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Financial - General Business License

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1. Who needs a City of Missoula General Business License?

Anybody selling goods or merchandise within the City limits and anybody providing a service within the City limits, or residing within the City limits and operating a business out of their home will need a City of Missoula business license.

2. I work out of my home, do I need a City of Missoula Business License?

Yes. Home based businesses, or any business that is located within the City limits is required to obtain a City of Missoula business license. This type of business is considered a “Missoula Based Business” even if all of your business is conducted outside the City limits, this includes web based businesses. If your business grosses less than $6,000 annually an exemption affidavit will need to be filled out and approved by the Office of Planning and Grants.

3. What are the fees and how are they calculated?

PLEASE SEE FEE SCHEDULE BASED ON TYPE OF GENERAL BUSINESS LICENSE YOU ARE APPLYING FOR. FTE is calculated by taking the number of hours worked in 1 week and divided by 40, or by the number of hours worked in 1 year divided by 2,080, and round up. Each owner counts as 1 FTE.

4. What is required for a home based business?

A business license application will need to be completed and submitted to the Finance Department, preferably in person, and the fees collected. After the fees are collected the applicant is routed to the Office of Planning and Grants. The Office of Planning and Grants requires a Home Occupation Application to be filled out and reviewed prior to signing off on the business license. Upon approval from the Office of Planning and Grants the application is returned to the Finance Department and the business license is issued.

5. What is required for a City of Missoula General Business License in a commercial location?

A business license application needs to be submitted to the City of Missoula Finance Department. The application will be internally routed to 4 or 5 different departments (depending on if business is serving food): Office of Planning and Grants (to check to see if zoned properly, and any landscaping issues), Fire Department (ensure safe escape routes in case of a fire, etc), Health Department (if serving food, you may need Food Purveyors License), Engineering Department (ADA and parking spaces) and the Building Department (safety of the building and the public that enters the building, check for a Certificate of Occupancy). Upon approval from all departments the business license will be issued.

6. Who needs a background check and why?

A $42.00 background check is required by any person(s) going into private residences or onto their property. In addition, the following businesses are required to obtain a background check: boiler-room operations (telemarketers / fund raisers telephone solicitation owners, full time & part time EE’s), elder care, chimney sweepers (owners, full time & part time EE’s) door to door (for profit) sales/solicitation (owners, full time & part time EE’s), housekeepers/janitorial – commercial and residential (owners, full time & part time EE’s), seminar / tradeshows, tree trimming and spraying (owners, full time & part time EE’s), video inventorying (owners, full time & part time EE’s) and mobile/itinerant vendors. Locksmith business: (owners, full time & part time EE’s)
1. Pay background check fee at the City of Missoula Finance Department.
2. An application must be submitted to the City police department for each employee
3. Provide two classifiable sets of fingerprints (included in background fee)
4. Be approved by Chief of police
The purpose of the background investigation is to make sure that you do not have a criminal background that would be detrimental to the general welfare of the City of Missoula and its inhabitants.

7. Are the General Business Licenses renewed annually?

Yes. Invoices are mailed out during the third or fourth week in April of every year.

8. What happens if I do not renew my City of Missoula General Business License?

Failure to renew your City of Missoula General Business License by June 30 will result in an accumulation of penalty fees; 25% starting July 1, 50% as of August 1, 100% as of September 1. If your business license is not renewed by October 1 the business will be turned over to the City of Missoula Attorney’s office for conducting a business without a current City of Missoula business license.

9. Is the business license fee prorated?

No

10. Can I open in my commercial location before I receive the business license?

A Certificate of Application will be issued for 90 days. This will allow for the time it takes to process the application through internal routing. You may operate the business if the building or space that the business is occupying has obtained a Certificate of Occupancy or a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. If the building or space the business is occupying does not have a Certificate of Occupancy or a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy the City does not authorize the business to be open. Please note: this is only valid if the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is not expired. If there are any problems with the building you will be notified in writing and given 30 days to correct the problem.

