Bedford County and Town of Bedford Business License: County Registration Only, Town $30 Flat to $250,000
Bedford County and Town of Bedford, Virginia Business License: County Registration Only, Town $30 Flat to $250,000
Bedford County, Virginia does not levy a general business license or a gross receipts license tax. The county's economic development office says the county requires no business license. New businesses in the county register with the Commissioner of the Revenue (food businesses register before they begin serving food) and obtain zoning approval, but the county has no business license fee to pay. The Town of Bedford, Virginia is a separate jurisdiction with its own license. Inside town limits, the town's Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) applies, with a $30 application fee for most business classes and gross receipts tax only on receipts above $250,000.
This guide covers both jurisdictions: what each requires, what each charges, the deadlines, and who to call. Bedford County has 83,059 residents and the Town of Bedford has 7,911. Bedford also names places in England, Pennsylvania, Texas and Massachusetts, so confirm you are researching the Virginia Bedford before you act on any figure below.
Does Bedford County, Virginia Require a Business License?
For most businesses, no. Bedford County does not levy a general county business license, and the county has no business license fee or rate to print. The reason comes from state law. Virginia has no general state business license, and the State Corporation Commission (SCC) forms entities but issues no license. Local business license taxes fall under the BPOL tax, Va. Code 58.1-3700 et seq. Not every Virginia locality levies a general license. Va. Code 58.1-3704 allows a locality to levy none, and Bedford County is one of the localities without a general county license.
The Town of Bedford is the exception to the county rule. Inside town limits, the county does not tax the same privilege (Va. Code 58.1-3711), so a business located within the town deals with the town for its license. A business in the county outside town limits generally has no county business license to obtain. If your address is near the town boundary, confirm which side you are on with the Commissioner of the Revenue.
Bedford County, Virginia Business Registration With the Commissioner of the Revenue
Registration is the county's core requirement for new businesses. The bedford county va commissioner of the revenue business registration process runs in this order:
- Get zoning approval. Zoning approval runs through the county's Community Development function. Call Planning, Zoning and Building at 540-586-7616 to confirm the steps for your address and use.
- Register with the Commissioner of the Revenue at 122 E. Main Street, Suite 103, Bedford, VA 24523. The office phone is 540-586-7621. Food businesses must register before they serve food.
- Set up your recurring filings. The county meals tax is 4 percent, remitted monthly on forms the Commissioner provides.
Three county taxes need a direct question before you open. Published sources give different lodging tax figures: the county economic development page reports 5 percent and other county sources report 7 percent, so check with the Commissioner for the rate that applies to you. Business personal property and machinery and tools are stated on a 20 percent assessment ratio, but the sources differ on the rate, so check with the Commissioner for the current figure. Merchants' capital tax no longer applies.
Town of Bedford, Virginia Business License Rates
Under Town Code Sec. 54-413, the annual license is $10 or the class tax, whichever is greater. For most business classes, the license starts with a $30 application fee, and gross receipts tax applies only to receipts above $250,000. That creates a tax-free band: a business with gross receipts up to $250,000 pays the flat $30 and owes no gross receipts tax.
| Business class | Flat fee | Gross receipts tax above the band |
|---|---|---|
| Contracting | $30 up to $250,000 | $0.10 per $100 on receipts over $250,000 |
| Retail, financial, real estate, professional, repair, personal and business services, and wholesale | $30 up to $250,000 | $0.10 per $100 from $250,000 to $2,000,000; $0.15 per $100 above $2,000,000 |
| Direct sellers | $30 up to $8,000 | $0.15 per $100 above $8,000 |
Here is how the band works in practice. A retailer with $240,000 in gross receipts pays the $30 fee and owes no gross receipts tax. A retailer with $400,000 owes $0.10 per $100 on the $150,000 above $250,000, which is $150. That puts the expected total near $180 with the $30 fee included, but confirm with the Town Treasury how the fee and the tax combine on your application before you budget.
The BPOL statute sets statutory floors by population, and it sets none for localities under 25,000 people. The Town of Bedford has 7,911 residents, so its thresholds come from its own code, not a state floor. Verify the current figures with the town before you file.
Bedford VA Business License Application: Town of Bedford, Virginia Steps
The bedford va business license application is handled by the town's license desk. Have these items ready:
- An inception date, meaning the date your business began or will begin operating in the town.
- An estimate of gross receipts. New businesses give an estimate because they have no prior-year figures.
