In the past three years since this article's release, over 30,000 new businesses were started in Illinois. Most of those new business had to get a specific license for their particular type of business. Many businesses will need an Illinois Business License specific to their occupation, but not all businesses need one. However, a specific license vouches for the fact that an owner's business is qualified to perform a certain type of skill and reassures customers that the owner's business will be accountable for its work.
To begin, the business will need a Certificate of Registration common to all types of businesses. Then, the business will need to pinpoint the particular type of occupation.
Well over 100 types of occupations require such a license from the state, including audiologists, chiropractors, dental hygienists, funeral directors, interior designers, locksmiths, nail technicians, pawnbrokers and shorthand reporters, to name just a few. Fees vary from as little as $75 for architects all the way up to $2,500 for real estate appraisal firms.
An application may need to include supporting documents establishing certain bona fides, such as that the owner or their employees attended pre-licensure education and field events such as; that a bachelor’s degree is completed, that a required exam is passed.
Cities like Chicago also have their own requirements, as does the federal Small Business Administration and various other federal agencies that regulate lines of business germane to their area of focus. For example, the Department of Agriculture issues federal licenses to food-related businesses; the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau provides them for a business in which alcohol will be made, sold or imported; the Federal Maritime Commission covers maritime transportation; and the Federal Communications Commission handles radio, television and satellite firms.
Given all the forms to fill out and considerations to account for, which also can include obtaining required insurance depending on the type of company, aspiring small business owners are well-advised to retain an experience small business attorney to help them get started.
Contact Curington Law, LLC to assist you in obtaining a business license at 312 803-1755 or contact us online.
