//San Jose, California

How to start a business in San Jose.

San Jose is the capital of Silicon Valley and the largest city in the Bay Area. Here is the practical sequence to register, get your Business Tax Certificate, and open, with the official links and where to get free help.

Starting a business in San Jose? The official steps and source links are below.

Already operating or launching with budget in place? You can also

San Jose is one of the largest cities in the country and the civic heart of Silicon Valley. Behind the technology headquarters is a diverse population and a deep base of local and family businesses. From the downtown core and San Pedro Square Market to Santana Row, the SAP Center, The Tech Interactive, and the Municipal Rose Garden, the city blends a global tech identity with a strong neighborhood economy.

That scale and that diversity are the opportunity. Getting open cleanly, with the right Business Tax Certificate and permits, sets the foundation. Getting found by customers comes next. This guide covers the first in detail, then points you to the second at the end.

//The sequence

How to start a business in San Jose, step by step.

This is the order that works for most new San Jose businesses. Requirements vary by entity, location and industry, so use the city, county and state sources below to confirm what applies to yours.

1
Register the business and the name
Form an LLC or corporation with the California Secretary of State through bizfile Online, or stay a sole proprietor. If you use a name that is not your legal name, file a fictitious business name (DBA) statement with the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder within 40 days of starting business, online, in person, by mail or by email. It costs $40 for one name with one or two owners, plus $7 for each additional name or owner. Publish it starting within 45 days of filing, once a week for four weeks.
CA Secretary of State: bizfile Online Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder: Fictitious Business Name
2
Get your free EIN and any seller's permit
The IRS says you generally need an EIN to hire employees or to operate a partnership or corporation. It issues the number online, immediately if approved, and never charges for it. If you sell or lease goods that would ordinarily be subject to sales tax, you also need a seller's permit from the CDTFA, which does not charge for it but may ask for a security deposit.
IRS: Get an EIN CDTFA: Seller's permit
3
Get your San José Business Tax Certificate
Every person or company conducting business in San José must register for a Business Tax Certificate, and payment is due within 90 days of starting business in the city. Most businesses pay by employee count, and the count includes owners and family members who work in the business. From July 1, 2026, the base tax is $222.89 for 1 or 2 employees, plus $37.98 per employee for employees 3 to 35 (higher rates above that), plus the $4 state fee; landlords pay by rental units or square footage. Register online and the amount due shows on the payment page a few days later; pay online, by mail, or in person by appointment at City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St. Business Tax: (408) 535-7055, option 2.
City of San José: Business Tax & Registration City of San José: Business Tax Rates
4
Confirm zoning and pull any industry permits
The certificate is a receipt for the tax, not approval for zoning, fire rules, occupancy or any other permit, so confirm the use is allowed at the address with the city before you sign a lease. If you sell or serve food: The County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health issues the operating permit. Plans for a new or remodeled facility go to dehplancheck@deh.sccgov.org (email only since April 1, 2026) and are reviewed in up to 20 business days once the invoice is paid, followed by preliminary, pre-final and final inspections: (408) 918-3400. For other permits, GO-Biz offers permitting and regulatory help for any size company.
County of Santa Clara Environmental Health: Plan Review GO-Biz: Permit & Regulatory Assistance
5
Report business equipment to the Assessor
Under state law, if your business personal property cost $100,000 or more in total on January 1, or the Assessor asks, file a business property statement with the Santa Clara County Assessor by 5 p.m. April 1. Not filed by May 7, a 10% penalty applies.
Revenue and Taxation Code 441
6
Check the $800 California tax rules for your entity
Every California LLC owes the $800 annual tax, even in a year it does no business, until it is cancelled. Corporations owe an $800 minimum franchise tax, but newly incorporated or qualified corporations do not pay it in their first taxable year.
Franchise Tax Board: LLC $800 annual tax Franchise Tax Board: Corporation minimum tax
7
Use the free help that already exists
The Silicon Valley SBDC, part of the Norcal SBDC network, offers no-fee business advising: (408) 924-1402, info@svsbdc.org. Use it before you pay a consultant.
Norcal SBDC: Find Your SBDC (free advising)

//Free San Jose checklist

Take the steps with you.

Get the San Jose business checklist with the city, county, state and federal source links in one place, plus the licensing offices of five Bay Area cities. We keep the source page dated so you can see when it was last checked.

