The City of Somerset’s business license term runs May 1 through April 30 of every year. Renewal notices are sent out around April 1.
Business License Rates
and Renewal Fees By Business
1. Health Care Professionals | $200
Anesthesiologist
Anesthetist
Chiropodist
Chiropractor
Dental
Dental Oral Surgeon
Dental Surgeon
Dermatologist
Gynecologist
Neurosurgeon
Ophthalmologist
Optician
Optometrist
Orthodontist
Orthopedic Surgeon
Osteopath
Pathologist
Pediatrician
Pedodontist
Physical Therapist
Physicians
Podiatrist
Psychologist
Radiologist
Specialist In Medicine
Surgeons
Urologist
Veterinarian
2. Health Care Facilities | $250
Ambulance Service
Clinics or Laboratories
Convalescent Hospital
Dental Laboratory
Health Spa
Home Health Agencies
Nursing Home
Old Age Homes
Outpatient Surgical Clinics
Rest Home
3. Hospital | $1,000
4. Local Contractors | $150
Carpenter
Contractors/Builders
Drywall
Electrical
Excavator
Glass
Guttering
Insulators
Masonry
Painter
Paper Hanger
Plasters
Plumbing
Roofer
Sheet metal
Siding of homes or buildings, selling and or installing
Signs
Storm Windows, Storm Doors
Tin or other building trades
5. Non-Local Contractors | $200
Carpenter
Contractors/Builders
Drywall
Electrical
Excavator
Glass
Guttering
Insulators
Masonry
Painter
Paper Hanger
Plasters
Plumbing
Roofer
Sheet metal
Siding of homes or buildings, selling and or installing
Signs
Storm Windows, Storm Doors
Tin or other building trades
6. General Repair | $75
Automobile Garage
Awnings repair-install
Body Shop
Carpenter
Driveway Repair & Sealing
Drywall
Electrician
Furniture Repair
General Mechanics
General Repair
Gun Shop
Heating & Air Conditioning
Machine Shops
Masonry
Plaster
Plumbing
Radio/TV servicing
Recapping Tire
Repair Shops: radio, shoe,
Roofer
Sand Blasting
Sanding and finishing floors
Typewriter, office machines
Upholstery Services
Watch Repair
7. Professional | $200
Appraiser
Architect
Asphalt Paving Contractor
Certified Public Accountant
Civil Engineer
Consulting Engineer
Funeral Directors
Geologist
Lawyer, Attorney, Counselor
Loan or Finance Company
Medicine Vendors
Mortgage Company
Real Estate Appraiser
Surveyor
Tobacco Warehouse
Undertakers
8. Retail $0 – $50,000 | $150
Auction Merchants
Bookstore
Compressed Gases
Florist
Secondhand Furniture Store
Stamp Redemption Center
Distribution Center
8a. Retail $50,001 – $250,000 | $300
Florist
Gasoline Dealer
Rock Quarry
Distribution Center
8b. Retail $250,000 – Above | $700
Florist
Wrecking Yard
Distribution Center
9. Vendors / Agents | $75
Accountants
Advertising Distributor
Advertising Publications
Answering Service
Antique Dealer
Auctioneer
Auto or Appliance Finance or Discount Companies
Automobile Car Wash
Automobile Operating Same for Public Service, transporting passengers for hire
Bait (live)
Bakery
Bakery Products
Bills Posters
Bookkeeping Service
Books or magazines
Butcher Shop
Cabinet Maker
Candy Products
Carpet Cleaner
Carpet Sales/Installation
Catering
Cemetery
Check Casher
Chimney Sweep
Cigarette Dealer
Clinics or Laboratories
Coal Dealers or Agents where coal is delivered or received
Coffee, Peanut Roaster, Ice Cream,
Coins, silver, gold, and other
Collection Agency
Computer Service
Consignment Shop
Creamery Plant, and or delivery of dairy
Credit Bureau
Delivery
Dry Cleaning
Eating Stands
Electrologist
Employment Agency
Farm Machinery on Consignment
Feed Grinding
Fireworks (must have state license first)
Fish Retail
Fixed Base Operators at Airport
Fowl, live Poultry and eggs
Fruit and Vegetable Dealer
Fur Storage
Harness Maker and or making leather products
Health Spa
Herbalist
Huckster
Income Tax Consultant
Insurance Adjuster
Insurance Agents
Interior Decorator
Janitor
Laundry
Laundry self service
Laundry, shirts only
Lawn Service
Livestock Market
Locksmith
Lunch Counters
Merchandise Wagon, Popcorn Machine
Micro Filming
Mowing Service
Music or Vending Machine
Musical Instruments
Newspaper Delivery (not in Somerset)
Newsstand
Nursery
Outside City Employment Agency
Parking Lot
Paying Agent
Pest Exterminator
Pet Groomer
Photo Bug
Photographer Itinerant
Photographer Studio
Plate Glass and File
Precious materials
Preparing Sandwiches
Printing Job
Printing job works done
Private detective
Products, receiving, shipping, pricing
Public Cold Storage
Real Estate Agent
Recreational Parks, Sports, Etc. (to be approved by planning/zoning)
Refrigerator and air conditioning (selling or installing commercial refrigeration)
Rent Collectors
Scales
Scraper and metal processor
Second Hand Dealers
Security Guard
Seed Cleaning
Septic tank or cesspool cleaner
Sign Painter
Signs Portable
Soda Fountain
Soft Drinks
Stock Broker
Storage House
Travel Agent
Tree Trimmers
Vehicle Rentals
Vehicles
Vending Machines
Vendor
Wrecker Services
Yard Sales, Garage Sale (limited to 3 consecutive days only)
Tanning Salon
10. Gas Station | $80
Automobile Service Station
Gasoline Filling Station
11. Gas Station / Mini Mart | $250
12. Itinerant Merchant | $400
Mail order business
13. Entertainment | $300
Astrologer