- For contractors, your state contractor license. Since July 1, 2025, Virginia contractor license classes are Class C for over $1,000 to under $30,000, Class B for $30,000 to under $150,000, and Class A for $150,000 or more. Confirm your class with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
- Zoning sign-off. The application has a zoning sign-off box, so complete the zoning step first.
The town links an online application on its Starting a Business page. Search the Town of Bedford website for that page, or call the license desk at 540-587-6021 before you start.
Town of Bedford, Virginia License Deadlines and Penalties
- Licenses not measured on gross receipts are due March 1.
- Licenses measured on gross receipts are due March 31.
- A late payment carries a 10 percent penalty plus monthly interest.
Other Town of Bedford, Virginia License Fees
Some businesses pay a separate town fee in addition to or instead of the general license. Confirm the exact fee with the license desk for your activity:
- Peddler on foot: $50 or $275, depending on the permit type. Peddler with a vehicle: $500.
- Mobile food unit: $50.
- Coin-operated machine operator: $50 extra.
- Carnival: $200 a day.
- Fortune teller: $1,000.
- Massage parlor: $1,000.
- Precious metals dealer: $500.
- Going-out-of-business permit: $65.
Town and County Taxes to Ask About in Bedford, Virginia
The Town of Bedford levies these taxes in addition to any state tax:
- Meals tax: 5.5 percent, due on the 20th.
- Transient lodging tax: 5 percent.
- Cigarette tax: $0.30 per pack of 20.
- Real estate tax: $0.28 per $100, in addition to the county's rate.
- Tangible personal property tax: $1.06. Confirm the rate basis with the Town Treasury.
A business inside the town may face both town and county meals or lodging taxes. The sources do not say how the two interact for a single business, so ask both the Town Treasury at 540-587-6001 and the county Commissioner of the Revenue at 540-586-7621 before you collect the first tax.
Virginia State Filings That Apply to Bedford Businesses
The town and county licenses sit on top of state filings. The State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office handles entity formation and name filings through the SCC Clerk's Information System at https://cis.scc.virginia.gov/, with general business information at https://www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/.
- Virginia LLC: Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) cost $100. Virginia LLCs file no annual report. They pay a $50 annual registration fee to the SCC, due the last day of the 12th month after the month the LLC was organized, then every year. A late payment adds a $25 penalty, and the LLC is canceled at the end of the third month after the due date.
- Virginia corporation: Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC619) cost $75. The annual report and annual registration fee are $100 for up to 5,000 authorized shares plus $30 for each additional 5,000 shares. Check the SCC annual fee schedule for the current figures.
- Assumed name (DBA): filed with the SCC for $10, not with the circuit court. No newspaper publication is required.
- Name reservation: $10 for 120 days, renewable in the 45 days before it expires.
- Registered agent: a Virginia entity must keep a Virginia resident agent with a Virginia street office, available during business hours. The agent must be a Virginia State Bar member or a member, manager, officer, trustee or general partner of the entity. An entity cannot be its own agent.
If you sell taxable goods, you must also register with the Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax). The base sales tax is 5.3 percent, combining state and local. Some localities carry higher rates: 6 percent in the regional-tax localities, 6.3 percent in eight localities, and 7 percent in the Historic Triangle. The grocery rate is 1 percent. Confirm the rate for your location at https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sales-and-use-tax.
Neighboring Virginia Localities: Franklin County and Rocky Mount
Franklin County is also reported to require registration only, and the Town of Rocky Mount issues its own licenses. Confirm both with those localities before you rely on either. For a broader list of Virginia localities with no business license tax, see the no-license hub on this site, Virginia localities with no business license tax.
Bedford County and Town of Bedford, Virginia Contact Information
| Office | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner of the Revenue, Bedford County | 122 E. Main Street, Suite 103, Bedford, VA 24523 | 540-586-7621 |
| Planning, Zoning and Building, Bedford County | Bedford County, Virginia | 540-586-7616 |
| Treasurer, Bedford County | Bedford County, Virginia | 540-586-7670 |
| Town of Bedford license desk | 215 E. Main Street, Bedford, VA 24523 | 540-587-6021 |
| Town of Bedford Treasury | 215 E. Main Street, Bedford, VA 24523 | 540-587-6001 |
Important Note: Informational Content, Not Legal or Tax Advice
This page is informational content about business licensing in Bedford County and the Town of Bedford, Virginia. It is not legal or tax advice. Local rates, thresholds and deadlines change, and some figures above are reported differently across sources, so confirm each one with the named agency before you file or pay. If your business has complex entity, tax or licensing questions, consult a qualified Virginia attorney and a certified public accountant (CPA).