//Common questions

Things we get asked first.

Do I need a business license in San Jose?

San José issues a Business Tax Certificate rather than a license. Every person or company conducting business in the city must register for one, and payment is due within 90 days of starting business there. Keep it posted at your place of business; it does not grant zoning, fire, occupancy or other permit approvals.

Source: City of San José, Business Tax & Registration

How much is the San José business tax?

Most businesses pay by employee count, including owners and family members who work in the business. From July 1, 2026: a base tax of $222.89 for 1 or 2 employees, plus $37.98 per employee for employees 3 to 35 and higher rates above that, plus the $4 state fee. The rates can rise each July with the local cost of living, within annual limits.

Source: City of San José, Business Tax Rates

How do I open a restaurant in San Jose?

Beyond the San José Business Tax Certificate, the County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health issues the operating permit. Plans for a new or remodeled facility go to dehplancheck@deh.sccgov.org (email only since April 1, 2026) and are reviewed in up to 20 business days once the invoice is paid, followed by preliminary, pre-final and final inspections: (408) 918-3400.

Source: County of Santa Clara Environmental Health, Plan Review

Where do I file a DBA for a San Jose business?

With the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder, 110 West Tasman Drive, San Jose, if you use a name that is not your legal name: online through the Self-Service portal, in person (an appointment saves waiting), by mail or by email. It costs $40 for one name with one or two owners, plus $7 for each additional name or owner, and processing takes up to 5 workdays.

Sources: Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder, FBN Statement; Fee schedule

What is the $800 California tax people forget about?

Every California LLC owes the $800 annual tax, even in a year it does no business, until it is cancelled. Corporations owe an $800 minimum franchise tax, but newly incorporated or qualified corporations do not pay it in their first taxable year.

Source: Franchise Tax Board, Limited liability company

Where can I get free help starting my business?

The Silicon Valley SBDC, part of the Norcal SBDC network, offers no-fee business advising: (408) 924-1402, info@svsbdc.org. Use it before you pay a consultant.

Source: Norcal SBDC, Find Your SBDC

//Already operating?

The marketing question starts after the filing question.

If the business is already open, or the launch is funded, tell our founders what you want to change. We will look at the business before recommending SEO, paid media, the website or anything else.

For operating businesses and funded launches with budget available to act on the plan.

//Bookmark these

Official San Jose, Santa Clara County, and California resources.

Every link here goes straight to a government or nonprofit source. These are the agencies that actually issue your registrations and permits, so go to them directly rather than a paid middleman.

City of San José: Business Tax & Registration
Every person or company conducting business in San José registers for a Business Tax Certificate; payment is due within 90 days of starting. (408) 535-7055, option 2.
City of San José: Business Tax Rates
From July 1, 2026: $222.89 for 1 or 2 employees, plus $37.98 per employee from 3 to 35, plus the $4 state fee.
Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder: Fictitious Business Name
$40 for one name with one or two owners, plus $7 each extra. Online, in person, by mail or by email; up to 5 workdays.
County of Santa Clara Environmental Health: Plan Review
Food facility plans by email only since April 1, 2026, reviewed in up to 20 business days. (408) 918-3400.
Revenue and Taxation Code 441
State law: a business property statement is due April 1 from anyone with $100,000 or more in business property or a request from the Assessor.
Norcal SBDC: Find Your SBDC (free advising)
No-fee advising through the San Francisco, Silicon Valley and East Bay centers, with each center's address and phone.
CA Secretary of State: bizfile Online
Where LLCs and corporations file with the California Secretary of State.
IRS: Get an EIN
Your federal tax ID. Apply online and, if approved, the number is issued immediately. The IRS never charges a fee for an EIN.
CDTFA: Seller's permit
Required if you sell or lease goods that would ordinarily be subject to sales tax. The CDTFA does not charge for it, though it may ask for a security deposit.
Franchise Tax Board: LLC $800 annual tax
Every LLC doing business or organized in California owes the $800 annual tax, even in a year it does no business, until the LLC is cancelled.
Franchise Tax Board: Corporation minimum tax
Corporations owe an $800 minimum franchise tax, but newly incorporated or qualified corporations do not pay it in their first taxable year.
GO-Biz: Permit & Regulatory Assistance
The Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development says it will assist any size company with permitting and regulatory questions.