Are you thinking about starting a small business in Mississippi? Along with filing your company with the state, one part of the process that often gets overlooked is obtaining business licenses and permits. It’s also a step that tends to leave a lot of business owners confused, since the exact licenses and permits that a business in Mississippi is required to have can depend on several different factors.
Thankfully, we’re here to help clear up some of the confusion! In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about small business licenses and permits in Mississippi, including how to figure out which ones your business needs and how to apply for them.
The reason why business licenses and permits are required by all levels of government is that they allow the government to regulate business activities. When you apply for a license or permit, you’ll be required to provide a lot of information about your business, and this information is used to confirm compliance with various laws and regulations.
Generally speaking, the purpose of business licenses is to grant businesses the authority to conduct business in a specific location. Permits, meanwhile, are typically used to regulate specific industries and business activities. For example, a store that imports and sells tobacco products may need a general business permit from the city or county just to do business in that area as well as a permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
Since Mississippi does not require a state-level general business license, some businesses in Mississippi may not need any licenses and permits at all. Others will require a combination of licenses from local, state, and federal agencies, so it’s important to do your research to see which one your business needs.
To help better demonstrate the main difference between business licenses and business permits, here’s a quick breakdown of each one:
There are numerous different types of licenses and permits that a Mississippi business might be required to obtain, and they are issued by agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.
At the state and local level, here are the different types of licenses and permits your business might need:
Many businesses in Mississippi will also be required to obtain specialized permits from agencies at the state and local levels. This includes permits such as:
If your business engages in federally regulated activities, you may be required to obtain federal permits as well. This includes federally regulated industries/activities such as:
To learn more about federal licensing requirements, check out the Small Business Administration (SBA) federal licenses and permits page.
It’s important to note that the exact process for obtaining business licenses and permits ultimately depends on which ones your business needs and the agencies that issue them. However, here is a general breakdown of what that application process looks like for most business licenses and permits:
The first step is to figure out the exact licenses and permits that your business will need. In Mississippi, businesses may be required to obtain licenses from agencies at the local, state, and federal governments:
Once you know which licenses and permits your business needs, the next step is to complete the application process for each one. This generally involves completing an application form, submitting it to the agency issuing the license, and paying the application fee.
After submitting your application for a business license, you can typically track it online by visiting the issuing agency’s website. If online application tracking isn’t an option, you can contact the agency directly for status updates.
Processing times for business licenses and permits can vary a lot from one agency to another. However, federal licenses and permits tend to take longer than those issued at the state and local levels, and you may have to wait several weeks for approval.
Most business licenses and permits have to be renewed periodically. How often renewal is required will vary from one license to another, but annual renewal is the most common frequency. Be sure to keep up with the renewal deadlines for all of the licenses and permits that you obtain so that you can renew them on time; failing to renew business licenses and permits by their deadlines can lead to penalties and other consequences.
Obtaining all the required business licenses and permits is an essential step when forming a new company in Mississippi. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can figure out which licenses and permits your business needs and easily apply for them.
You should never begin operating your business until you are sure that you have all the licenses and permits that you need. Conducting business without the necessary licenses and permits can lead to fines and may even result in your business being shut down.
In Mississippi, sole proprietors are treated just like any other business when it comes to licensing requirements. Like an LLC or corporation, the licenses and permits you will need depend on where you conduct business and the nature of your business activities.
Mississippi does not require a state-issued general business license. However, most business licenses issued at the local level will have to be renewed periodically. This is true for federal business licenses and permits as well.
This portion of our website is for informational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and none of the information on this website constitutes or is intended to convey legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos.
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