11. What happens if I have moved locations?

If your business has moved to a new location a new business license application will need to be completed and a fee (see change of location fee schedule) and routed according to the space that you move to. For example; If your business moved to another commercial location the application will be routed commercially (internally). If the business moved to a residence, the owner will meet with the Office of Planning and Grants and fill out a Home Occupation Application.
***OUR MAIL IS NOT FORWARDED! YOU MAY MISS THE RENEWAL INVOICE***

12. How do I close my business?

In order to close a City of Missoula business license, written permission is required. The business license will not automatically be closed after the expiration date. It is the business owners responsibility to contact the City of Missoula Finance Department and properly close the business license.

13. What if I close my business and want to reopen it within the same year?

If your business license is closed and reopened within the same year your business is subject to penalties for non-renewal.

14. What is the business license fee used for?

The business license fee is used to defray the expense of issuing the licenses, the costs of inspection, regulation and control of businesses in the City of Missoula and for the general welfare and protection of all the citizens in the City of Missoula.

15. Why do I need a City of Missoula Business License?

It is the law. If caught conducting business without a City of Missoula business license within the City limits, you can pay up to a 100% penalty and/or be fined up to $500.00 a day for everyday that you were conducting business.

16. If I want to sell items on the street/parking lot what is required?

A City of Missoula General Business License is required. To receive the license you will need to meet with 5 to 7 different departments: Office of Planning and Grants (information about where you can and cannot set up, and check a site plan); Fire Department (if you are serving food, hot or cold) Health Department (if you are serving food you may need a Food Purveyors License); Parking Commission (information about where you can and cannot set up); Engineering Department (information about where you can and cannot set up, and check a site plan); Parks and Recreation (if you plan on setting up in any City of Missoula Parks); Police Department (background check). Once all signatures are obtained and approved by the Police Department the license will be issued. See also Mobile/Itinerant Vendor FAQ.

17. What if I have an “Organized Street Vendor/Market” (similar to the Farmers Market and Saturday Market), what is required for that license?

You would need to obtain a City of Missoula General Business License. To receive the license you will need to meet with 5 to 7 different departments: Office of Planning and Grants (information about where can and cannot set up, and check site plan); Fire Department (if you serving food, hot or cold) Health Department (if you are serving food you may need a Food Purveyors License); Parking Commission (information about where you can and cannot set up); Engineering Department (information about where you can and cannot set up and check a site plan); Parks and Recreation (if the business is planning on setting up in any City of Missoula Parks). Once all signatures are obtained the license will be issued.
The license fee for market events such as the People’s Market, Hellgate Rendezvous, Southgate Mall Arts and Crafts Fair(s) or similarly organized markets shall be $18.25 annually per booth/table/slot. The event organizer (market master), oversight agency or management group shall acquire these licenses for such vendors up to a maximum $1,775.00 per year for the organized event(s). Any vendor desiring to market their products(s) outside of the confines of the above specified markets will be required to purchase the standard mobile/itinerant vendor license priced at $72.00 per year minimum. The event organizer will be required to keep a log containing the names and addresses of the daily participants for each market session. (MMC

18. If I want to open a Second hand or Pawn shop what is required?

You would need a City of Missoula General Business License. This business license is routed as a commercial business. The owner will need to obtain signatures in person from the Office of Planning and Grants (make sure that the location selected is zoned for a Pawn/Second hand stores) and the Police Department (no background check required but you must meet with the Police Department for other guidelines). The application will be internally routed to obtain the signatures for the Fire, Engineering and Building Departments.
In addition to the general business license fee, there is an additional $117.50 fee for the additional resources needed to regulate this type of license.

19. What if I own a business that, on premise, has Devices that Depict Sexual Activities?

You would need a City of Missoula General Business License. This business license is routed as a commercial business. The owner will need to obtain signatures in person from the Office of Planning and Grants (make sure that the location selected is zoned for this type of an Adult Store) and the Police Department (no background check required but you must meet with the Police Department for other guidelines). The application will be internally routed to obtain the signatures for the Fire, Engineering and Building Departments. In addition to the general business license fee, there is an additional $310.00 fee for the additional resources needed to regulate this type of license.

