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Business Licenses

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You need a business license to operate a business in Coos Bay.

Business licenses are required for any business or rental property operating within the city limits of Coos Bay. Requirements for business licenses are detailed in the Municipal Code Title 5. Business licenses are issued for each calendar year and must be renewed annually. Renewal notices are typically mailed out at the end of November; payment is due by January 1st.

Call the Public Works and Community Development Department at 541-269-8918 for more information.

Fees

Business license fees can be paid online using xpress bill pay.

Business license fees are a flat rate system.

Home occupations, independent contractors, and seasonal business licenses are $60 annually.
All other general business licenses are $120 annually.
Rental property license fees are $25 per unit.
Rental property licenses are required for property owners having long-term lease or rentals (in excess of 30 consecutive days) of single-family homes, duplexes, apartments, or commercial buildings or portions thereof. Short term vacation rentals, hotels/motels, manufactured/mobile home parks, RV parks, and storage units are considered general commercial businesses and not rental property.
A fire inspection fee of $120 will apply when a fire inspection is conducted.
Fire inspections are conducted for all new businesses, by request, or when a complaint is received. This allows City staff to help businesses get off to a good start and provide an opportunity to educate business owners about common hazards and changes that may impact safety.

Application Process

Business License Application

Business License Commercial Location

Business License Commercial Location Rental Application

The application process for business licenses provides the City with information such as the number, type, size, etc. of businesses and residential and commercial rental property which helps the City assess impacts and needs of public infrastructure and gather information for economic planning and development purposes. It is also a mechanism to ensure businesses adhere to local regulations, zoning laws, building, fire, health and safety standards. These standards are in place for the safety of property owners, employees, community members, visitors and our emergency services personnel.

Some types of businesses require additional applications.

Entertainment Club
Home Occupation
Rental Property
Secondhand Stores, Gem and Precious Metal Dealers
Taxi and Transportation Networks Driver
Transient or Mobile Business

Entertainment Club

The City’s Municipal Code, Chapter 5.10 requires entertainment clubs to obtain a City of Coos Bay business license and authorization by the Coos Bay Police Department.

Download and complete the Entertainment Club Application, then submit it to the Public Works and Community Development Department. This application authorizes the Coos Bay Police Department to conduct a background check for the purpose of providing necessary clearance.

Home Occupation Permit

To operate a business from a home within the city limits, you will need a Home Occupation permit in addition to a Business License. The City’s Municipal Code, Chapter 17.320, describes the requirements for a Home Occupation. If your home is not within the city limits, you just need a standard Business License.

Download and complete the Land Use Supplemental Form – Home Occupation, then submit it to the Planning Division of the Public Works and Community Development Department. If you do not own the home, you will need written permission from the property owner to conduct your business from the premises. The application will be reviewed by our staff to make sure that the proposed business fits the requirements for a Home Occupation and does not infringe upon the rights of other residents or alter the residential character of the area. The Home Occupation Permit is a one-time process and the business license is renewed annually thereafter.

Many small businesses successfully operate from residences. Common Home Occupations include cleaning services, consulting, yard care, tutoring, art, photography, and mobile businesses. Most Home Occupations are either one person working from a home office with minimal customers visiting, or a mobile business where most of the work is done outside the home and the residence is used for office tasks.

Rental Property

Owners of rental property within the city limits are required to have a business license for both commercial and residential rentals. The annual fee is based on the number of units. Rental property licenses include long-term lease or rentals (in excess of 30 consecutive days) of single-family homes, duplexes, apartments, or commercial buildings or portions thereof. Short-term vacation rentals, hotels/motels, manufactured/mobile home parks, RV parks and storage units are considered general commercial businesses and not rental property.

Secondhand Stores, Gem and Precious Metal Dealers

The City’s Municipal Code, Chapter 5.20 requires secondhand stores and gem & precious metal dealers to obtain a City of Coos Bay business license and authorization by the Coos Bay Police Department.

Download and complete the Supplemental Gem & Secondhand Dealers Application, then submit it to the Public Works and Community Development Department. This application authorizes the Coos Bay Police Department to conduct a background check for the purpose of providing necessary clearance and gives CBPD authorization to inspect and examine the licensed premises and business records of the licensed applicant.

Taxi and Transportation Drivers

The City’s Municipal Code, Chapter 5.30 requires each driver for a taxi and transportation network company to obtain a City of Coos Bay business license and complete a criminal background check.

Download and complete the Supplemental Taxi and Transportation Network Company Application, then submit it to the Public Works and Community Development Department. This application authorizes the Coos Bay Police Department to conduct a background check for the purpose of providing necessary clearance.

Transient or Mobile Business

A business license is required to operate a mobile or transient business, such as a food cart/truck or street vendor. The type of business license and the application requirements depend on where the business is located. The unit must be self-contained and may not discharge into the sanitary or storm sewer.

A Transient Business operates from various city-owned properties and public right of ways and has no fixed permanent location from which the business is conducted. The business is permanently affixed to wheels or is otherwise mobile and must be removed each day. The annual business license fee is $50 plus the city technology fee.

The designated city-owned properties where transient businesses are allowed are:

Boardwalk (200 S. Bayshore), and
Western portion of the Preway (immediately south of 253 S. Broadway).

These areas are marked in the Downtown Vendor Area Map.

Transient businesses are not allowed to operate on other city parking lots or public properties, at the Visitor Information Center, or on property under the control of other public agencies such as the Oregon Department of Transportation (US Highway 101), the Coos Bay School District, or other agencies. Transient businesses are not allowed to operate from the right of ways on highway 101, i.e. the parallel parking spaces and sidewalks on Bayshore and Broadway. If in a parking space, the vehicle and any equipment must occupy no more than one legal standard-size parking space, may not occupy the oversized spaces designated for RVs at the Visitor Information Center, and must abide by time limits for parking spaces. Adjacent parking spaces may not be blocked. Parking spaces may not be reserved, such as by the use of cones, ropes, chairs, or other items; all parking spaces are first-come first-served.

Transient businesses must comply with conditions and specifications outlined in Resolution #19-20.

A Mobile Business operates from private property in a fixed location using a mobile structure that is temporary in nature, such as a tent, or is permanently affixed to wheels. A Mobile Business is not allowed to operate on public right of ways or city-owned properties.

Active Business Licenses