//Corona, California

How to start a business in Corona.

Corona is the Circle City, a manufacturing and logistics anchor on the western edge of Riverside County where household names like Fender and Monster keep company. Here is the practical sequence to register, license, and open, with the official links and where to get free help.

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

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

Corona earned its Circle City nickname from the roughly three-mile loop of Grand Boulevard, but the shape that matters most to a new owner is its economy. This is one of the Inland Empire's real manufacturing and logistics hubs, with a large base of industrial space and names like Monster Beverage and Fender Musical Instruments inside the city. Sitting right on the Orange County and Riverside County line, at the mouth of the Santa Ana Canyon, Corona is also a classic commuter city, which shapes both its rush-hour rhythm and the everyday businesses that serve people coming and going.

That means your customer might be a warehouse operator off the 15, a machine shop supplying the industrial base, a family stopping on the way home to the neighborhoods, or a sports and fitness brand drawn to the cluster already here. Each one finds you differently. Getting open cleanly, with the right city business license, 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 Corona, step by step.

Corona runs business licensing through its Finance Department. Here is the full order, including the county and state pieces that sit alongside the city's own steps.

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 Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder within 40 days of starting business. It costs $66 for the name and first registrant, including one certified copy. State law allows 45 days after filing to publish it, once a week for four weeks, but the county's own page still says 30, so publishing within 30 days satisfies both.
CA Secretary of State: bizfile Online Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder: 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 Corona business license
Any individual, corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship that wants to do business in Corona must get a business license certificate. Apply online through the city's third-party administrator, HdL Companies; fees follow the city's flat rate or gross receipts tax schedule. Businesses with gross receipts under $5,000 are among those exempt from paying, but they still register with the Business License Division and show proof of the exemption. Business License Division: (951) 736-2275.
City of Corona: Business License Information
4
Pull any industry permits
If you sell or serve food: Every food facility needs a permit from the County of Riverside Department of Environmental Health before it opens, and state law requires plans approved before any new construction or remodeling. Permits do not transfer to a new owner. The City of Temecula lists the county office at 38740 Sky Canyon Dr., Murrieta, (951) 461-0284. Paying for the Corona certificate does not by itself let you open: every business must meet city codes and have Community Development Department approval before opening. For other permits, GO-Biz offers permitting and regulatory help for any size company.
Riverside County Department of Environmental Health: Plan Check Health and Safety Code 114380 GO-Biz: Permit & Regulatory Assistance
5
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
6
Use the free help that already exists
The Orange County Inland Empire SBDC offers no-cost help for entrepreneurs across Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Use it before you pay a consultant.
Orange County Inland Empire SBDC (free advising)

//Free Corona checklist

Take the steps with you.

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

Yes. Any individual, corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship that wishes to conduct business in the City of Corona must secure a business license certificate.

Source: City of Corona, Business License Information

Can I open once I have paid for the license?

Not on payment alone. The city says paying for the certificate does not authorize you to do business: every business must comply with city codes and have Community Development Department approval before opening.

Source: City of Corona, Business License Information

Is any business exempt from Corona's license fee?

Some are, including businesses with gross receipts under $5,000. Exempt businesses must still register with the Business License Division and provide proof of the exemption. Ask about others at (951) 736-2275.

Source: City of Corona, Business License Information

How do I apply for a Corona business license?

Online, through the city's third-party administrator, HdL Companies. The city publishes both a flat rate schedule and a gross receipts tax schedule for the fee.

Source: City of Corona, Business License Information

How do I open a restaurant in Corona?

Beyond the Corona business license, every food facility needs a health permit from the County of Riverside Department of Environmental Health, and state law requires plans approved before any new construction or remodeling. No food facility may open without a valid permit, and permits do not transfer to a new owner, so contact Environmental Health before you build or buy: (951) 461-0284.

Sources: City of Temecula, Business License Contacts; Health and Safety Code 114380 and 114381

How do I register a business name in Riverside County?

If you use a name that is not your legal name, file a fictitious business name (DBA) statement with the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder within 40 days of starting business. It costs $66 for the name and first registrant, including one certified copy. State law allows 45 days after filing to publish it, once a week for four weeks, but the county's own page still says 30, so publishing within 30 days satisfies both.

Source: Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, 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 Corona, Riverside 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 Corona: Business License Information
A business license certificate for anyone doing business in Corona, applied for through the city's administrator, HdL Companies. (951) 736-2275.
County of Riverside: Cities
Links to all 28 cities in Riverside County. Each one licenses the businesses inside it.
County of Riverside: Business (Stormwater) Registration
The county has no business license, but unincorporated businesses register under Ordinance 857: $45, then $30 a year. (951) 955-1400.
County of Riverside: Starting a Business
Zoning with the county Planning Department, business names with the County Clerk, and reporting business property to the Assessor.
Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder: Fictitious Business Names
$66 for the name and first registrant, including one certified copy, plus $5 for each additional name or registrant. (951) 486-7000.
Riverside County Department of Environmental Health: Plan Check
Food facility plan approval and health permits. The City of Temecula lists its office at 38740 Sky Canyon Dr., Murrieta, (951) 461-0284.
Riverside County Assessor: Business Personal Property
File if you own more than $100,000 in business personal property or get a request. File by May 7 to avoid penalties. (951) 955-6210.
Orange County Inland Empire SBDC (free advising)
No-cost help for entrepreneurs across Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. (800) 616-7232.
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.