//Murrieta, California

How to start a business in Murrieta.

Murrieta is a fast-growing family suburb in Southwest Riverside County, anchored by Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta, a deep bench of professional services, and a steady stream of new rooftops. Here is the practical sequence to register, license, and open, with the official links and where to get free help.

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

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

Murrieta grew from ranch country into a sought-after Inland Empire suburb, and it did it fast. Families come for the schools and a quality of life that keeps them here for the long haul. That stability shows up in the local economy: Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta anchors a growing healthcare corridor along the I-215, medical offices and specialty practices cluster around it, and professional services, retail centers, and restaurants fill in around a population that keeps climbing.

Sitting right next to Temecula, Murrieta shares in the wider Southwest Riverside County market while keeping its own family-first character. Your customer might be a new homeowner off Clinton Keith, a clinic near the hospital, or a household that has been here since the town incorporated. Getting open cleanly, with the right business license, permits, and zoning and fire 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 Murrieta, step by step.

This is the order that works for most new Murrieta 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 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 Murrieta business license
Every person (including 1099 workers) or entity planning to do business within Murrieta city limits, whether or not the business is taxable, must apply for a license, pay the fees and get the needed approvals. Apply, renew, pay, update or close a license online at any time. Renewals open online 90 days before a license expires and stay open until 12 months after. A home business uses the city's Home Occupation Permit (HOP) form. Business License main number: (951) 461-6042.
City of Murrieta: Business Licenses
4
Confirm zoning and pull any industry permits
Confirm your use is allowed at the address with the city before you sign a lease. 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. 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 Murrieta checklist

Take the steps with you.

Get the Murrieta 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 Murrieta?

Yes. Every person (including 1099 workers) or entity planning to engage in business within city limits, whether or not the business is subject to taxation, must apply for a license, pay applicable fees and obtain the appropriate approvals.

Source: City of Murrieta, Business Licenses

How do I apply for or renew a Murrieta license?

Online, 24/7: apply, renew, pay a balance, close a license or update your information. Licenses can be renewed online from 90 days before the expiration date until 12 months after.

Source: City of Murrieta, Business Licenses

Can I run a business from my home in Murrieta?

Yes, with a Murrieta business license. The city has a Home Occupation Permit (HOP) form for home businesses on its business license page.

Source: City of Murrieta, Business Licenses

How do I open a restaurant in Murrieta?

Beyond the Murrieta 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

Where can I get free help starting my business?

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.

Source: Orange County Inland Empire 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 Murrieta, 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 Murrieta: Business Licenses
Required for every person or entity doing business in the city, taxable or not. Apply and renew online, 24/7. (951) 461-6042.
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.