Fort Worth Business License: Certificate of Occupancy and Permits

If you searched for a fort worth business license, the first thing to know is that Fort Worth does not issue one. The city's small business guide says a business with a physical location needs a Certificate of Occupancy, plus whatever inspections and permits your specific activity triggers. This guide covers the city paperwork in the order most owners find it works, along with the Texas filings and tax registrations that run alongside it.

Informational only: This article is not legal or tax advice. Fees, forms, and processes change. Confirm every figure with the agency named in each step, and talk to a qualified attorney or CPA before you sign a lease, form an entity, or set up tax collection, especially if your business is complex.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you open any portal. Missing one is a common reason an application stalls.

• Your entity documents. If you are forming an LLC, the Certificate of Formation (Form 205) costs $300 with the Texas Secretary of State.
• The exact address, including suite number, and the property owner's name.
• A written description of the use: what you sell or make, your hours, your number of employees, and whether customers visit in person.
• A floor plan drawn to scale, showing seating, fixtures, restrooms, exits, and major equipment. Ask Development Support Services whether it wants drawings for your use.
• A signed lease or proof of ownership. Tenants often need the landlord's written consent for build-outs.
• A registered agent with a physical Texas street address, if you are forming an LLC or corporation.

Step 1: Understand What Texas Does and Does Not Require

Texas does not issue or require a general state business license. Counties license nothing beyond the assumed-name filing that sole proprietors make with the county clerk. The state's reference for activity-specific licenses and permits is the Texas Business Licenses and Permits Guide from the Business Permit Office within the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office.

Texas also has no state income tax and no corporate income tax. Most entities instead pay the franchise tax, a privilege tax administered by the Texas Comptroller. For the 2026 and 2027 report years, entities with total revenue at or below $2,650,000 owe no franchise tax. Above that threshold, the rate is 0.375 percent for retail and wholesale businesses and 0.75 percent for other entities. Texas has no statewide general contractor or roofing license, so trade licensing depends on the specific work you do.

Step 2: Name Your Business and Form the Entity

An LLC name must be distinguishable from existing Texas filings and must include an organizational designation such as Limited Liability Company, LLC, L.L.C., LC, or L.C. Call the Secretary of State at (512) 463-5555 to check preliminary availability. If you need time, a name reservation costs $40 and holds the name for 120 days. The form is at https://www.sos.texas.gov/corp/forms/806_boc.pdf.

File through SOSDirect at https://direct.sos.state.tx.us/acct/acct-login.asp. The Secretary of State says electronic filing gives the fastest processing. Mailed or hand-delivered documents generally take at least one business day just to be entered, and the office publishes no guaranteed standard turnaround. Guaranteed timing comes only from paid Texas Express expedite tiers, which are added to the $300 filing fee:

• Standard Expedite: $50 per document, typically processed in two to three business days.
• Next Day Expedite: $500 per document, for filings received by 12:00 p.m.
• Same Day Expedite: $750 per document, for filings received by 12:00 p.m.

If you will operate under a name other than the legal name, file an Assumed Name Certificate (Form 503) for $25. Registered entities file it only with the Secretary of State. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county clerk in each county where they do business, and county fees vary.

Your registered agent must be a Texas resident or an entity authorized in Texas, and the registered office must be a physical street address where the agent can be served during business hours. A post office box or mail forwarding service does not qualify. Changing the agent or office costs $15.

Step 3: Confirm Zoning Before You Sign a Lease

Zoning controls what you can do at an address, and it is the step owners skip most often. Ask the city for the zoning district of the property before you sign. A use allowed in one district can be prohibited in the next. The Certificate of Occupancy review checks zoning too, so the only question is whether you learn about a problem before or after you have committed to rent.

