anniversary of your license, not a fixed calendar date, so check your license certificate for the date. Because the bill is the only reminder, make sure the city has your current mailing address.

Pay within 30 days after the due date to avoid a penalty. After that, a 25 percent penalty applies, and an additional 10 percent is added on the first day of each later month. A late renewal costs far more than the renewal itself, so calendar the payment as soon as the bill arrives.

Home-Based Business License

A home-based business pays the home-based rate of $299.54 plus $12.66 per employee. Independent contractors pay $299.54 plus $25.36 per employee. Both rates carry the $4 state disability access fee. Use the employee count from the worked example above to estimate your total, and confirm with the city how your own household members or owners are counted. Because home-based businesses also face local land use rules, check with the city's Planning staff before you sign a lease or start operating from your residence. Planning, Building and Fire review fees depend on the scope of your project.

Long Beach Mobile Food Vendor License

A mobile food vendor pays $615.08 per vehicle, plus the $4 state disability access fee. Businesses that use a vehicle for another mobile purpose pay the miscellaneous mobile rate of $325.64 per vehicle. Operators at a farmers market pay $108.51 per stall, and a booth at a special event costs $72.31 per booth per day.

Food businesses deal with the city, not Los Angeles County, for health matters. Long Beach runs its own health department, so ask the city what food permits apply to your operation before you buy a vehicle or equipment. Vending machines follow a different schedule: $4.93 per $1,000 of gross receipts, with a $104.40 minimum.

Other Costs to Plan For

• Business improvement districts. Belmont Shore, Bixby Knolls, Retro Row, Zaferia, Uptown and Magnolia Industrial collect their own fees. Check whether your address falls inside one.
• Stormwater. Some businesses need a stormwater WDID number under SB 205. Ask the city whether your operation qualifies.
• Minimum wage. Check the city's current rate with the city before you hire. The state minimum wage is $16.90 in 2026 and rises to $17.40 on January 1, 2027, but verify both figures with the state before you set payroll.

Startup Checklist

1. Choose your entity type and confirm whether it is an LLC, corporation or professional corporation.
2. Reserve your name for $10 if you need time to prepare, then file the Articles of Organization ($70) or Articles of Incorporation ($100) through bizfile Online.
3. Appoint a California agent for service of process and confirm your California office.
4. Budget the $800 franchise tax if you form an LLC, and confirm the first-year amount with the Franchise Tax Board if your first taxable year begins in 2027 through 2029.
5. File a Fictitious Business Name Statement within 40 days if you use a name other than your legal name.
6. Register with the CDTFA for a free seller's permit if you sell taxable goods, and confirm the Long Beach sales tax rate.
7. Register with the EDD within 15 days of paying more than $100 in wages in a quarter, if you have employees.
8. Obtain any state license your trade requires, such as a CSLB license for contracting work of $1,000 or more.
9. Count your employees, pick your business type from the tables, and pay the Long Beach license bill before the due date.
10. Calendar your Statement of Information deadline and your license renewal anniversary.

Long Beach business licensing is straightforward once you know the state steps and the city's rate schedule. For complex ownership, tax or land use questions, consult a qualified attorney or CPA before you commit to a structure or a location.