Other Regulated Businesses in Virginia: Agency and Fee for Licensed Types Without Their Own Page

Many Virginia businesses need a license from a state board, agency or locality before they can open, and not all of them have a dedicated guide on this site. This page covers the regulator, the core requirement and the published fee for the most common of these types, so you know who to contact and what to budget. Learning how to start a regulated business in Virginia follows the same sequence in every case: form the entity, confirm the state license, then check the local license tax and tax registrations.

What you need before you start

• A legal business name and an entity choice: LLC, corporation or sole proprietorship operating under an assumed name
• A Virginia street address for your registered office and a registered agent, if you form an LLC or corporation
• Proof of any required experience, education or credentials, such as appraisal hours or pharmacy qualifications
• A surety bond or other financial security if the license requires one, such as mortgage brokers and passenger carriers
• The contact details for your city or county Commissioner of the Revenue, who handles the local BPOL license
• A budget line for exam fees, which are set by testing vendors and not the state

Step-by-step: how to start a regulated business in Virginia

1. Form the entity and reserve the name. A Virginia LLC files Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) for $100. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC619) for $75. You can reserve a name for $10 for 120 days. If you trade under a name other than your legal name, file an Assumed Name Certificate with the SCC for $10. It is not filed with the circuit court. File online through the SCC Clerk's Information System at cis.scc.virginia.gov, and find general guidance at scc.virginia.gov/businesses. An LLC name must include a term such as “limited company,” “LLC,” “L.C.” or “L.L.C.”, and it must be distinguishable from names already on file.
2. Find the agency that licenses your activity. Virginia has no general state business license. The SCC forms entities and issues no business license. Regulated trades are licensed by state boards and agencies such as the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), the Department of Health Professions, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC). Use the reference table below to find the right regulator, then go to that agency's page for the current application.
3. Apply to the licensing board and pay the fee. Each board publishes its fee schedule in the Virginia Administrative Code, and the chapter number is listed in the table. Read the chapter before you pay, because fees, experience hours and renewal dates are set there. Keep copies of every document you submit.
4. Meet the bond, supervision and registered agent rules. A mortgage broker needs a surety bond of at least $25,000. A mortgage lender must keep at least $200,000 in funds available and carry a bond that scales with loan volume. A passenger carrier needs a $25,000 bond. A Virginia LLC or corporation must keep a registered agent who is a Virginia resident with a Virginia street address, is available during business hours, and is either a member of the Virginia State Bar or a member, manager, officer, trustee or general partner of the entity. An entity cannot serve as its own registered agent.
5. Check the local BPOL license. The Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) is a local license tax under Va. Code 58.1-3700 and following. Each city or county administers it, usually through the Commissioner of the Revenue. Not every locality levies a general license. Va. Code 58.1-3704 allows a locality to levy none, and counties such as Stafford, Rockingham, Bedford County, Washington County, Montgomery County, Louisa and Fluvanna have no general county license. Towns can also displace the county tax. Do not assume your county charges one, and do not assume another county's rate applies to you. Localities set their own rates and deadlines. Population sets a floor on gross receipts. In a locality over 50,000 people, a license cannot be required on gross receipts under $100,000. In a locality of 25,000 to 50,000 people, the floor is under $50,000. Under 25,000 people, no floor applies. Localities over 50,000 may waive the license up to $200,000 in gross receipts, but verify that ceiling with your locality.
6. Register for taxes and check local rules. If you sell taxable goods, register for a sales tax permit with the Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax) at tax.virginia.gov/sales-and-use-tax. The base rate is 5.3% statewide plus local. It is 6% in regional-tax localities, 6.3% in eight localities and 7% in the Historic Triangle (James City County, Williamsburg and York County). Groceries are taxed at 1%. Zoning, parking and fire rules are local and apply on top of any state license, so confirm them with your city or county planning office before you sign a lease.

Agency and fee reference table

The table lists the regulator, the core requirement and the published fee for each type. Fees change, so confirm every figure with the named agency before you budget.

