Pet Sitting Service Permit Requirements in Aurora, CO

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS. Also recommended if you plan to open a dedicated business bank account.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

2. Pet Sitter / Pet Care Insurance

   While not federally required, pet sitting businesses should carry general liability insurance and pet care, custody, and control (CCC) insurance to cover injuries, escapes, or accidental deaths of animals in your care. Professional organizations like PSI (Pet Sitters International) and NAPPS offer member insurance programs. Most clients and professional standards bodies recommend at least $1 million in liability coverage.

   Official government source

   $200–$1,500/year depending on coverage and business size·Obtained before accepting clients

   $200–$1,500/year depending on coverage and business size

   Obtained before accepting clients

1. Colorado — No State Pet Sitting License (PACFA applies to boarding)

   Colorado requires no state license for in-home pet sitting where you visit clients' homes. If you house more than three pet animals at a time in addition to your own for compensation, the Colorado Department of Agriculture licenses you as a PACFA Boarding/Training Facility under C.R.S. Title 35, Article 80 — this is a state license, not an Aurora or Arapahoe County permit. PACFA also licenses groomers, pet transporters, breeders, shelters and rescues.

   Official government source

   $0 for in-home pet sitting. A PACFA Boarding/Training Facility license is $500 a year if you board more than three animals at a time.·Not applicable for in-home sitting; PACFA licensing takes up to 2-3 weeks including qualifying education and a pre-license inspection.

   $0 for in-home pet sitting. A PACFA Boarding/Training Facility license is $500 a year if you board more than three animals at a time.

   Not applicable for in-home sitting; PACFA licensing takes up to 2-3 weeks including qualifying education and a pre-license inspection.

2. Colorado Sales Tax License and Aurora Business License

   Pet sitting and dog walking are services, and Colorado does not tax services, so the sitting fee is not subject to sales tax. If you also sell pet products such as food, leashes or toys, those are tangible goods and are taxable, and you need a Colorado sales tax license from the Department of Revenue. Aurora is a home-rule city that collects its own sales tax and separately requires every person conducting business in the city — service businesses included — to hold an Aurora business license.

   Official government source

   Aurora business license: $19 application fee plus $28 license fee, covering two years. Colorado state sales tax license, only if you sell goods: $16 January–June of an even year, $12 July–December of an even year, $8 January–June of an odd year, $4 July–December of an odd year, plus a one-time refundable $50 deposit for a new account.·Immediate — the state license issues on submission through MyBizColorado; the Aurora license is applied for through the city licensing portal

   Aurora business license: $19 application fee plus $28 license fee, covering two years. Colorado state sales tax license, only if you sell goods: $16 January–June of an even year, $12 July–December of an even year, $8 January–June of an odd year, $4 July–December of an odd year, plus a one-time refundable $50 deposit for a new account.

   Immediate — the state license issues on submission through MyBizColorado; the Aurora license is applied for through the city licensing portal

1. Aurora Business License

   Aurora requires any person - sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, corporation or non-profit - conducting business activities in the city or having employees in the city to hold an Aurora business license, with a separate license for each location. It is issued by the city, not by Arapahoe County. The license also establishes the business's sales, use, Occupational Privilege and lodger's tax filing roles. A home-based pet sitter is a home occupation, which requires the same business license (there is no separate home occupation permit) and must meet the supplemental regulations in Building and Zoning Code Sec. 146-3.3.J, including that only residents of the dwelling perform the work, no external evidence of the business, and no more than one client at a time. Note that a kennel is expressly excluded from Aurora home occupations, so boarding animals at the residence is not permitted as a home occupation.

   Official government source

   $19 application fee plus a $28 initial/renewal license fee, covering a two-year period from the date of issuance (a change of ownership requires a new application and a $43 fee; paper applications add a $20 processing fee)·Applications are submitted and paid entirely through the city's online Licensing Portal; Aurora does not publish a processing-time standard.

   $19 application fee plus a $28 initial/renewal license fee, covering a two-year period from the date of issuance (a change of ownership requires a new application and a $43 fee; paper applications add a $20 processing fee)

   Applications are submitted and paid entirely through the city's online Licensing Portal; Aurora does not publish a processing-time standard.

2. Colorado PACFA Boarding/Training Facility License (state, not city or county)

   Boarding pets for compensation in Aurora is licensed by the state, not by Aurora or Arapahoe County. Under the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (C.R.S. Title 35, Article 80) a PACFA Boarding/Training Facility license from the Colorado Department of Agriculture is required by anyone who houses more than three pet animals at a time in addition to their own, or who trains pet animals in the owner's absence, for compensation. Boarding up to three animals is exempt. Licensing requires an application through the PACFA portal, a 3-4 hour qualifying education course, and a pre-license inspection; you may not operate or advertise before the license issues.

   Official government source

   $500 a year for the Boarding/Training Facility category, plus $50 for each additional license category. Application fees are non-refundable and a 10% late fee applies to renewals after March 1.·The full application and licensing process takes up to 2-3 weeks. All licenses renew between January 1 and March 1 each year.

   $500 a year for the Boarding/Training Facility category, plus $50 for each additional license category. Application fees are non-refundable and a 10% late fee applies to renewals after March 1.

   The full application and licensing process takes up to 2-3 weeks. All licenses renew between January 1 and March 1 each year.

Official Sources

• Aurora Business Licensing
• Colorado Department of Revenue — Sales Tax License
• Pet Sitters International (PSI)

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