Starting a Business in Saint Paul: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist
A step-by-step plan to open a business in Saint Paul: 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 Saint Paul, MN
- City business licenses — Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota · City clerk: Saint Paul / Ramsey County (city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Saint Paul · Saint Paul (Ramsey County) building department (city)
- Form the business: Minnesota Secretary of State
- Register for state taxes: Minnesota Department of Revenue
- Register as an employer: Minnesota DEED Unemployment Insurance
Startup sequence and prerequisites in Saint Paul
Based on your selections, this plan has 9 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 Minnesota
- File formation documents with the Minnesota Secretary of State
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Then, once those are done
- Register for and file Minnesota entity-level taxes — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- City business licenses — Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Saint Paul — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
No fee amounts are known for this plan yet.
Total incomplete: some fees unknown
8 of 9 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 Saint Paul
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 Saint Paul:
- Contractor licensing: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (residential building contractor license)
- Real estate licensing: Minnesota Department of Commerce
- Alcohol licensing: Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (with city licensing)
- Child care licensing: Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families
- Health facility licensing: Minnesota Department of Health
- City business licenses — Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota (City clerk: Saint Paul / Ramsey County, city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Saint Paul (Saint Paul (Ramsey County) building department, city)
With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: City business licenses — Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Saint Paul. Change the industry above to see yours.
Sources: stpaul.gov, sos.state.mn.us, revenue.state.mn.us, uimn.org
Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:
- Maintain a registered agent in Minnesota
- File formation documents with the Minnesota Secretary of State
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Sources: stpaul.gov, sos.state.mn.us, revenue.state.mn.us
No fee amounts are recorded for your plan yet.
Steps without a recorded fee are not counted, so check each agency's fee schedule before you budget.
Sources: stpaul.gov, sos.state.mn.us, revenue.state.mn.us
In your plan for Saint Paul, requirements come from four levels. Minnesota 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 Minnesota; File Annual Renewal (Minnesota); Register for and file Minnesota entity-level taxes; File the annual unclaimed property holder report (Minnesota)
- City (2): City business licenses — Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Saint Paul
Sources: stpaul.gov, sos.state.mn.us, revenue.state.mn.us
- Register for unemployment insurance with Minnesota DEED Unemployment Insurance.
- Workers' compensation: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Required when: 1 employee
- Minnesota Paid Leave premiums: applies from 1 employee.
- Register to withhold Minnesota income tax from wages.
Sources: uimn.org, dli.mn.gov, revenue.state.mn.us