Pet Sitting Business Permit Requirements in Phoenix, AZ

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Arizona — No State Pet Sitter License

   Arizona does not require a state license for pet sitting services. In-home pet sitters who visit clients' homes are lightly regulated. Local Maricopa County kennel requirements apply to boarding operations.

   Official government source

   No state fee·N/A

   No state fee

   N/A

2. Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) License (if selling products)

   Pet sitting services are NOT subject to Arizona TPT — personal services are not an enumerated taxable classification. If you sell pet products (food, leashes, accessories), those retail sales require a TPT license from ADOR ($12 per location via AZTaxes.gov).

   Official government source

   $12/year·Immediate (online)

   $12/year

   Immediate (online)

1. Phoenix — No General Business License (regulated activities only)

   The City of Phoenix does not have or issue a general business license. The Phoenix City Clerk's License Services section licenses only specific regulated activities (amusements, auctions, curb painters, escort bureaus, massage establishments, sexually oriented businesses, and vending). Most businesses need no Phoenix city license at all; if you make taxable sales you must hold an Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license from the Arizona Department of Revenue ($12 state license per location plus a $50 Phoenix city license fee, both administered by AZDOR).

   Official government source

   $0 — no general business license exists; Arizona TPT license (if making taxable sales): $12 state + $50 Phoenix city license fee via AZDOR·1–2 weeks

   $0 — no general business license exists; Arizona TPT license (if making taxable sales): $12 state + $50 Phoenix city license fee via AZDOR

   1–2 weeks

2. Maricopa County Animal Control — Kennel License (for boarding)

   If you board clients' pets at your home or a commercial facility in Maricopa County, a kennel license from Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) may be required. Requirements depend on the number of animals boarded. Contact MCACC for current thresholds.

   Official government source

   Fee not published on an accessible official page — confirm the current kennel permit fee with Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (602-506-7387)·2–4 weeks (may require inspection)

   Fee not published on an accessible official page — confirm the current kennel permit fee with Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (602-506-7387)

   2–4 weeks (may require inspection)

3. Phoenix Zoning — Home Occupation (if boarding from home)

   Phoenix does not require or issue a home occupation permit. Home-based businesses are allowed by right as an accessory use in residential districts if they meet the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance §608 home occupation standards (business secondary to residential use, conducted within the dwelling, no outside employees, no exterior evidence, no nuisance impacts). A Use Permit under ZO §307 is needed only for activities that exceed those standards. Boarding animals commercially will usually exceed home-occupation standards; that triggers zoning review/Use Permit questions and possibly a Maricopa County kennel permit — not a 'home occupation permit'.

   Official government source

   $0 for a compliant home occupation (no permit exists); exceeding the standards triggers a ZO §307 Use Permit with its own fee·2–4 weeks

   $0 for a compliant home occupation (no permit exists); exceeding the standards triggers a ZO §307 Use Permit with its own fee

   2–4 weeks

Official Sources

• City of Phoenix — Business Licenses
• Maricopa County Animal Care and Control

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