Starting a Business in Wilmington: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist
A step-by-step plan to open a business in Wilmington: what to file first, what depends on what, and which permits come before opening day. Change the business details to fit yours.
Permits and registrations specific to Wilmington, DE
- County/city business license — Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware · County or municipality: Wilmington / New Castle County (city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Wilmington · Wilmington (New Castle County) building department (city)
- Obtain a City of Wilmington business license · City of Wilmington Finance Department, Wage and Business License Division (city)
- Form the business: Delaware Division of Corporations
- Register for state taxes: Delaware Division of Revenue
- Register as an employer: Delaware Department of Labor
Startup sequence and prerequisites in Wilmington
Based on your selections, this plan has 12 steps. What you file first decides what you can do next: later registrations and licenses wait on the ones below.
Do these first
- Maintain a registered agent in Delaware
- File formation documents with the Delaware Division of Corporations
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Then, once those are done
- Register for and file Delaware entity-level taxes — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Notify residents and regulators of a data breach within 60 days (Delaware) — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Delaware business license and gross receipts tax — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- County/city business license — Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Wilmington — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Obtain a City of Wilmington business license — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Known charges: $475.00 per year.
Total incomplete: some fees unknown
10 of 12 steps have no fee amount in our data. The figures above count only the 2 steps with a recorded fee. Check each agency's fee schedule.
Common questions about Wilmington
The state licenses your industry through its own regulator, and the city and county add local permits. These are the authorities and local items on record for Wilmington:
- Contractor licensing: Delaware Division of Revenue (contractor business license)
- Real estate licensing: Delaware Real Estate Commission
- Alcohol licensing: Delaware Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner
- Child care licensing: Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
- Health facility licensing: Delaware Division of Health Care Quality
- County/city business license — Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware (County or municipality: Wilmington / New Castle County, city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Wilmington (Wilmington (New Castle County) building department, city)
- Obtain a City of Wilmington business license (City of Wilmington Finance Department, Wage and Business License Division, city)
With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: Delaware business license and gross receipts tax; County/city business license — Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Wilmington; Obtain a City of Wilmington business license. Change the industry above to see yours.
Sources: corp.delaware.gov, revenue.delaware.gov, labor.delaware.gov
Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:
- Maintain a registered agent in Delaware
- File formation documents with the Delaware Division of Corporations
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Sources: corp.delaware.gov, revenue.delaware.gov
Known government fees for your plan: $0.00 one-time and $475.00 per year.
Steps without a recorded fee are not counted, so check each agency's fee schedule before you budget.
Sources: corp.delaware.gov, revenue.delaware.gov
In your plan for Wilmington, requirements come from four levels. Delaware sets formation, state taxes and employer rules; the city and county add local licenses and taxes.
- Federal (2): Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN); File federal income tax return: Form 1040 with Schedule C
- State (6): Maintain a registered agent in Delaware; Pay LLC annual tax (Delaware); Register for and file Delaware entity-level taxes; Delaware business license and gross receipts tax…
- City (3): County/city business license — Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Wilmington; Obtain a City of Wilmington business license
Sources: corp.delaware.gov, revenue.delaware.gov
- Register for unemployment insurance with Delaware Department of Labor.
- Workers' compensation: Delaware Office of Workers' Compensation. Required when: 1 employee
- Delaware Paid Family and Medical Leave contributions: applies from 10 employees.
- Register to withhold Delaware income tax from wages.
Sources: labor.delaware.gov, labor.delaware.gov, revenue.delaware.gov