Ventura County Government Center
800 South Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93009-1290
BUSINESS LICENSE - NEW APPLICATIONS
County Business Tax Certificate
All businesses, professions, trades, vocations, enterprises, establishments, occupations and callings being conducted in the UNINCORPORATED areas of the county must obtain a Business Tax Certificate. This includes temporary businesses (e.g., film productions). Even businesses located within any city limits that deliver, solicit, or operate in the unincorporated areas of the county must have this certificate. Depending on business type and location, approvals and/or permits from other County of Ventura Departments may be required. At minimum, Planning/Zoning Department and Building/Safety are required. More than one Business Tax Certificate may be required depending on the types of activities the business is conducting.
Certain trades will require an additional Regulatory License in order to operate. Those trades are: temporary show or concert, dance hall, hawker, pool table, pawn broker, junk collector or dealer, massage parlor, massage technician, rubbish collector, second-hand dealer, solicitor, taxi cab operator, itinerant merchant, bingo, etc.
Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) is collected for all hotels, motels and short term rentals, in addition to the Business Tax Certificate. Please visit the link in the menu above for more information.
Approval Process Overview
County Business Tax Certificate
- GIS Maps: Click on the map to verify your location is within the unincorporated area of Ventura County.
Every Business Tax Certificate needs approval stamps from Planning/Zoning and Building/Safety divisions of Ventura County RMA. Please use the button below to review the minimum requirements and for contact information.
Helpful Links to RMA’s website:
- Planning/Zoning: https://vcrma.org/remote-zoning-clearance-permit-processing
- Building/Safety: https://vcrma.org/divisions/building-and-safety
Requirements: SIC Codes and Industrial General Permit Requirements
On October 2, 2019, the State of California passed Senate Bill 205, effective January 1, 2020, requiring certain regulated businesses to demonstrate enrollment with Stormwater Industrial General Permits (IGP) BEFORE cities may issue, or renew, a local business license.
What should a business do to comply with these requirements?
- Determine the primary Standard Industry Classification (SIC) Code(s) for your business using SIC Search or NAICS/SIC crosswalk if you know your NAICS. If you have questions or need assistance, email Tax.Collector@ventura.org and we can assist you with finding the best fit.
- Determine whether the SIC code is one required to enroll in the State IGP program at IGP-regulated codes.
- If the SIC code is a regulated code, enroll the business under the State’s IGP SMART tracking system and then continue to #5
- If the SIC code for your business IS NOT a regulated code, continue with your renewal form and skip #5.
- Provide one of the following to the County of Ventura with your business license renewal: WDID application # and WDID, or NONA, or NEC.
What if I have more questions about the State Stormwater Program?
Stormwater Hotline: (805) 650-4064 or (805) 645-1382.
Review the State’s Frequently Asked Questions.
State of California Requirements:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
Note: The County of Ventura does not administer or enforce the IGP.
