Once your business is all set up in Virginia Beach, you have to apply for licenses and permits. These licenses can vary depending on the industry your company operates in. Trying to figure out which ones you need can be an overwhelming process, but luckily there are many sources online that you can use to look up the specific licenses you need.
For example, you can visit the Virginia Beach Commissioner of the Revenue site to find out which licenses you need, renew ones that have expired, and even update information about your business.
No matter what type of industry you’re in, at the very least, you’ll need a business license and a seller’s permit if you’re selling goods or services. In this article, we are going to explain how you can use a Virginia Beach business license lookup site to find out which permits you need, apply for them, and renew expired ones.
Virginia Beach Business License Lookup
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Virginia Beach Business License Lookup Free Version
Depending on the activities of your company, you may need a business license to start a business in Virginia.
There may be unofficial tools and sites for looking up licenses in Virginia Beach, but we recommend using the official website of the Virginia Beach Commissioner of the Revenue. It has multiple resources for running a business, including information about applying for a business license and how you can renew it.
While there’s no tool that tells you which specific licenses you need for your business, the site does have something called “VBePay Portal,” which essentially lets you do the following things:
- Apply for a new business license
- Renew a business license that has or is about to expire
- Pay any outstanding business fees
- Update information about your business
- Notify the Commissioner of the Revenue that your business is closing
Looking at all of this information is free of charge; you just have to make an account. Once you sign up on the VBePay Portal, you can apply for a business license and pay for it online. Note that there is no statewide requirement for a business license in Virginia.
What Is the Phone Number for Virginia Beach Business License?
If you don’t want to use the portal and want more personalized assistance, then you can call the Commissioner of the Revenue directly at (757) 385-4251 or 757-385-4515 between 8 AM – 5 PM from Monday through Friday.
You can also email them at Business@vbgov.com. Let them know details about your business, such as the exact address and what industry it’s in, and they’ll get back to you with information about the licenses you need.
Virginia Beach Business License Application
Once you have registered your business name in Virginia and completed all the other steps of starting a company, you can go ahead and start a Virginia Beach business license application. You can do this on the VBePay Portal.
The documents required depend on what type of business entity your company is. If you are sole proprietor, you have to upload a picture ID, such as your driver license or U.S. passport.
If your company is a partnership, then one of the partners can apply for a Limited Partnership. They can do this with a registered copy of the Certificate of Limited Partnership filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
In case it’s a corporation, then one of the officers has to provide a registered copy of the Certificate of Corporate Charter filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Finally, if your business is an LLC, then a member of the company has to submit a registered copy of the Articles of Organization filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Generally speaking, you have to provide the following documents:
- A picture ID
- Social Security Number or Federal ID
- Information about the business (such as start date and address)
- Mailing address
- Contact information
- Business license fee (which you can pay on the portal)
Note that if your legal name isn’t included in the name of your company, then you must file a Fictitious Business Name (FBN) or Doing Business As (DBA). Do this with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) before you apply for a business license.
Make sure you use the Virginia Business Search tool first to check if your name hasn’t already been taken by another company.
Virginia Beach Business License Payment
If your business is new, you will be charged a flat fee of $50 for the first two years of operation, though it may differ a little depending on what industry your business is in.
You can either make the payment through the portal with a credit or debit card or by visiting the office in person and paying with cash.
If you pay online after 7:30 PM, it will be processed in two business days. Payments made before 7:30 PM will be processed in the following business day.
Get a Business License for Your Company in Virginia Beach
Getting a business license in Virginia Beach is an easy process and can be done online. Just go to the Commissioner of the Revenue site and sign up on the VBePay Portal. It’ll tell you what type of licenses you need for your business. You can apply for a new business license and also renew existing licenses.
You can also call the office or send an email if you have any questions or need information about what type of licenses or permits you need. Don’t forget to file an FBN with the SCC before you apply for a license.
Once you’ve got your license, you can start running your business in Virginia Beach without any problem.