How to Get a Business License in Roanoke, Virginia
Getting a Business License in Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke operates a mandatory two-step process for all new business licenses. Before you can open your doors — or begin working from home — you must first clear a building safety and zoning verification, then complete your application with the Commissioner of Revenue. Skipping either step or doing them out of order creates delays and can expose you to late penalties. This guide walks through the entire process using verified city requirements.
One critical jurisdictional note before you begin: Roanoke City and Roanoke County are completely separate jurisdictions. A license issued by the City of Roanoke is not valid in Roanoke County, and vice versa. Confirm which jurisdiction your business address falls in before submitting anything.
Step 1: Business License Verification (Building Safety and Zoning)
Every business operating in Roanoke — including home-based businesses — must complete the city’s Business License Verification process before applying for a license. This step confirms that your proposed location meets building safety standards and zoning requirements.
The verification is handled through the city’s online portal at:
roanokeva.gov/1231/Business-License-Verification
What the Verification Covers
The verification process checks two things:
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Building safety compliance — The structure where you plan to operate must meet applicable building codes. If the building has outstanding safety issues or code violations, your verification will not clear until those are resolved.
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Zoning compliance — Your business type must be permitted in the zoning district where you intend to operate. Roanoke’s zoning ordinance defines which commercial activities are allowed by right in each district and which require special exceptions.
Change of Use and Certificate of Occupancy
If your business involves a change of use for a space — meaning you’re doing something different with a building than it was previously used for — this may trigger the requirement for a new Certificate of Occupancy. This applies even if the physical space itself isn’t being renovated. For example, converting a retail space into a restaurant or a storage facility into an office could each require a Certificate of Occupancy review.
Do not assume that an existing certificate from a prior tenant or business covers your use. Contact the city’s building inspection office if you have any question about whether a change of use applies to your situation.
Home Occupation Businesses
If you plan to operate from your home, you still must complete the Business License Verification step. Home occupations in Roanoke are subject to specific zoning regulations that limit the type and scale of business activity permitted in residential areas. Common restrictions include limits on customer visits, signage, employees, and storage of business equipment or inventory.
The verification process will confirm whether your intended home-based business activity is permitted under the city’s home occupation standards for your residential zone.
Step 2: Application with the Commissioner of Revenue
After your location clears the Business License Verification, you apply for your actual business license through the Commissioner of Revenue’s office.
Contact the Commissioner BEFORE you start your business. The city explicitly requires this — not after you’ve already begun operating. Starting without a license creates a penalty exposure that is entirely avoidable.
Commissioner of Revenue — Contact Information
- Address: 215 Church Avenue, Room 251, Roanoke, VA 24011-1588
- Phone: (540) 853-2524
- Email: [email protected]
- Commissioner: Ryan S. LaFountain
The Combined Application: License and Trust Tax Registration
Roanoke’s application form serves a dual purpose. It simultaneously registers your business for a business license AND trust tax registration. You do not file two separate forms — both are handled through one application available at the city’s DocumentCenter at roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter.
Trust taxes in Roanoke include meals tax and lodging tax, which businesses collect from customers on behalf of the city. If your business is subject to these taxes, the registration through this combined application puts you on the city’s remittance schedule immediately.
Information Required on the Application
Gather all of the following before sitting down to complete your application. Missing information will slow processing.
- Legal name of the business (the formally registered entity name)
- Trade name (if operating under a DBA — “doing business as” name)
- Business address (must match what cleared in your Step 1 verification)
- Social Security Number or Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Business start date
- Virginia Contractor License class and number (contractors only)
- Description of business activity (specific and accurate — vague descriptions cause follow-up)
- Compensation method (how the business earns revenue — hourly, project, percentage, etc.)
- Customer type (consumer-facing retail, business-to-business services, etc.)
- Estimated gross receipts through December 31 of the current year
Fee Structure: How Roanoke Calculates Your License Fee
Under $100,000 in Gross Receipts
If your total estimated gross receipts for the year are under $100,000, your fee is a flat $50 issuance fee. That’s it. You do not calculate a rate-based fee on top of this amount.
Over $100,000 in Gross Receipts
If your estimated gross receipts are $100,000 or more, your fee is calculated as:
Rate × Gross Receipts
The applicable rate depends on your business classification (the Commissioner’s office can confirm which rate applies to your type of business). Critically: if your receipts exceed $100,000, you do NOT also pay the $50 issuance fee. The rate-based calculation replaces it entirely. Paying both is an error.
