//Bakersfield, California

How to start a business in Bakersfield.

Bakersfield is the Kern County seat and the center of California's oil country, wrapped around a major farm region. That mix of oil and agriculture, plus growing healthcare and logistics on I-5 and Highway 99, keeps demand steady. Here is the practical sequence to register, license, and open, with the official links and where to get free help.

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

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

Bakersfield is a working city with deep roots. It anchors Kern County's oil and farm economy, so oilfield services, ag suppliers, and the trucking that moves it all along Interstate 5 and Highway 99 form the backbone of the local economy. Healthcare has become a major employer in town, and downtown, along with the Bakersfield Sound country-music heritage the city is known for, gives it a character all its own.

That means your customer might be an energy contractor, a grower, a hospital worker, or a family that has been here for generations, and each of them finds you differently. Getting open cleanly, with the right Business Tax Certificate, permits, and zoning sign-off, is the first step. Getting found afterward is the second. This guide covers the first in detail, then points you to the second at the end.

//The sequence

How to start a business in Bakersfield, step by step.

Bakersfield runs business registration through its Treasury Division, and Kern County and the state handle the pieces around it. 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 Kern County Clerk within 40 days of starting business: $43, plus $6 for each additional name or owner, with a government photo ID and an Affidavit of Identity (notarized if you file by mail). Publish it in an adjudicated Kern County newspaper once a week for four weeks, starting within 30 days of filing: the Clerk's instructions say 30 days, and state law allows 45. The newspaper sends the proof of publication to the Clerk.
CA Secretary of State: bizfile Online Kern County Clerk: Fictitious Business Names
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 Bakersfield Business Tax Certificate
All businesses located in or conducting business in Bakersfield must hold a current Business Tax Certificate, which the city also calls a business license; it is an annual tax paid each fiscal year. A new business contacts the Treasury Office, submits the completed application and pays the tax due. The Treasury counter is on the first floor of City Hall North, 1600 Truxtun Avenue, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays: (661) 326-3762.
City of Bakersfield: Business Tax Certificate
4
Renew by July 31 every year
Every certificate expires June 30. Renew by July 31; it is delinquent August 1. The city mails a Declaration of Gross Receipts each spring (return it by May 31 for a courtesy bill), and most businesses can renew online. The notices are a courtesy: renewing on time is the owner's job.
City of Bakersfield: How do I renew my Business Tax Certificate?
5
Clear zoning, then pull any industry permits
Confirm your address and activity are allowed before you sign a lease: Planning Division, 1715 Chester Avenue, (661) 326-3733. A home business needs a Home Occupation permit from the city's Permit Center. If you sell or serve food: Talk to Kern County Public Health's Environmental Health Division first: plans and specifications must be approved before you build or remodel, and the health permit is issued after an inspection once the fee is paid. It does not transfer to a new owner: (661) 862-8700. For other permits, GO-Biz offers permitting and regulatory help for any size company.
City of Bakersfield: Planning Division City of Bakersfield: Home Occupation permit Kern County Public Health: How do I Start a Food Facility?Kern County Public Health: Restaurants, Markets & Kitchens GO-Biz: Permit & Regulatory Assistance
6
Report business equipment to the Assessor
If your business personal property cost $100,000 or more in total, or the Assessor asks, file a business property statement by April 1; a statement received after May 7 gets a 10% penalty. Business inventory is exempt. Questions: (661) 868-3310.
Kern County Assessor-Recorder: Business Personal Property
7
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
8
Use the free help that already exists
The CSU Bakersfield Small Business Development Center offers one-on-one business advising at no cost to clients, plus webinars, trainings and help with funding, for Kern, Inyo and Mono counties: (661) 654-2856. Use it before you pay a consultant.
CSU Bakersfield SBDC (free advising)

//Free Bakersfield checklist

Take the steps with you.

Get the Bakersfield business checklist with the city, county, state and federal source links in one place, plus the licensing offices of all 11 Kern County 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 Bakersfield?

