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Plan for Louisville, KY

Starting a Business in Louisville: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist

A step-by-step plan to open a business in Louisville: what to file first, what depends on what, and which permits come before opening day. Change the business details to fit yours.

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Dates

Permits and registrations specific to Louisville, KY

Sales tax permitKentucky sales and use tax permit
City of LouisvilleHas its own business licenses, taxes or permits (listed below).
Jefferson CountyHas its own business licenses, taxes or permits (listed below).
Local licenses and permits to obtain
  • City/county occupational license — Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky · City or county occupational tax office: Louisville / Jefferson County (city)
  • Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Louisville · Louisville (Jefferson County) building department (city)
  • File Louisville Metro occupational license tax net profits return (OL-3) · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission (city)
  • File Jefferson County business personal property return · Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator (county)
  • File the Louisville Metro net profit license tax return (Form OL-3) · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission (county)
Register with these Kentucky agencies

Startup sequence and prerequisites in Louisville

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

  1. Maintain a registered agent in Kentucky
  2. File formation documents with the Kentucky Secretary of State
  3. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Then, once those are done

  • Register for and file Kentucky entity-level taxes — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  • City/county occupational license — Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  • Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Louisville — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Start planObligations (11)
Government fees

Known charges: $15.00 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.

File formationOct 25, 2026in 7 days
Ready to operateJan 1, 2027in 75 days
Opening dateNot setAdd a target opening date to check the plan fits
Progress0 / 12Saved in this browser

Things the formation documents depend on: a registered agent and any professional approvals.

Suggested planning date: Oct 25, 2026
Ongoing
not individually checked

File the formation documents with the state.

Suggested planning date: Nov 8, 2026
One-time
not individually checked
After: Maintain a registered agent in Kentucky

Obtain the EIN (and apply for tax-exempt status, for nonprofits). Most registrations need it.

Suggested planning date: Nov 11, 2026
One-time
not individually checked
After: File formation documents with the Kentucky Secretary of State

State tax accounts, trade name, foreign qualification and publication requirements.

Suggested planning date: Nov 25, 2026
Annual
not individually checked
After: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Licenses and permits you need before you operate: state, industry, local and professional.

Suggested planning date: Dec 25, 2026
Annual
not individually checked
After: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Suggested planning date: Dec 25, 2026
One-time
not individually checked
After: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Recurring filings and payments, in the order they fall due.

Statutory deadline: Nov 1, 2026 · in 14 days
Annual
checked Oct 16, 2026
Applies because: Business operates in KY. Schedule: November 1.
Statutory deadline: Apr 15, 2027 · in 179 days
Annual
not individually checked
Applies because: Federal tax treatment is sole_prop. Schedule: April 15.
Statutory deadline: Apr 15, 2027 · in 179 days
Annual
not individually checked
Applies because: Business is located in Louisville, KY. Schedule: April 15 (calendar-year filers).
Statutory deadline: Apr 15, 2027 · in 179 days
Annual
checked Oct 16, 2026
Applies because: Business is located in Jefferson County, KY. Schedule: April 15.
Statutory deadline: May 15, 2027 · in 209 days
Annual
checked Oct 16, 2026
Applies because: Business is located in Jefferson County, KY. Schedule: May 15.
Statutory deadline: Jun 30, 2027 · in 255 days
fee $15
Annual
checked Oct 13, 2026
Applies because: llc formed in KY. Schedule: June 30.
Suggested planning dates are allowances, not agency processing times. Statutory deadlines come from the rules and are labeled as such.

Common questions about Louisville

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 Louisville:

  • Real estate licensing: Kentucky Real Estate Commission
  • Alcohol licensing: Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
  • Child care licensing: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
  • Health facility licensing: Kentucky Office of Inspector General
  • City/county occupational license — Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky (City or county occupational tax office: Louisville / Jefferson County, city)
  • Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Louisville (Louisville (Jefferson County) building department, city)
  • File Louisville Metro occupational license tax net profits return (OL-3) (Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, city)
  • File Jefferson County business personal property return (Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator, county)
  • File the Louisville Metro net profit license tax return (Form OL-3) (Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, county)

With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: City/county occupational license — Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Louisville. Change the industry above to see yours.

Sources: sos.ky.gov, revenue.ky.gov, kcc.ky.gov

Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:

  1. Maintain a registered agent in Kentucky
  2. File formation documents with the Kentucky Secretary of State
  3. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Sources: sos.ky.gov, revenue.ky.gov

Known government fees for your plan: $0.00 one-time and $15.00 per year.

Steps without a recorded fee are not counted, so check each agency's fee schedule before you budget.

Sources: sos.ky.gov, revenue.ky.gov

In your plan for Louisville, requirements come from four levels. Kentucky 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 (4): Maintain a registered agent in Kentucky; File Annual Report (Kentucky); Register for and file Kentucky entity-level taxes; File the annual unclaimed property holder report (Kentucky)
  • County (2): File Jefferson County business personal property return; File the Louisville Metro net profit license tax return (Form OL-3)
  • City (3): City/county occupational license — Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Louisville; File Louisville Metro occupational license tax net profits return (OL-3)

Sources: sos.ky.gov, revenue.ky.gov

  • Register for unemployment insurance with Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance.
  • Workers' compensation: Kentucky Department of Workers' Claims. Required when: 1 employee
  • Register to withhold Kentucky income tax from wages.

Sources: kcc.ky.gov, labor.ky.gov, revenue.ky.gov

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