Business licenses and permits in North Carolina

North Carolina has no single general business license, so there’s nothing to get just to be in business. What you need depends on what you do and where you do it. Start with the state’s free help desk, then your city or county, then the agency that regulates your kind of work.

What’s different in North Carolina

• No general business license. The state has no single general business license; the statewide privilege license on professions ended July 1, 2024, and cities and counties lost their general privilege license tax on July 1, 2015. Your occupation or activity may still need a license, and your city or county may still require a local license or zoning, building or health permits.
• The state issues nearly 950 different licenses and permits. Which apply depends on your occupation and activity, from food service to cosmetology to contracting.
• A free help desk sorts it out. EDPNC Small Business Advisors (formerly Business Link North Carolina) is a free information and referral service run with the Department of Commerce. One call gets state license information and the right city, county and federal contacts.

Do this

1. Call EDPNC Small Business Advisors at 800-228-8443, weekdays. Describe what you’ll do and where. The advisors identify the state licenses and permits that apply and give you the local contacts. The Department of Commerce’s start a business page describes the service.
2. Check your city and county. The general local privilege license is gone, but the state’s licensing pages say a local license may still be required for your business. Local permits usually mean zoning approval, building and sign permits, and health department permits for food. Ask the planning office before you sign a lease, home or rented space, whether your activity is allowed at that address.
3. Get any occupational license your work needs. Many professions license through an independent board. Start with the Secretary of State's directory of occupational licensing boards, linked from its licenses and permits page. A licensed professional who wants a professional corporation or PLLC needs the board’s approval before the Secretary of State will file it; the professional entities page lists those boards.
4. Building something? A general contractor needs a license from the State Licensing Board for General Contractors for any project costing $40,000 or more.
5. Selling alcohol? Apply to the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABC Commission) for a retail permit. Permits are issued only in jurisdictions where voters have approved alcohol sales, and typical processing is 7 to 10 days once the Commission has your application.
6. Selling taxable goods or services? Register with the Department of Revenue before your first sale, at no charge: Get your tax IDs.
7. Ask for help if the list gets long. The SBA’s North Carolina District Office, with offices in Charlotte and Wilmington, offers counseling and connects you to partner organizations that help small businesses.

What you get back

One license or permit from each agency that regulates your work, each on its own renewal schedule, plus any local permits. There’s no general license to renew. Write down what the Small Business Advisors told you applies to you, and the renewal date on each license you receive.