Flat-Fee Categories
Certain business classifications fall into flat-fee categories. For these businesses, there is no issuance fee and no gross receipts calculation — a fixed fee applies regardless of revenue. The Commissioner’s office will identify if your business falls into one of these categories during your application.
Alcoholic Beverage Businesses
If your business sells alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverage license fees are additional to your standard business license fee. You must include beverage sales in your gross receipts totals when calculating the standard fee, and then add the applicable alcoholic beverage fee on top.
First-Year Businesses: Worksheet A and the ADJ Line
New businesses applying in the middle of a calendar year use a specific adjustment mechanism called Worksheet A. Because you are not operating for the full year, your fee is prorated based on your estimated gross receipts through December 31 (which you provided on the application).
After your first full year of operation, Roanoke will reconcile your actual gross receipts against your estimate. Depending on whether you over- or under-estimated:
- If you overpaid, you receive a credit applied to your next renewal
- If you underpaid, you owe a balance
This reconciliation appears on the ADJ line of your renewal. Review it carefully — it reflects the true-up between your first-year estimate and your actual receipts.
Renewals
Business licenses in Roanoke renew annually. The renewal deadline is March 2.
Renewal forms are typically mailed to the address on file with the Commissioner. If your mailing address has changed, update it before the renewal period begins to ensure you receive the form.
Address Changes: What to Do When You Move
If your business moves to a new location within Roanoke, you do not simply notify the Commissioner — you must also re-verify the new location through the Business License Verification process (Step 1) to confirm the new site meets building safety and zoning requirements.
On your renewal form, the process for notifying the Commissioner of a move is:
- Mark through the old address
- Write in the new location and the date of the move
- Return the form by February 15
The February 15 deadline for address change notifications is separate from the March 2 renewal deadline.
Closing Your Business: Final Returns and Refunds
When you close a business in Roanoke, you are required to file a final return. On this return, list:
- The date the business closed
- Your actual gross receipts through the closing date
Mid-Year Refunds
Roanoke is one of the localities that offers refunds for business licenses when a business closes mid-year. Many Virginia localities do not offer this. To request a refund:
- Submit a signed written statement to the Commissioner of Revenue
- The statement must include your closing date and actual gross receipts through that date
- Include your refund mailing address — the city will send the check to wherever you direct it
Keep a copy of your signed statement and follow up if you do not receive your refund within a reasonable timeframe.
Roanoke City vs. Roanoke County: A Critical Distinction
This point bears repeating because confusion here causes real problems. Roanoke City and Roanoke County are entirely separate governmental jurisdictions. They share a name and geographic proximity, but they each have their own:
- Commissioner of Revenue
- Business license requirements
- Tax rates and fee structures
- Application processes
A business license issued by the City of Roanoke (the focus of this guide) does not authorize you to operate in Roanoke County, and a county license does not cover city operations. If your business operates in both jurisdictions, you need licenses from both.
To confirm which jurisdiction your address falls in, use the Virginia locality lookup tool or contact the respective offices directly. The City of Roanoke’s Commissioner can be reached at (540) 853-2524.
Summary: Roanoke Business License Checklist
Use this checklist to track your progress:
- Confirm your address is in Roanoke City (not Roanoke County)
- Complete Business License Verification at roanokeva.gov/1231/Business-License-Verification
- Confirm zoning allows your business type at your location
- If change of use applies, obtain new Certificate of Occupancy before proceeding
- Contact Commissioner of Revenue BEFORE starting business operations
- Gather all required information (legal name, trade name, EIN/SSN, start date, description, estimated receipts)
- Download combined License + Trust Tax Registration application from roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter
- Calculate correct fee (flat $50 if under $100K; rate × receipts if over $100K — not both)
- If alcoholic beverages sold, add beverage license fee and include beverage sales in receipts
- Submit application with payment to Commissioner, Room 251, 215 Church Avenue
- Note renewal deadline: March 2 each year
- If moving, notify Commissioner by February 15 with new address and move date
- If closing, file final return with close date, actual receipts, and refund address for mid-year refund
Contact Information at a Glance
Commissioner of Revenue — Business License 215 Church Avenue, Room 251 Roanoke, VA 24011-1588 Phone: (540) 853-2524 Email: [email protected] Commissioner: Ryan S. LaFountain
Business License Verification (Step 1) roanokeva.gov/1231/Business-License-Verification
Application Download roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter
Starting the process at the right place — the Business License Verification portal — and contacting the Commissioner before you begin operations puts you in compliance from day one and avoids the penalties and delays that catch unprepared business owners off guard.