Bowling Green
City of Bowling Green Finance Department, Office of Occupational License
In short
City of Bowling Green Finance Department, Office of Occupational License issues 5 permits we publish for Bowling Green, last verified 2026-09-09. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Repair Shop — Occupational License Tax Applies (Bowling Green)only if it applies to you | City of Bowling Green Finance Department, Office of Occupational License | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-09 |
| Salon / Barbershop — Occupational License Tax Applies (Bowling Green)only if it applies to you | City of Bowling Green Finance Department, Office of Occupational License | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-09 |
| Massage Facility Licenseonly if it applies to you | City of Bowling Green Finance Department, Office of Occupational License | $50 non-refundable, non-transferable application fee | annual — expires every December 31, renew at least 30 days before expiration | 2026-09-09 |
| Occupational License Fee Registration | City of Bowling Green Finance Department, Office of Occupational License | A flat 2.0% of both (a) the net profit of a business entity or resident/non-resident individual doing business in Bowling Green and (b) wages/compensation paid for work performed there, withheld by employers — up from 1.85% on net profits for fiscal years beginning before January 1, 2024. The net profit return carries a $30 minimum, due even in a loss year. A one-time $50 registration fee accompanies a local business's application, and a $275 cash bond/deposit may also be required. | annual — net profit returns follow the taxpayer's fiscal year; wage withholding is remitted periodically to the City | 2026-09-09 |
| Mobile Food Unit/Pushcart Permit (City Rights-of-Way) | City of Bowling Green Finance Department, Office of Occupational License | $300 for the calendar year; prorated to $150 if the application is filed after July 1. | annual — calendar year, evidenced by a color-coded pre-numbered sticker affixed to the unit | 2026-09-09 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Auto Repair Shop — Occupational License Tax Applies (Bowling Green)
Same flat-rate structure as above: the City publishes no auto-repair or garage-specific license or fee schedule, so no fee applies. An auto repair shop still needs the general occupational license tax, and — because the joint zoning ordinance classifies Vehicle Repair as Conditional in some districts — may need the Conditional Use Permit recorded separately above depending on where it locates.
Salon / Barbershop — Occupational License Tax Applies (Bowling Green)
Unlike Birmingham, Alabama's roughly three hundred trade-specific license schedules, Bowling Green's occupational license tax is a single flat 2.0% rate applied uniformly regardless of trade — the City publishes no salon, barber or cosmetology-specific license or fee schedule. No fee applies beyond the general occupational license tax and whatever building/sign/zoning permits the premises require, and beyond the new Massage Facility License recorded separately above where the business offers massage services. This is on top of, not instead of, the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology's or Board of Barbering's own state license.
Massage Facility License
Brand new: adopted as Ordinance BG2025-20, with enforcement beginning January 1, 2026. Applies to a salon or spa business that offers massage services, not to salons generally. A facility staffed only by Kentucky-licensed massage therapists may file a state-license-and-affidavit exemption with the Finance Department's Licensing Division instead of holding this license.
Occupational License Fee Registration
Bowling Green's central local requirement, reaching nearly every business, trade, profession, or activity for profit conducted in the city. The Office of Occupational License's own page does not state which categories of local business actually trigger the $275 cash bond it mentions — confirm directly with the Finance Department (270-393-3000) before assuming it applies or does not apply to a given business.
Mobile Food Unit/Pushcart Permit (City Rights-of-Way)
This is the City's OWN permit for operating on public rights-of-way, separate from and additional to both Kentucky's statewide Mobile Food Unit permit and whatever the Barren River District Health Department charges for the food-safety side of the same truck. A unit operating solely on private property may file a compliance statement instead of this permit.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Bowling Green
- Phone
- (270) 393-3000
- Website
- www.bgky.org/finance/license
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Bowling Green Code of Ordinances 18-2.02, Occupational License Fees Imposed — the 2.0% rate and $30 minimum net profit feeCity of Bowling Green, Kentucky, codified by American Legal Publishing · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Massage Facilities — license requirement under Ordinance BG2025-20, enforcement beginning January 1, 2026, state-licensed-therapist exemptionCity of Bowling Green, Kentucky · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Massage Facility License Application — $50 non-refundable application fee, expires annually December 31City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Office of Occupational License · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Mobile Food Unit/Pushcart Application Packet — $300 annual fee, prorated to $150 after July 1City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Office of Occupational License · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Mobile Food Units & Pushcarts — permit process under Ordinance BG2019-50City of Bowling Green, Kentucky · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Occupational Taxes: Increase — rate change from 1.85% to 2.0% effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2024City of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Finance Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Office of Occupational License — registration, rates, and current formsCity of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Finance Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
Other offices serving Bowling Green
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
- Restaurants in Bowling Green
- Coffee shops in Bowling Green
- Retail stores in Bowling Green
- Salons and barbers in Bowling Green
- Food trucks in Bowling Green
- Fitness studios in Bowling Green
- Childcare centres in Bowling Green
- Contractors and trades in Bowling Green
- Auto repair shops in Bowling Green
- Veterinary clinics in Bowling Green
Kentucky jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.