Photography Business Permit Requirements in Aurora, CO

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Also useful for opening a business bank account and separating personal and business finances. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

2. FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (Drone Photography)

   Required if you offer commercial aerial photography using drones (unmanned aircraft systems). Must pass the FAA Aeronautical Knowledge Test at an approved testing center. Operating commercially without this certificate can result in significant fines. This is a federal requirement enforced by the FAA regardless of state.

   Official government source

   $175 (exam fee)·2–4 weeks to study and schedule exam

   $175 (exam fee)

   2–4 weeks to study and schedule exam

1. Colorado — No State Photography License Required

   Colorado does not require a state license or certification to offer paid photography services. DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations publishes the complete list of regulated occupational professions — accountancy, architects/engineers/land surveyors, barber and cosmetology, combative sports, electrical, landscape architects, nontransplant tissue banks, outfitters, passenger tramway, plumbing and radon professionals — and photography appears nowhere on it, so there is no state board or licensing agency for photographers.

   Official government source

   $0 — no state photography license exists·Not applicable

   $0 — no state photography license exists

   Not applicable

2. Colorado Sales Tax License and Aurora Business License

   Photography sittings and shooting time are services and are not taxable in Colorado, but prints, albums, USB drives and other tangible goods you deliver are. Get 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 to hold an Aurora business license. Aurora's combined rate is 8.00% in the Arapahoe County portion of the city (3.75% Aurora, 2.90% state, 1.00% RTD, 0.10% cultural, 0.25% county), 8.50% in the Adams portion and 8.75% in the Douglas portion.

   Official government source

   Aurora business license: $19 application fee plus $28 license fee, covering two years. Colorado state sales tax license: $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: $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 a citywide business license for businesses operating in the city, issued by the Licensing Section through Aurora's online licensing portal. There is no 'occupational tax certificate' and no Arapahoe County business licensing office — the county does not license businesses. Aurora also has no separate home occupation permit: a home-based photographer needs the same Aurora business license, and the home occupation must comply with the supplemental regulations in Building and Zoning Code Section 146-3.3.J (activity secondary to the dwelling, only residents engaged in it, no nuisance, no unusual traffic).

   Official government source

   $19 online application fee plus a $28 initial or renewal license fee, covering two years from the date of issuance. A change of ownership requires a new application and a $43 fee; a paper application adds a $20 processing fee. There is no revenue-based tiering.·All licensing is handled electronically through Aurora's licensing portal; the license runs two years from the date of issuance.

   $19 online application fee plus a $28 initial or renewal license fee, covering two years from the date of issuance. A change of ownership requires a new application and a $43 fee; a paper application adds a $20 processing fee. There is no revenue-based tiering.

   All licensing is handled electronically through Aurora's licensing portal; the license runs two years from the date of issuance.

2. Aurora Film / Video / Photography Permit

   Aurora requires a film permit for any commercial, non-commercial or student film, video or photography activity within city limits that takes place on city-owned property - public buildings, parks, open spaces, reservoirs, streets, sidewalks or easements - and is intended for sale or general distribution beyond personal use. It also applies on private property where the shoot could cause a nuisance or disruption to nearby businesses or residents, or involves real or fake firearms in public view, pyrotechnics, or costumes, props or equipment likely to startle or disrupt. Personal, non-commercial photos and video need no permit. Apply through the city's online film permit portal (moving to DevPortal.AuroraGov.org); a city liaison is assigned once the application is received.

   Official government source

   Aurora does not publish a film permit fee schedule; the permit is issued only after all applicable fees are paid, and additional permits and fees apply for parks, open space and other recreational areas, and where traffic control or public safety personnel are needed. Fee waivers may be requested for student productions (with proof of coursework at an accredited institution and a valid student ID) and for non-profit or governmental productions.·Submit at least 30 days before the first day of production. Applications filed with less notice are accepted but the city does not guarantee the permit will issue in time. Proof of liability insurance - including drone-specific cover if a drone is used - must be supplied before the permit is issued.

   Aurora does not publish a film permit fee schedule; the permit is issued only after all applicable fees are paid, and additional permits and fees apply for parks, open space and other recreational areas, and where traffic control or public safety personnel are needed. Fee waivers may be requested for student productions (with proof of coursework at an accredited institution and a valid student ID) and for non-profit or governmental productions.

   Submit at least 30 days before the first day of production. Applications filed with less notice are accepted but the city does not guarantee the permit will issue in time. Proof of liability insurance - including drone-specific cover if a drone is used - must be supplied before the permit is issued.

Official Sources

• Aurora Business Licensing
• Colorado Department of Revenue — Sales Tax License
• FAA — Become a Drone Pilot (Part 107)

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