Billiards or Pool Room
Bowling Alleys
Boxing
Carnival
Cinema
Circus
Dance Hall
Fortune Teller
Golf Course
Hypnotist
Ice Skating Rink
Miniature Golf
Palmistry
Skating Rink
Theater
Water Slides
Wrestling
14. Manufacturers | $400
Bottling Plant
Concrete Block Manufacturer
Concrete Dealer
Ice Factory
Jewelry complete manufacturing
Manufacturers of truck beds, racks
Milling
Monument
Petroleum refinery
Pre-fabricated homes or building
15. New Car | $550
Automobile Dealer or Agent, selling new
and used automobiles
16. Used Car | $150
Automobile and truck dealer, dealing in
second hand cars, trucks located in or
outside city limits and doing business in
Somerset
17. Schools / Training | $75
Barber College/School
Beauty College/School
Business School/College
Dance Instructor
Day Care Center/Kindergarten Schools
Special Training Courses
18. Beauty/Barber Shop (3 chairs and under) | $50
Barber and/or Beauty Parlor
Nail Salon
18A. Beauty/Barber Shop (4 chairs and under) | $100
Barber and/or Beauty Parlor
Nail Salon
19. Hotels / Motels | $200
Hotels
Motels
Rooming House
Tourist Courts
20. Mobile Home Parks | $200
Trailers to conduct or carry on a business of
operating a trailer park in the city of Somerset
21. Publishing / Broadcasting / Television | $300
Cable Vision
City Directory
Newspaper Publisher
Radio Television Broadcasting
22. Restaurants 0-30 Seating | $125
22a. Restaurants 31-75 Seating | $250
22b. Restaurants 76-Above Seating | $375
Business License Applications
To apply for a business license, please fill out the form. The payment amount corresponds to your business type, as outlined above. For questions, call the city clerk at 606-679-6366.
Business License Penalties
While we make every effort to send out notices, it is each business owner’s responsibility to renew his or her license. Our renewal notices are simply a courtesy. Each business license states when it expires.
Business License Penalties
| Penalty | |
|---|---|
| $5.00 to $45.00 | $10 |
| $45.01 to $90.00 | $20 |
| $90.01 to $135.00 | $30 |
| $135.01 to $180.00 | $40 |
| $180.01 to $225.00 | $50 |
| $225.01 to $270.00 | $60 |
| $270.01 to $450.00 | $70 |
| $450.01 and up | $80 |
FAQs
1. Do you pro-rate the license fee?
We pro-rate starting in January only.
2. If my business is located outside the city limits, but I do business inside the city limits, do I still need a business license?
Yes, because you are conducting business in the city limits you do need a license.
3. Does the city have an occupational tax?
Yes. You can find information about occupational taxes here.
4. If I do not receive my business license renewal notice, do I still have to pay the penalty?
Yes, your renewal notice is simply a courtesy. It is each business owner’s responsibility to renew his or her license each year.
5. If my company is a sub-contractor do I still need a license if the job contractor has one?
Yes, each contractor needs to purchase his or her own license.
6. Do you accept debit or credit cards?
Yes, we currently accept both.
7. If I close my business before the year is up, can I get a refund on my business license fee?
No, unfortunately we do not issue refunds.
8. I know of other businesses operating without a city business license. Why are you only making me get one?
Unfortunately, we are not able to ensure every business has a license. We do our best. If you know of someone working without a license, you may anonymously call and we will follow up with that business to make sure the owner knows he or she must purchase a license to do business in the city limits.
9. Do I have to display my license at my place of business?
It is best to have it displayed, or at least accessible if an inspector comes in.
10. If a business is incorporated and both professionals (doctors, agents, etc.) are working out of the same office, do they both need a business license?
Yes, each professional needs to purchase a separate license.
11. What information do I need to apply for a license?
For the business license application, all we require is your name, address, phone number, and either a tax ID # or your SSN. Most businesses need to contact our planning and zoning department at 606-678-4466 x348 before obtaining a license to make sure all the current permits have been purchased, and the zoning is correct for your type of business. For food handling businesses, a health inspection must also be conducted.
12. How long does it take for you to issue my license?
If you do not need to have any planning and zoning inspections conducted and have everything completed, it only takes about five minutes to issue a license.
13. My business license rate increased in 2003. Will it go up every year?
No, we are confident that the rates will remain the same for some time. The last time fees were raised was in 1979.
14. Can I get a copy of my license if I lose it?
Yes, just come on in, or give us a call and we will get you a new one.
Have a question or concern?
Reach out directly to our staff.
