Business licenses and permits in Tennessee

What applies everywhere in Tennessee

12 requirements are set by Tennessee 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. Tennessee Secretary of State — business FAQs, including annual report feesTennessee Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
2. Tennessee Secretary of State — forms and feesTennessee Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
3. Tennessee Secretary of State form SS-4270 — Articles of Organization, with the per-member feeTennessee Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
4. Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance — the complete list of regulatory boards and licensed programmesTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
5. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01 — food service establishments, including the permit fee schedule effective 14 June 2026Tennessee Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
6. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-05 — child care agency licensing, including the application fee schedule effective 20 November 2025Tennessee Department of Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
7. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 0680-01 — contractor licensing fees and bidding thresholdsTennessee Board for Licensing Contractors · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
8. Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors — home improvement license and the counties that have adopted itTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
9. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 0440-01 — cosmetology feesTennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
10. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 0200-01 — barber fees and certificate termsTennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
11. Shelby County Health Department — environmental health and food safety programme feesShelby County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
12. Tennessee Secretary of State form SS-4417 — for-profit corporation charterTennessee Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
13. Tennessee Department of Revenue SUT-10 — registering for a sales and use tax accountTennessee Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
14. Tennessee Department of Revenue — business tax registration and licensingTennessee Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
15. Tennessee Business Tax Manual, June 2026Tennessee Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
16. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 1730-02 — veterinary premises permit fee schedule and requirementTennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Which Tennessee city are you opening in?