Step 4: Apply for the Certificate of Occupancy

Every business with a physical location in Fort Worth needs a Certificate of Occupancy. Choose the application type that matches your situation:

Your situation	Application type to select
The use is changing from the prior occupant's use	Occupancy Change of Use
The use matches the prior Certificate of Occupancy	Occupancy Existing Ordinance

You can apply online through Accela Citizen Access under Building Permits, or in person at Development Support Services, City Hall 5th Floor Customer Center. Work through these steps:

1. Sign in to Accela Citizen Access or create an account, then select Building Permits.
2. Choose Occupancy Change of Use or Occupancy Existing Ordinance using the table above.
3. Enter the address, the business name, and a precise description of the use. Vague descriptions slow review.
4. Upload your floor plan and any supporting documents, then pay the fees the portal shows. Check the current fee on the city's site before you budget, because this guide does not list it.
5. Track the application in Accela and answer any correction requests quickly.

Step 5: Schedule the Required Inspections

Inspections depend on the scope of work and the use. Building, fire, and health inspections are common, and others may apply. Food businesses go through the city's Consumer Health program. Check fortworthtexas.gov for the current department name and contact details before you finalize a kitchen layout.

Ask Development Support Services which inspections your project needs and get the list in writing. Schedule each inspection only after the work it covers is complete, because a failed inspection typically means a reinspection before you can move forward.

Step 6: Register for Sales Tax

If you sell taxable goods or services, apply for a Texas sales and use tax permit from the Comptroller at https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit/. The permit is issued at no charge and typically takes two to three weeks to process, so apply well before your opening date.

The Texas state sales tax rate is 6.25 percent. Fort Worth's combined rate depends on local add-ons for your address, so confirm the rate for your location with the Comptroller before you set prices or configure your point-of-sale system. Do not copy a rate from a competitor's website or an older article.

Short-Term Rentals in Fort Worth

If you are considering a fort worth short term rental, check the zoning first. Under the city's 2023 ordinance, short-term rentals are prohibited in residential zoning districts. A Tarrant County court upheld that ordinance in March 2025. Short-term rentals are allowed in mixed-use and most commercial and industrial districts, with registration and hotel occupancy tax obligations.

Confirm the registration process, the forms, and the occupancy tax steps with the city and the Comptroller before you list a property. Zoning decides whether the property can operate as a short-term rental at all, so a listing in a prohibited district is a problem no matter how well the paperwork is filed.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Signing a lease before confirming zoning. Zoning can rule out your use entirely.
• Looking for a general business license. Fort Worth and Texas do not issue one, so focus on the Certificate of Occupancy and activity-specific permits.
• Choosing the wrong Accela application type. Selecting Existing Ordinance when the use has changed can lead to delays.
• Skipping the May 15 Public Information Report. Entities under the $2,650,000 threshold owe no franchise tax, but they still file it with the Comptroller.
• Using a post office box as the registered office. The agent must be reachable at a physical Texas street address.
• Assuming the state sales tax rate is your total rate. Local add-ons apply by address.

Tips for a Smoother Process

• File with SOSDirect rather than by mail. The Secretary of State says electronic filing gives the fastest processing.
• Put May 15 on your calendar every year for the Comptroller filing. Texas has no annual report with the Secretary of State.
• Keep a shared folder with every approved plan, inspection result, and certificate.
• Ask the city and the Comptroller for written answers on any fee or deadline that affects your budget.

What to Expect

Results vary with the use, the location, and how complete your first submission is. In general, an application with the correct type, a clear use description, and a legible floor plan may move through review more smoothly than an incomplete one. Once the Certificate of Occupancy is issued and the required inspections are passed, you may be able to open for the use described in your application. Keep the certificate with your records, and confirm ongoing obligations such as the annual Comptroller filing with the agencies named above.

Next Steps

Write the sequence on one page: entity, name, zoning, Certificate of Occupancy, inspections, sales tax, and then recurring filings. If your project involves food, a short-term rental, or a multi-location build-out, have a qualified attorney or CPA review it before you commit money. For specific fees and deadlines, the Fort Worth Development Support Services office, the Texas Comptroller, and the Texas Secretary of State are the authoritative sources.