20. If I need a background check and work out of a commercial location, how is my application routed?

The applicant will need to obtain signatures in person from the Office of Planning and Grants (make sure that the location selected is zoned for this type of business) and the Police Department (for the background check). The application will be internally routed to obtain the signatures from the Fire, Engineering and Building Departments. Once the application is routed and approved by all departments including the Police Department, the license will be issued.

21. If I want to sell items on the street/parking lot what is required?

A City of Missoula General Business License is required. To receive the license you will need to meet with 5 to 7 different departments: Office of Planning and Grants (information about where you can and cannot set up, and check a site plan); Fire Department (if you are serving food, hot or cold) Health Department (if you are serving food you may need a Food Purveyors License); Parking Commission (information about where you can and cannot set up); Engineering Department (information about where you can and cannot set up, and check a site plan); Parks and Recreation (if you plan on setting up in any City of Missoula Parks); Police Department (background check). Once all signatures are obtained and approved by the Police Department the license will be issued. See also Mobile/Itinerant Vendor FAQ

22. What if I have an “Organized Street Vendor/Market” (similar to the Farmers Market and Saturday Market), what is required for that license?

You would need to obtain a City of Missoula General Business License. To receive the license you will need to meet with 5 to 7 different departments: Office of Planning and Grants (information about where can and cannot set up, and check site plan); Fire Department (if you serving food, hot or cold) Health Department (if you are serving food you may need a Food Purveyors License); Parking Commission (information about where you can and cannot set up); Engineering Department (information about where you can and cannot set up and check a site plan); Parks and Recreation (if the business is planning on setting up in any City of Missoula Parks). Once all signatures are obtained the license will be issued. The license fee for market events such as the People’s Market, Hellgate Rendezvous, Southgate Mall Arts and Crafts Fair(s) or similarly organized markets shall be $61.00 annually per booth/table/slot, with a minimum fee of $244.00. The event organizer (market master), oversight agency or management group shall acquire these licenses for such vendors up to a maximum $2,500.00 per year for the organized event(s). Any vendor desiring to market their products(s) outside of the confines of the above specified markets will be required to purchase the standard mobile/itinerant vendor license priced at $108.00 per year minimum. The event organizer will be required to keep a log containing the names and addresses of the daily participants for each market session. (MMC 5.08.030 § 2)

23. If I want to open a Second hand or Pawn shop what is required?

You would need a City of Missoula General Business License. This business license is routed as a commercial business. The owner will need to obtain signatures in person from the Office of Planning and Grants (make sure that the location selected is zoned for a Pawn/Second hand stores) and the Police Department (no background check required but you must meet with the Police Department for other guidelines). The application will be internally routed to obtain the signatures for the Fire, Engineering and Building Departments. In addition to the general business license fee, there is an additional $310.00 fee for the additional resources needed to regulate this type of license.

24. What if I own a business that, on premise, has Devices that Depict Sexual Activities?

You would need a City of Missoula General Business License. This business license is routed as a commercial business. The owner will need to obtain signatures in person from the Office of Planning and Grants (make sure that the location selected is zoned for this type of an Adult Store) and the Police Department (no background check required but you must meet with the Police Department for other guidelines). The application will be internally routed to obtain the signatures for the Fire, Engineering and Building Departments. In addition to the general business license fee, there is an additional $310.00 fee for the additional resources needed to regulate this type of license.

25. If I need a background check and work out of a commercial location, how is my application routed?

The applicant will need to obtain signatures in person from the Office of Planning and Grants (make sure that the location selected is zoned for this type of business) and the Police Department (for the background check). The application will be internally routed to obtain the signatures from the Fire, Engineering and Building Departments. Once the application is routed and approved by all departments including the Police Department, the license will be issued.