//Elk Grove, California

How to start a business in Elk Grove.

Elk Grove has grown fast for two decades, with a large family and residential base and a service, retail, and small-business economy that grows with the 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 Elk Grove? The official steps and source links are below.

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

Just south of Sacramento, Elk Grove grew from farm country into one of the largest cities in the region, and it did so on the back of new neighborhoods. That residential base is the story of the local economy. Households here need contractors, dentists, tutors, mechanics, landscapers, salons, and restaurants, and a lot of that demand is still served by businesses that are only a few years old. Newer anchors like the Sky River Casino and a longtime Apple campus sit alongside an agricultural heritage that has not fully left, so the city is a genuine mix of the new and the established.

For a new business, that mix is opportunity, because a growing suburb is short on the exact services its families keep searching for. Getting open cleanly, with the right city business license, permits, and zoning sign-off, is the first step. Getting found by all those households 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 Elk Grove, step by step.

Elk Grove issues its own city business license, and the county and state handle the pieces around it. Here is the full order, so nothing gets missed between them.

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 Sacramento County Department of Finance, Business License Unit, within 40 days of starting business, in person or by mail. The county says to start publishing within 30 days of filing, once a week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation; state law allows 45, so starting within 30 satisfies both.
CA Secretary of State: bizfile Online Sacramento County Department of Finance: 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
Clear zoning, then pull any industry permits
Check zoning first with the city's Planning staff, (916) 478-2265: the zoning of your location has to allow your kind of business, some commercial businesses also need a Use Permit, and every new sign needs a Sign Permit. New construction or a change in occupancy goes through Building and Safety, (916) 478-2235, and may need the Fire Chief's review before you open. If you sell or serve food: Sacramento County Environmental Management permits and inspects every retail food facility in the county, cities included, and plans for a new facility, a remodel or a change in the type of operation must be submitted before construction begins: Plan Review, (916) 874-6010. The first year's permit fee is billed after you are permitted. For other permits, GO-Biz offers permitting and regulatory help for any size company.
Sacramento County EMD: Retail Food Protection Program Sacramento County EMD: Plan Review FAQs GO-Biz: Permit & Regulatory Assistance
4
Get your Elk Grove business license
A business with a physical location in Elk Grove applies for a General Business License: $16 for two years. Apply online or at a Business License kiosk at City Hall, 8401 Laguna Palms Way; handwritten and mailed applications are not accepted. You pay when you apply, a digital copy is emailed within 24 to 48 business hours, and the license arrives by mail in about two weeks. It cannot be transferred to another business or owner, and a change in its information may mean a new application. Business License: (916) 627-3279.
City of Elk Grove: Business License
5
Check whether you need a Special Business License
Some businesses also need a Special Business License, filed in person at City Hall and approved by the police department after fingerprinting: $125 a year plus a $49 background check. The list includes mobile food vendors, janitorial, maid and carpet cleaning, swimming pool cleaning, tree trimmers, tow services, tobacco retailers, pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers, and home repair services without a state license.
City of Elk Grove: Business License
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 Norcal SBDC network offers expert, no-fee advising for new startups and established businesses; its Sacramento Valley SBDC is at 1792 Tribute Rd #270, Sacramento, (916) 655-2100. Use it before you pay a consultant.
Norcal SBDC: Sacramento Valley SBDC (free advising)

//Free Elk Grove checklist

Take the steps with you.

Get the Elk Grove business checklist with the city, county, state and federal source links in one place, plus the licensing offices of five Sacramento 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 Elk Grove?

A business with a physical location in Elk Grove applies for a General Business License. The city issues licenses for tracking and publication purposes and says you remain responsible for following all laws that apply to your business. Some businesses also need a Special Business License.

Source: City of Elk Grove, Business License

How much does an Elk Grove business license cost?

A General Business License is $16 for two years. A Special Business License is $125 for one year plus $49 for fingerprinting and a background check, a one-time charge as long as the license does not lapse. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and some other exempt types are licensed at no charge.

Source: City of Elk Grove, Business License

How long does an Elk Grove business license take?

The online General application takes about 15 minutes. Once approved, a digital copy is emailed within 24 to 48 business hours, and the license arrives by mail in about two weeks. Special licenses take longer because of the police review.

Source: City of Elk Grove, Business License

How do I renew my Elk Grove license?

The city sends a renewal notice 60 days before your license expires, with instructions for updating your information and paying.

Source: City of Elk Grove, Business License

How do I open a restaurant in Elk Grove?

Beyond the Elk Grove business license, every retail food facility needs a health permit from Sacramento County Environmental Management, which covers all the cities. Submit plans before any construction, remodel or change in the type of operation (Plan Review: (916) 874-6010), and schedule the final inspection at least two days ahead once all equipment works: (916) 875-8440. After opening you post the green, yellow or red placard from your latest inspection.

Sources: Sacramento County EMD, Plan Review FAQs and Retail Food Protection Program

How do I register a business name in Sacramento County?

If you use a name that is not your legal name, file a fictitious business name (DBA) statement with the Sacramento County Department of Finance, Business License Unit, within 40 days of starting business, in person or by mail. The county says to start publishing within 30 days of filing, once a week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation; state law allows 45, so starting within 30 satisfies both.

Source: Sacramento County Department of Finance, Fictitious Business Name FAQs

//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 Elk Grove, Sacramento 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 Elk Grove: Business License
A General Business License for a business with a physical location in the city: $16 for two years. Apply online or at a City Hall kiosk. (916) 627-3279.
Sacramento County: Business Licensing
The county licenses businesses in the unincorporated area, outside Sacramento, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Galt and Isleton. (916) 874-6644.
Sacramento County: Business Licensing FAQs
County license fees ($262.60 for three years), special licenses, zoning checks and home occupation standards.
Sacramento County Department of Finance: Fictitious Business Names
Filed with the Business License Unit, in person or by mail. The county says to start publishing within 30 days. (916) 874-6644.
Sacramento County EMD: Retail Food Protection Program
Permits and inspects every retail food facility in the county, cities included, and posts green, yellow or red placards.
Sacramento County EMD: Plan Review FAQs
Plans before any new construction, remodel or change in the type of operation. Plan Review: (916) 874-6010.
Sacramento County Assessor: Business Personal Property
File if your business property cost $100,000 or more, or the Assessor asks. (916) 875-0730.
Norcal SBDC: Sacramento Valley SBDC (free advising)
No-fee advising for startups and established businesses. 1792 Tribute Rd #270, Sacramento, (916) 655-2100.
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.