//Burbank, California

How to start a business in Burbank.

Burbank is the Media Capital of the World, with Warner Bros. and Disney anchoring an entire economy of production vendors, plus a stable residential base that keeps everyday businesses busy. Here is the practical sequence to register, license, and open, with the official links and where to get free help.

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

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

Few cities its size carry a name like Burbank does. Warner Bros. Studios and Walt Disney Studios sit inside the city limits, and the whole ecosystem around them, post houses, camera and lighting rental, prop shops, catering, and every kind of production service, gives Burbank a business base you will not find in a typical suburb. Hollywood Burbank Airport puts the city on the map for travelers, and Downtown Burbank and the Magnolia Park district give it a walkable, distinctly local retail and dining scene.

That means your customer might be a studio vendor, a Magnolia Park regular, or a family that has lived off Riverside Drive for twenty years, and each 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 Burbank, step by step.

Burbank runs business registration through its Community Development Department. Here is the full order, including the county and state pieces that sit alongside the city's own steps.

1
Visit the Burbank Planning counter first
To file a new business physically located in Burbank, or to move an existing one, the city asks you to visit the Planning counter first, in the Community Services Building, 150 N. Third St. For one-on-one help finding a location, verifying zoning and getting permits, Burbank's Economic Development Division offers Business Concierge Services: (818) 238-5180, econdev@burbankca.gov.
City of Burbank: Business License & Tax
2
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 Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk within 40 days of starting business. It costs $26 for one name and one registrant, and you can file online, by mail or in person. The county says publication must begin within 30 days of filing, once a week for four consecutive weeks in an adjudicated Los Angeles County newspaper, which is stricter than the 45 days in state law.
CA Secretary of State: bizfile Online LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Fictitious Business Names
3
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
4
Register with the City of Burbank
All businesses located in Burbank, and businesses that come into Burbank to conduct business, must apply to the city. Most register for a business tax account; certain activities also need a business license. Bring the application (Burbank-based, out-of-town, home occupation or rental property) to the office in the Community Services Building: Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed noon to 1 p.m. Post the certificate on your premises, or carry a copy if you have no fixed location. Questions: license@burbankca.gov, (818) 238-5280.
City of Burbank: Business License & Tax City of Burbank: Business Tax
5
Pull any industry permits
If you sell or serve food: Every food facility needs a health permit before it opens, and Los Angeles County Environmental Health issues it everywhere except Long Beach, Pasadena and Vernon. A new or remodeled kitchen needs its plans approved by the county's Plan Check Program, (626) 430-5560, and then by local building and safety, before construction. The permit is issued after the final inspection and the permit fee. For other permits, GO-Biz offers permitting and regulatory help for any size company.
LA County Environmental Health: Restaurant Permit GO-Biz: Permit & Regulatory Assistance
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 LA Regional SBDC Network offers no-cost, confidential business advising and low-cost training across Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Use it before you pay a consultant.
LA Regional SBDC Network (free advising)

//Free Burbank checklist

Take the steps with you.

Get the Burbank business checklist with the city, county, state and federal source links in one place, plus the licensing offices of seven Los Angeles 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 Burbank?

Yes. All businesses located in Burbank, and businesses that come into Burbank to conduct business, must apply to the city, whether or not they are physically located there. Most register for a business tax account, and certain activities also need a business license.

Source: City of Burbank, Business License & Tax

Can I run a business from my home in Burbank?

Yes, with a Home Occupation Permit, a special type of permit and business tax account for an office-type business at home. Home occupations may have employees, but employees may not physically report to or work out of the home.

Source: City of Burbank, Business License & Tax

I am a contractor based outside Burbank. What do I need?

Contractors not based in Burbank but working on a construction project there pay business tax per job, when the building permit is issued. The application goes to the Building Permit counter (building@burbankca.gov).

Source: City of Burbank, Business License & Tax

Does Burbank help new businesses?

Yes. The Economic Development Division offers one-on-one Business Concierge Services and helps with finding a location, verifying zoning, obtaining permits and the entitlement process: (818) 238-5180 or econdev@burbankca.gov.

Source: City of Burbank, Business License & Tax

How do I open a restaurant in Burbank?

Beyond your Burbank registration, every food facility needs a health permit from Los Angeles County Environmental Health. A new or remodeled kitchen needs its plans approved by the county's Plan Check Program, (626) 430-5560, and then by local building and safety before construction. After building and safety's final approval, the county does a final inspection, and the permit is issued once the fee is paid.

Source: LA County Environmental Health, How to Obtain a Restaurant Permit

How do I register a business name in Los Angeles County?

If you use a name that is not your legal name, file a fictitious business name (DBA) statement with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk within 40 days of starting business. It costs $26 for one name and one registrant, and you can file online, by mail or in person. The county says publication must begin within 30 days of filing, once a week for four consecutive weeks in an adjudicated Los Angeles County newspaper, which is stricter than the 45 days in state law.

Source: LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Fictitious Business Names

//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 Burbank, LA 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 Burbank: Business License & Tax
Every business located in Burbank or coming in to work there applies to the city. Visit Planning first for a Burbank location. (818) 238-5280.
City of Burbank: Business Tax
The applications (Burbank-based, out-of-town, home occupation, rental property), office hours and posting rules. license@burbankca.gov.
County of Los Angeles: LA County Cities
The county's list of all 88 cities. Each one licenses the businesses inside it.
LA County Treasurer and Tax Collector: Business License
Licenses certain business activities in unincorporated areas and in Malibu, Santa Clarita and Westlake Village. (213) 974-2011.
LA County Planning
The planning department for every area outside a city, including zoning. (213) 974-6411.
LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Fictitious Business Names
$26 for one name and one registrant, plus $5 for each additional. The county says publication must begin within 30 days of filing.
LA County Environmental Health: Restaurant Permit
Plan check for new or remodeled food facilities, then the Public Health Permit. Long Beach, Pasadena and Vernon have their own. Plan Check: (626) 430-5560.
LA County Assessor: Business Property Assessments
If your equipment and fixtures cost $100,000 or more, file the Business Property Statement by April 1. Inventory is exempt. (213) 974-3211.
LA Regional SBDC Network (free advising)
No-cost, confidential advising and low-cost training across Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. 1-866-588-SBDC.
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.