Imperial County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Licensing Division

County General Business License (unincorporated Imperial County)

The Treasurer-Tax Collector's General Business License Information sheet (Updated 07/01/2024), linked as 'General Business Licenses' from the Tax Collector's Miscellaneous Licenses page, sets the general requirement as 'Any activity engaged in that provides goods or services to the public within the unincorporated area of the County of Imperial', and quotes the code: 'No person, whether individually or as an agent of another, shall engage in any business enterprise in the unincorporated portion of the County of Imperial without having first obtained a license therefore from the County Treasurer-Tax Collector'. Its Jurisdictional Boundary Information states that 'Any business within the city limits of any of the following incorporated cities are not required to obtain a County Business License': Brawley, Calipatria, Calexico, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial and Westmorland. The sheet lists a $250.00 license fee (more than one month, up to one year) or $50.00 (one month or less), a $25.00 county processing fee, and a $120.45 Basic Fire Inspection Fee 'where applicable' — the fire figure is as published on the Treasurer-Tax Collector's sheet updated 07/01/2024; the Fire Department's own site does not post a fee schedule. The $4.00 state fee is collected under Government Code §4467; the Division of the State Architect's current SB 1186 page states that 'effective January 1, 2024, the SB 1186 Fees will remain $4.00' and that 'Assembly Bill 2164 (Lee, 2022) removed the sunset provision for the fee'. The sheet says a Board of Supervisors resolution of December 2, 2014 exempts agricultural operations, landlords who only lease land, and some businesses that also hold a current license from one of the incorporated cities (proof required), and that internet-only sellers and certain businesses on tribal land are exempt. It says the license fee is 'non-refundable' and that applicants may also owe fees to other county departments, including the fire department, Planning and Building, the Agricultural Commissioner and the Health department. Applications are accepted in person or by mail; the Licensing Division is at (442) 265-1250.