Business License Application Form
Statement of Exemption for Workers Compensation
Listing of Business License Categories and Business Fee Schedule
Instructions for Shows/Exhibitors

Business Licenses

Per Section 8-37 in the St. Joseph Code of Ordinances, “any person engaged in any business, occupation, pursuit, profession or trade or to keep or maintain any institution, establishment, article, utility, or commodity “ must first obtain a City of St. Joseph Business License. Per Section 16-35 of the City Code of Ordinances, you may also be required to obtain a Fire Inspection Permit. You may contact the Fire Marshall at (816) 271-4604 for further details.

If your business is also selling food, liquor, cigarettes, motor vehicles or has an alarm system, additional permits may be required. Please contact our office at (816) 271-4751 for further information or click the Customer Service main menu to view the links to each.

Existing businesses will be sent a renewal notice each year on or around May 1st and are due on or before June 30th. Instructions will also accompany each renewal. If there are any changes to the operations of the business, you must contact the Customer Services Division. This includes change of site address, change of corporate status/ownership, change of managing officer, etc.

You may contact the Customer Services Division at (816) 271-4751, fax at (816) 271-4676, or e-mail at CustomerAssistanceCenter@ci.st-joseph.mo.us. You may also visit our office at City Hall, 1100 Frederick, Room 106, St. Joseph, MO 64501.

Temporary Businesses
Temporary business licenses must be obtained for the following businesses: Hawkers and Hucksters, Peddlers, Shows and Exhibitions, and transient merchants. You must fill out the application form and provide the Customer Services Division with a State of Missouri Sales Tax Certificate prior to setting up in St. Joseph. Please contact the Customer Services Division for more details.

Contractors performing work inside City limits must also obtain a business license prior to beginning the project, as well as obtain the appropriate Building Permits, Electrical Permits, Plumbing Permits, etc. from the Building Regulations Division. Please contact the Building Regulations Division at (816) 271-4751 for more details.

How is your business license fee used?
Eighty-two cents of every business license dollar is used or Police, Fire, and Municipal Court operations.

RENEWAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• Definition of Gross Receipts – (if applicable)
  Per Section 8-36 of the City Code of Ordinances, gross annual business is defined as “12 times the average monthly value of all goods, wares, merchandise, chattels, and all other personal property of every kind and description bought, sold, loaned or exchanged in the business, during the period in which such business shall have been conducted, or for the period of one year next preceding the date upon which the required license becomes due or, if past due and demand is made therefore, then the date of such demand.” In other words, businesses must provide proof of gross receipts in order to calculate the annual renewal fee. For those businesses located outside City limits, gross receipts pertains to only those transactions that occur, or to work actually performed, within City limits.
• Acceptable proof of gross annual business include:
  1. A copy of your prior year Federal Income Tax Return.
  2. If filing a prior year Individual Tax Return - Schedule C, Profit and Loss.
  3. A certified statement from your CPA.
  4. A letter from an officer of the company stating the gross receipts for the preceding year.
• A current certificate of Workers Compensation Insurance must be provided or a signed statement of exemption from.
• Remember all taxes, licenses, fees & delinquent accounts with the City of St. Joseph must be satisfied prior to the issuance of your license. *Note: A copy of your paid county business personal property tax receipt for the prior year will be required.
• The City of St. Joseph must be notified of changes to your existing Business License including:
  1. Ownership changes – Please provide us with the new federal tax identification number, Missouri sales tax number, owner name and address.
  2. Address change – A new zoning certificate must be signed and returned with application.
  3. Other - Mailing address, contact person or phone number should be noted on application or in a separate letter.
  4. If your business has ceased operations permanently, please contact the Customer Service Division as soon as possible at (816) 271-4751.

***There may be a processing delay of up to seven days for all business licenses.