Business type	Agency	What is required	Fees
Real estate appraiser	Real Estate Appraiser Board, DPOR	Certified general, certified residential or licensed residential application. Experience hours: 1,000 for licensed residential, 1,500 for certified residential, 3,000 for certified general. Exam fee is set by the vendor (18VAC130-20-90).	$252.50 application for certified general, certified residential or licensed residential; $117.50 appraiser trainee; $160 business entity registration; $130 upgrade; plus $80 federal National Registry fee
Mortgage broker or lender	Bureau of Financial Institutions, SCC	Broker surety bond minimum $25,000. Lender bonds scale with loan volume from $25,000 to $150,000, but the regulation text on the lender minimum is not consistent, so check the current amount with the Bureau (10VAC5-160-15). Lender keeps at least $200,000 in funds available. Loan originators need a separate license.	Annual supervision fee minimum $400 for a broker and $800 for a lender, plus $6.60 per loan (10VAC5-160-40)
Insurance agency	SCC (agent license); Bureau of Insurance (assumed names)	An SCC license is required to act as an agent. A business entity must also be licensed. Assumed names are reported to the Bureau of Insurance within 30 days (Va. Code 38.2-1822 and 38.2-1823).	Confirm with the SCC. Acting unlicensed carries a penalty equal to the first-year commission plus other penalties.
Pharmacy	Board of Pharmacy	Pharmacy permit (18VAC110-20-20)	$700 initial; $490 annual renewal, due April 30
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy	Board of Medicine; Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)	Behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst license (18VAC85-150-40). Medicaid rules for ABA are changing, so check DMAS. Whether another agency licenses an ABA agency: check.	Behavior analyst $130 initial, $135 renewal; assistant behavior analyst $70 initial, $70 renewal
Auto repair	Department of Motor Vehicles and your locality	No state repair shop registration was found. Check with DMV and your locality. The State Police designate official inspection stations. Zoning and fire rules are local.	Maximum inspection charge: $20 for an ordinary vehicle, $51 for large trucks, $12 for motorcycles (Va. Code 46.2-1167)
For-hire passenger, limousine, taxi or transportation network company	DMV (passenger carriers); localities (taxi permits)	Passenger carrier license from DMV (46.2-2001.1, 46.2-2011.5). The old limousine chapter was repealed. Taxi permits are local.	$50 filing fee; $25,000 bond
Locksmith, private investigator or alarm	Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS)	Licensed through DCJS. For the related security guard company process, see the security guard company guide on this site.	Confirm with DCJS
Tree service or pool service	No state license found; check DPOR and your locality	No state license was found, so check with DPOR and your locality before you advertise. The DPOR swimming pool specialty covers in-ground pool construction only.	Not stated; confirm with DPOR
Distillery	ABC	Distiller license (Va. Code 4.1-231.1, 4.1-233.1)	$490 for up to 5,000 gallons; $2,725 for up to 36,000 gallons; $4,060 above 36,000 gallons. Local caps are none, $750 or $1,000, depending on the locality.
Cidery or meadery	ABC	Wine is covered under Va. Code 4.1-100, so the license is a farm winery license.	Confirm with ABC
Commercial fisherman or seafood buyer	Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)	Commercial fisherman registration; seafood buyer license	$190 commercial fisherman registration; seafood buyer $63 resident, $126 nonresident
Charter boat or fishing guide	VMRC	Head boat or charter boat license; fishing guide license	Head boat or charter boat $190 resident, plus $5 per passenger over six; fishing guide $100
Body and ear piercing	Board for Barbers and Cosmetology	Licensed by the Board since 2025	Check with the Board
Cannabis retail	Cannabis Control Authority (CCA)	No retail licenses exist yet. See the timeline below.	License caps, fees and local tax terms: check with the CCA
Cemetery	DPOR	Details not covered here	Check with DPOR

Fees change, so treat these figures as starting points. Confirm each one with the named agency before you commit money.

Dates and rules to check before you plan

Cannabis retail. Budget language authorizes cannabis retail sales from 2027-07-01, but the regulations are not final. The CCA timeline called for draft regulations in September 2026, council review from October to December 2026, final regulations in January 2027, conversion applications by 2027-02-01 and first licenses by 2027-05-01. Check whether the September draft was published and whether any dates have moved. Verify the current schedule with the CCA before you make any plans.

Child care and adult care. Confirm the current licensing agency before you apply. Child day centers and family day homes are licensed by the Department of Education, and assisted living and adult day care by the Department of Social Services.

Contractors. Since 2025-07-01, 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. Check the DPOR contractor pages to confirm which class fits your largest contract.

Tips for a smoother filing

• Read the chapter cited in the table before you pay. Board fee schedules and experience rules are set there, and they can differ from what a vendor or a forum post says.
• Ask your Commissioner of the Revenue in writing whether BPOL applies to your gross receipts and whether a waiver is available. A written answer protects you if a later audit questions it.
• Budget for the whole first year: the application, the exam, the bond premium, the registered agent and the first renewal, not only the filing fee.
• Put every renewal date on a calendar. A Virginia LLC pays the $50 annual registration fee to the SCC and files no annual report. The fee is due the last day of the 12th month after organization, then every year. The SCC bills about two months ahead.
• A stock corporation pays its annual registration fee by authorized shares. The annual registration fee is $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 amount.
• Virginia has no statewide food handler card. Food establishments must have a Certified Food Protection Manager, so plan that certification into your staffing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Looking for a state business license. The state does not issue one. The SCC forms entities, and the license you need is usually a board license plus a local BPOL license.
• Assuming every county charges BPOL. Some localities levy no general license, and towns can displace the county tax.
• Misreading “short-term rental.” In BPOL law, short-term rental means equipment rental, not vacation lodging.
• Filing an assumed name with the circuit court. In Virginia the Assumed Name Certificate goes to the SCC for $10.
• Skipping the insurance license. Acting as an agent without a license can bring a penalty equal to the first-year commission, plus other penalties.
• Assuming a tow business needs a state board. Virginia has no state towing board, but local rules still apply.
• Letting a renewal lapse. A pharmacy renewal is due April 30. An LLC that misses its registration fee can be canceled at the end of the third month after the due date, after a $25 late penalty.

Expected results

Completing these steps may help you reach a complete application on the first submission, which can reduce back-and-forth with the board. Approval is not guaranteed, and no agency commits to a specific timeline in this guide. Once you hold the state license, you may be able to operate in that trade, but local zoning, BPOL and tax registration can still apply. Treat the table as a map of where to start, not as a promise about what any agency will approve.

Disclaimer and next steps

This article is informational only. It is not legal or tax advice. For complex ownership, licensing or tax questions, consult a qualified Virginia attorney and a certified public accountant. Confirm all fees, deadlines and bond amounts directly with the agency named in the table, and check the Virginia Small Business Development Center network at virginiasbdc.org for free planning help.