Business licenses and permits in Mississippi

What applies everywhere in Mississippi

13 requirements are set by Mississippi itself and apply whichever city you open in. Local permits sit on top of them.

Sources

Every statewide figure above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

1. Mississippi Secretary of State — business filing fee scheduleMississippi Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
2. Mississippi Secretary of State — annual reports, due dates and administrative dissolutionMississippi Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
3. Mississippi Code section 63-17-73 — motor vehicle dealer licensing, defined around selling rather than repairing vehiclesMississippi Motor Vehicle Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
4. Mississippi Administrative Code title 15, part 13, chapters 2 and 4 — food establishment permits and fees by risk categoryMississippi State Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
5. Mississippi Code sections 31-3-1, 31-3-13, 31-3-14 and 31-3-17 — commercial contractor licensing, the $50,000 threshold and its feesMississippi State Board of Contractors · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
6. Mississippi Administrative Code title 15, part 11, subpart 55, chapter 2 — licensure of child care facilities for twelve or fewer childrenMississippi State Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
7. Child Care Regulations (Complete), effective February 26, 2026 — Rule 1.2.4 License Fee, the full capacity-tiered Initial Licensure and Renewal fee schedule ($97.50 for 12 or fewer, $195.00 for 13-30, $260.00 for 31-50, $390.00 for 51-100, $455.00 for 101-150, $520.00 for 151 or more), plus the $130.00 application fee, $260.00 reinstatement fee, and other fees common to every capacity tierMississippi State Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
8. Mississippi Secretary of State — business welcome packet, placing licenses and permits under city government rather than the stateMississippi Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
9. Mississippi Code section 73-59-1 and following — residential builder and remodeler licensing thresholds and feesMississippi State Board of Contractors · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
10. Mississippi Code section 27-65-27 — the sales tax permit, continuing in force until revokedState of Mississippi · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
11. Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering — fee scheduleMississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
12. Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine rules — the triennial premises inspection fee under section 73-39-57Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Which Mississippi city are you opening in?

• Gulfport, MSGulfport's general Business Privilege License, like Jackson's, is city-collected rather than city-written: its employee-count and store-inventory bands come directly from Mississippi's Local Privilege Tax Law, confirmed from Gulfport's own current application form. Food establishment permitting is handled entirely and directly by the Mississippi State Department of Health, with Harrison County Health Department operating only as a state field office rather than an independent county health authority. Gulfport layers a broader local contractor-licensing program than Jackson's (many trades, $100 fee, waived for state-licensed contractors), a real $25/$1,000-bond mobile vendor license for food trucks, and a real $17.25 Zoning Determination Letter product.9 published records
• Southaven, MSSouthaven's general Business Privilege License is city-collected rather than city-written, like Jackson's and Gulfport's: its employee-count and store-inventory bands come directly from Mississippi's own Local Privilege Tax Law, and Southaven's own fee page is the first of the three to name the retail statute, § 27-17-365, outright. The City publishes dollar figures for a Use & Occupancy Permit ($35) and a Sign Permit ($2/sq. ft.), runs its own tiered local contractor/trade licensing program (Apprentice/Journeyman/Master for Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical trades), and its real food-truck mechanism is Mississippi's statewide Transient Vendor Act, charged at the $250 statutory maximum with a $25 renewal. Food establishment permitting is handled entirely and directly by the Mississippi State Department of Health, with DeSoto County Health Department operating only as a state field office rather than an independent county health authority.9 published records
• Jackson, MSJackson's general Business Privilege License is real but city-collected rather than city-written: its employee-count and store-inventory fee bands come directly from Mississippi's own Local Privilege Tax Law (Mississippi Code Title 27, Chapter 17), which a 2025 repeal-and-flatten bill (SB 3125) would have replaced but which died in committee. Food establishment permitting is handled entirely and directly by the Mississippi State Department of Health, with no county-level delegation of any kind (unlike Alabama's Jefferson or Mobile counties) — confirmed from MSDH's own current page. Jackson fills the individual electrician/trade-licensing gap the state leaves open, pricing Journeyman and Master license renewals through its own Code Services fee schedule.8 published records

Is there a single Mississippi business license?

Who issues permits in Mississippi?

• Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services and Regulation DivisionEntity formation · Annual reports4 permits
• Mississippi State Board of ContractorsCommercial contractor licensing · Residential builder and remodeler licensing2 permits
• Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Food ProtectionFood establishment permits · Certified food protection manager rules2 permits
• Mississippi Board of Veterinary MedicineVeterinary premises inspection · Veterinarian licensing1 permit
• Mississippi Department of RevenueSales and use tax permits1 permit
• Mississippi Motor Vehicle CommissionMotor vehicle dealer licensing1 permit
• Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and BarberingSalon and barbershop establishment licensing1 permit
• Mississippi State Department of Health, Bureau of Child Care LicensureChild care facility licensing1 permit

By industry

• All 10 industries we cover