Starting a Business in St. Petersburg: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist
A step-by-step plan to open a business in St. Petersburg: 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 St. Petersburg, FL
- County and city Local Business Tax Receipt — St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida · County tax collector and city: St. Petersburg / Pinellas County (city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in St. Petersburg · St. Petersburg (Pinellas County) building department (city)
- Renew St. Petersburg business tax receipt · City of St. Petersburg Business Tax Division (city)
- File Pinellas County business personal property return · Pinellas County Property Appraiser (county)
- Form the business: Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)
- Register for state taxes: Florida Department of Revenue
- Register as an employer: Florida Department of Revenue (Reemployment Tax)
Startup sequence and prerequisites in St. Petersburg
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 Florida
- File formation documents with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Then, once those are done
- Register for and file Florida entity-level taxes — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Notify residents and regulators of a data breach within 30 days (Florida) — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- County and city Local Business Tax Receipt — St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in St. Petersburg — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Renew St. Petersburg business tax receipt — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Known charges: $138.75 per year.
Total incomplete: some fees unknown
11 of 12 steps have no fee amount in our data. The figures above count only the 1 step with a recorded fee. Check each agency's fee schedule.
Common questions about St. Petersburg
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 St. Petersburg:
- Contractor licensing: Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (DBPR)
- Real estate licensing: Florida Real Estate Commission
- Alcohol licensing: Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
- Child care licensing: Florida Department of Children and Families
- Health facility licensing: Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
- County and city Local Business Tax Receipt — St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida (County tax collector and city: St. Petersburg / Pinellas County, city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg (Pinellas County) building department, city)
- Renew St. Petersburg business tax receipt (City of St. Petersburg Business Tax Division, city)
- File Pinellas County business personal property return (Pinellas County Property Appraiser, county)
With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: County and city Local Business Tax Receipt — St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in St. Petersburg; Renew St. Petersburg business tax receipt. Change the industry above to see yours.
Sources: dos.fl.gov, floridarevenue.com, floridarevenue.com
Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:
- Maintain a registered agent in Florida
- File formation documents with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Sources: dos.fl.gov, floridarevenue.com
Known government fees for your plan: $0.00 one-time and $138.75 per year.
Steps without a recorded fee are not counted, so check each agency's fee schedule before you budget.
Sources: dos.fl.gov, floridarevenue.com
In your plan for St. Petersburg, requirements come from four levels. Florida 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 (5): Maintain a registered agent in Florida; File Annual Report (Florida); Register for and file Florida entity-level taxes; File the annual unclaimed property holder report (Florida)…
- County (1): File Pinellas County business personal property return
- City (3): County and city Local Business Tax Receipt — St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in St. Petersburg; Renew St. Petersburg business tax receipt
Sources: dos.fl.gov, floridarevenue.com
- Register for unemployment insurance with Florida Department of Revenue (Reemployment Tax).
- Workers' compensation: Florida Division of Workers' Compensation. Required when: 4 employees (1 in construction)
Sources: floridarevenue.com, floridajobs.org