• Nashville, TNA consolidated city-county government ('Metro'), like Jacksonville. Metro's own nashville.gov pages state the Davidson County business-license fee split and Metro Codes' role in licensing building and trade contractors. Metro Codes issues building, trade, use-and-occupancy and sign permits under Metro Code Title 16; the Fire Marshal's Office issues operational permits under § 10.64.018; and Metro Public Health issues food service permits at the state's fees as a contract health department.20 published records
• Hamilton County, TNHamilton County, Tennessee (county seat Chattanooga) layers county requirements in three different reaches. County-wide, the Hamilton County Clerk issues the county business license under the Tennessee Business Tax Act and the 14-day transient vendor's license, and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department, one of Tennessee's five health department 'Contract Counties', permits and inspects food service establishments and public swimming pools at the State's fees. In unincorporated Hamilton County the County Beer Board permits beer sales, the Planning Department administers the Zoning Regulations (which divide 'the unincorporated territory of Hamilton County' into districts), Development Services' Groundwater Protection issues septic permits and installer licenses, and the Highway Department prices curb cuts and the right-of-way work license. The Building Inspection Department's home page states that it enforces the county's building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and gas codes 'for the unincorporated areas of Hamilton County and also those parts of the County lying within the corporate limits of municipalities which have not adopted and are not enforcing municipal building codes'; its Districts page shows Ridgeside and Walden using Hamilton County Building Inspection for all inspections and construction permits. The Water Quality Program issues land disturbance permits for the county together with Collegedale, East Ridge, Lakesite, Lookout Mountain, Red Bank, Ridgeside, Soddy-Daisy and Walden. The ten incorporated municipalities are Chattanooga, Collegedale, East Ridge, Lakesite, Lookout Mountain, Red Bank, Ridgeside, Signal Mountain, Soddy-Daisy and Walden; under the Business Tax Act a business inside a city that has enacted the tax also takes a city license from the city official, and each city runs its own licensing, zoning and beer permit regime (and, except Ridgeside and Walden, its own building permits) that stacks on the county requirements. The state home improvement license, which Hamilton is among the counties to require, is a Board for Licensing Contractors license recorded at the Tennessee layer. The population figure of 386,256 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.14 published records
• Knox County, TNKnox County, Tennessee (county seat Knoxville) runs its own health department, which is unusual in Tennessee: the Knox County Health Department (KCHD) issues and inspects food service, mobile food unit and public swimming pool permits, at the fees set by state rule and statute, and its Groundwater Division permits septic systems. The Knox County Clerk issues the $15 county business license under the Tennessee Business Tax Act; the Clerk's page states that 'Most businesses within Knox County must obtain a business license' and that businesses inside the City of Knoxville 'must also register with the City of Knoxville Department of Finance'. The Clerk also issues beer permits for the unincorporated area (approved by the County Commission sitting as the beer board), the background and zoning certificate needed before a state Retail Food Store Wine License outside city limits, and going-out-of-business sale licenses. Knox County Code Administration issues building and sign permits under the codes adopted by Ordinance O-18-10-101 for buildings 'within Knox County', and the Department of Air Quality Management permits auto body refinishing shops. The incorporated municipalities named on the county's own pages are the City of Knoxville and the Town of Farragut; the county Fire Prevention Bureau's complaint form is 'Only to be used for commercial businesses in Knox County, outside the city limits of Knoxville or the Town of Farragut'. Per the County Clerk's page, a business inside Knoxville also needs the City of Knoxville's own business license; the City's requirements are listed on its separate page. The population figure of 506,748 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.14 published records
• Williamson County, TNWilliamson County, Tennessee (county seat Franklin; not the Williamson County in Texas or Illinois) layers county requirements in two different reaches. County-wide, the Williamson County Clerk issues the $15 county business license under the Tennessee Business Tax Act, and the county's Adequate Facilities Tax on new non-residential floor area ($2.00 per gross square foot since 1 April 2026, under Resolution No. 11-25-39) applies in both the incorporated and unincorporated areas. In unincorporated Williamson County, the County Beer Board permits beer sales outside city limits, the Building Codes Department issues building, plumbing and mechanical permits, the Planning Department administers the Zoning Ordinance (which by its Section 1.04 applies to 'all unincorporated land'), Codes Compliance issues sign permits, Engineering issues land disturbance permits, and the Department of Sewage Disposal Management permits septic systems and the commercial septic Operation Permit. The six incorporated municipalities listed on the county's Regional Growth Management page are Brentwood, Fairview, Franklin, Nolensville, Spring Hill and Thompson's Station; each runs its own business license (where the city levies the business tax), codes, zoning and beer permit regime, which stacks on the county requirements. Food service establishments are permitted by the Tennessee Department of Health, a state permit recorded at the Tennessee layer. The population figure of 269,136 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.14 published records
• Shelby County, TNShelby County, Tennessee (county seat Memphis) layers its county requirements through four offices. The Shelby County Clerk's Business Tax Division issues the $15 county business license under the Tennessee Business Tax Act to businesses throughout the county; the Clerk's page states that 'A separate city business license is required if operating within a municipality', and for a Memphis location the Clerk collects the $15 Memphis city license fee alongside the county's $15. The Shelby County Beer Board, whose applications are filed at the Clerk, permits beer sales in the unincorporated areas. The Shelby County Health Department permits and inspects food service establishments, mobile food units and temporary food events countywide as one of the Tennessee Department of Health's food 'Contract Counties', charging the state fee schedule plus a county mobile food permit set by the Shelby County Code. The Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Division of Planning and Development) issues building permits for Memphis, Arlington, Germantown, Lakeland, Millington and unincorporated Shelby County, as its own page states, and registers contractors. The county's 'Cities in Shelby County' page lists seven incorporated municipalities: Memphis, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Millington, Arlington and Lakeland. Each city runs its own business license, zoning and permit requirements, which stack on the county requirements. The population figure of 910,530 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.11 published records
• Rutherford County, TNRutherford County, Tennessee (county seat Murfreesboro) layers county requirements in three different reaches. County-wide, inside and outside the cities, the Rutherford County Clerk's Business Tax Department issues the $15 county business license under the Tennessee Business Tax Act, and County Building Codes collects the School Facilities Tax of $1.50 per square foot on new commercial floor area (effective 1 October 2024). In unincorporated Rutherford County, the County Beer Board (its secretary is the County Clerk) issues beer permits, the Fire Marshal's Office of Rutherford County Fire-Rescue issues fire code operational and construction permits (its page describes its jurisdiction as 'within unincorporated Rutherford County'), and the Planning & Engineering Department administers the County Zoning Resolution. County Building Codes issues building permits in unincorporated areas; the codes resolution adopted 14 May 2026 states that the county codes also apply 'within those incorporated municipalities that have not otherwise adopted applicable building codes'. The four incorporated municipalities named on the Clerk's business page are Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville; the Clerk's page states that a business inside their city limits 'must also obtain a city business tax license from the respective city recorder's office', and each city runs its own licensing, building, zoning and beer permit regime, which stacks on the county requirements. Per the county Health Department page, food service establishments, public pools and tattoo and body-piercing studios are permitted and inspected by the Tennessee Department of Health's Division of Environmental Health, a state permit recorded at the Tennessee layer. The population figure of 376,996 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.10 published records
• Memphis, TNShelby County Health Department, not the city, permits every food facility. The Shelby County Clerk Business Tax Division page states that every business operating in Shelby County registers with the County Clerk within 20 days of starting business and that a separate city business license is required inside a municipality; for Memphis the city and county business tax licenses are both administered by the Shelby County Clerk. The sign-permit fee recorded below comes from the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement 2022 Fee Schedule, linked as the approved fee schedule from the develop901.com Fee Information page; certificate of occupancy and commercial building permit dollar fees are not listed as separate records here — contact the Office of Construction Code Enforcement for those amounts.7 published records
• Knoxville, TNTennessee's state layer already covers the dual-license business tax mechanics, the Knox County Health Department's food-permit fee bands, the food protection manager rule, and the state salon/childcare/contractor/veterinary licenses — this city layer adds only Knoxville's own business-tax office, building/sign/occupancy permits, and its Mobile Food Unit permit. The City, not Knox County, issues building and sign permits inside city limits.5 published records

Is there a single Tennessee business license?

Who issues permits in Tennessee?

• Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsEntity registration · Annual reports3 permits
• Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health ProgramFood service establishment permits · Food safety inspection2 permits
• Tennessee Department of RevenueBusiness tax · Sales and use tax registration2 permits
• Tennessee Board for Licensing ContractorsContractor licensing · Home improvement licensing1 permit
• Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber ExaminersCosmetology shop licensing · Barber shop licensing1 permit
• Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical ExaminersVeterinary premises permits · Veterinarian licensing1 permit
• Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Division of Regulatory BoardsProfessional and occupational licensing boards1 permit
• Tennessee Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Community ServicesChild care agency licensing1 permit

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