Every checklist online gives you the same generic California steps — then leaves out the one that trips up local owners: which city actually licenses you. La Crescenta and Montrose are unincorporated Los Angeles County, so there’s no city hall; neighboring blocks fall inside the City of Glendale, which licenses every business. Set your location below and the checklist adjusts. Your progress saves on this device.
1 Form your business
The legal foundation — get these before you open a bank account.
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Choose your entity type
Sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or S-corp election — each has different tax and liability consequences.
CA FTB — business types -
CA Secretary of State Register the entity LLC / corp only
File Articles of Organization (LLC) or Incorporation (corp) online via bizfile. Sole proprietors skip this.
CA SOS — bizfile Online -
IRS Get a federal EIN (free)
Your business’s tax ID — needed to hire, open a bank account, and file. Apply directly with the IRS at no cost.
IRS — Get an EIN -
CA Secretary of State File the Statement of Information LLC / corp only
Due within 90 days of registering (LLC: Form LLC-12), then on a recurring cycle.
CA SOS — Statements of Information -
L.A. County Registrar-Recorder File a Fictitious Business Name (DBA) if using a trade name
Required if you operate under a name that isn’t your legal/surname. Needs a notarized Affidavit of Identity and publication once a week for four weeks in an adjudicated L.A. County newspaper.
L.A. County — Fictitious Business Names
2 Register for taxes
Set these up before your first sale or first payroll.
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CA CDTFA Get a seller’s permit if selling goods
Required to sell tangible goods in California and to collect sales tax. Free to register.
CDTFA — Permits & licenses -
CA EDD Register as an employer if hiring
Register with EDD within 15 days of paying over $100 in wages in a calendar quarter; sets up payroll tax accounts.
EDD — Register for payroll taxes -
CA FTB Plan for the $800 annual tax LLC / corp
California’s minimum franchise/annual tax applies to LLCs and corporations — due even at a loss.
CA FTB — LLC annual tax & fee
3 Get your local business license
This is the step that depends on your exact location.
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L.A. County Treasurer & Tax Collector County business license regulated activities
In unincorporated L.A. County (La Crescenta, Montrose) there is no city license. The County requires a business license only for activities affecting public health, welfare, or safety — e.g. restaurants, food, massage, tobacco. Many general businesses need none.
L.A. County TTC — Business License info -
City of Glendale Business Registration Certificate (BRC) all businesses
Every business in Glendale — including home-based and subleases — must obtain and annually renew a BRC, posted on-site. Separate from any other permit.
City of Glendale — Business Registration Certificate -
Your city Your city’s business license / tax certificate
Most incorporated California cities require a business license or tax certificate. Use CalGOLD — the state’s official permit finder — to get the exact list for your address.
CalGOLD — California permit finder
4 Industry-specific permits
Select an industry above to show the permits that apply to it.
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L.A. County Public Health Food facility permit + plan check
New or remodeled restaurants, markets, and food facilities must pass Environmental Health plan check and hold a public health permit before opening.
L.A. County DPH — Food facility permit -
CA Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control ABC license
Any sale of beer, wine, or spirits — on- or off-premises — requires the correct ABC license type.
CA ABC — Licensing -
CA State Board of Optometry Optometry license & practice registration
Optometrists must be licensed; practices may also need a fictitious-name permit and branch-office registration with the Board.
CA State Board of Optometry — Licensing -
CA CDTFA Fuel seller registration & excise tax accounts
Service stations register with CDTFA for motor-fuel tax and sales tax on fuel and store sales.
CDTFA — Motor fuel taxes -
L.A. County Agric. Comm. / Weights & Measures Fuel-pump device registration
Commercial fuel dispensers and scales must be registered and inspected for accuracy.
L.A. County — Weights & Measures -
CA CDTFA Seller’s permit & resale certificates
Wholesalers and distributors use a seller’s permit and issue/collect resale certificates on tax-exempt wholesale sales.
CDTFA — Sales for resale (Pub. 103) -
State Bar of California Bar licensing & client trust accounting
Attorneys must be active Bar members; firms must run client trust (IOLTA) accounts under the Bar’s rules.
State Bar — Client Trust Accounting
5 If you’ll have employees
California requires these the moment you hire your first W-2 worker.
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CA Dept. of Industrial Relations Workers’ compensation insurance
Mandatory in California from your first employee — even one part-timer. No exceptions for small employers.
CA DIR — Workers’ comp basics -
CA EDD New-hire reporting & required posters
Report each new hire to EDD within 20 days and post the required state/federal workplace notices.
EDD — New employee registry
- CalGOLD — California’s official permit & license finder
- CA Secretary of State — bizfile Online
- IRS — Employer ID Number
- CDTFA — Permits & licenses (seller’s permit)
- EDD — Employer registration
- L.A. County TTC — Business license (unincorporated areas)
- City of Glendale — Business Registration Certificate
- L.A. County Registrar-Recorder — Fictitious Business Name (DBA)
- L.A. County Public Health — Food facility permit
This checklist is general guidance for the La Crescenta / Glendale / Crescenta Valley area, not legal or tax advice for your specific business. Requirements depend on your exact address, activity, and structure — always confirm with the agency or CalGOLD, and talk to a CPA before you register an entity (the structure decision is hard to unwind). Jurisdiction boundaries within the Crescenta Valley are not always intuitive; verify whether your address is in the City of Glendale or unincorporated L.A. County.