Yes. All businesses located in or conducting business in Bakersfield must hold a current Business Tax Certificate, which the city also calls a business license. A new business contacts the Treasury Office, submits the completed application and pays the tax due: (661) 326-3762.

Source: City of Bakersfield, Finance

When does a Bakersfield Business Tax Certificate expire?

Every June 30. Renew by July 31; it becomes delinquent August 1. The city mails a Declaration of Gross Receipts each spring, and returning it by May 31 gets you a courtesy bill, or you can renew online. Renewing on time is your responsibility even if no notice arrives.

Source: City of Bakersfield, How do I renew my Business Tax Certificate?

How do I open a restaurant in Bakersfield?

Beyond the Bakersfield Business Tax Certificate, contact Kern County Public Health's Environmental Health Division before you build: plans and specifications must be approved first, and when construction is nearly done it inspects the facility. The health permit is issued once the facility is approved and the fee is paid, and it does not transfer to a new owner. Buying an existing restaurant? Ask for an up-to-date inspection first. (661) 862-8700.

Source: Kern County Public Health, How do I Start a Food Facility?

Can I run a business from my home in Bakersfield?

With a Home Occupation permit from the city's Permit Center, and you still need the Business Tax Certificate. The Planning Division's guides explain the permit; zoning questions go to (661) 326-3733.

Source: City of Bakersfield, Planning Guides

How do I register a business name in Kern County?

If you use a name that is not your legal name, file a fictitious business name (DBA) statement with the Kern County Clerk within 40 days of starting business: $43, plus $6 for each additional name or owner, with a government photo ID and an Affidavit of Identity (notarized if you file by mail). Publish it in an adjudicated Kern County newspaper once a week for four weeks, starting within 30 days of filing: the Clerk's instructions say 30 days, and state law allows 45. The newspaper sends the proof of publication to the Clerk.

Sources: Kern County Clerk, Fictitious Business Names; Instructions; Publication Requirements

Where can I get free help starting my business?

The CSU Bakersfield Small Business Development Center offers one-on-one business advising at no cost to clients, plus webinars, trainings and help with funding, for Kern, Inyo and Mono counties: (661) 654-2856. Use it before you pay a consultant.

Source: CSU Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield, Kern 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 Bakersfield: Business Tax Certificate
Every business located in or doing business in Bakersfield holds a current certificate. Treasury counter, City Hall North, 1600 Truxtun Avenue. (661) 326-3762.
City of Bakersfield: How do I renew my Business Tax Certificate?
Certificates expire June 30 and must be renewed by July 31; they are delinquent August 1.
City of Bakersfield: Planning Division
Zoning and land use questions, 1715 Chester Avenue. (661) 326-3733.
City of Bakersfield: Home Occupation permit
Home businesses get a Home Occupation permit through the Permit Center.
Kern Council of Governments: Member cities
The county's 11 cities, from Arvin to Wasco. Each sets its own business license rules.
Kern County: Starting a Business
Which businesses in unincorporated areas need a county license, plus business names and zoning.
Kern County Sheriff's Office: Licensing Unit
County business licenses for listed trades in unincorporated areas, by appointment. (661) 391-7690.
Kern County Clerk: Fictitious Business Names
$43, plus $6 for each extra name or owner, with photo ID and an Affidavit of Identity. 1115 Truxtun Avenue. (661) 868-3588.
Kern County Public Health: How do I Start a Food Facility?
Plans approved before you build, then an inspection and a health permit that does not transfer. (661) 862-8700.
Kern County Public Health: Restaurants, Markets & Kitchens
The food permit and plan review applications, plan uploads, change of ownership and the food grading policy.
Kern County Assessor-Recorder: Business Personal Property
File if your business property cost $100,000 or more or the Assessor asks: due April 1, 10% penalty after May 7. (661) 868-3310.
CSU Bakersfield SBDC (free advising)
One-on-one business advising at no cost to clients, plus webinars and funding help, for Kern, Inyo and Mono counties. (661) 654-2856.
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.