Cleaning Service Permit Requirements in Wilmington, DE

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Delaware — No Sales Tax

   Delaware has no state or local sales tax. Instead, Delaware levies a Gross Receipts Tax on the seller of goods or provider of services, based on total receipts. Register with the Delaware Division of Revenue.

   Official government source

   Free (gross receipts tax registration)·Immediate (online)

   Free (gross receipts tax registration)

   Immediate (online)

2. Delaware Workers' Compensation Insurance

   Delaware requires every employer with one or more employees to carry workers' compensation insurance through a licensed carrier or an approved self-insurance program. The Office of Workers' Compensation, within the Department of Labor's Division of Industrial Affairs, administers the system and runs an Employer Look-Up tool for verifying coverage. A cleaning-service sole proprietor with no employees is not required to cover themselves, though limited exemptions and inclusions for independent contractors and agricultural workers are set out in 19 Del.C. §§ 2307 and 2308 — confirm your status with the Office of Workers' Compensation before relying on an exemption.

   Official government source

   No state filing fee; premiums are paid to a licensed carrier and vary with payroll and class code — commonly $500–$2,000/year for a small cleaning business·Immediate to 1 week to bind coverage with a carrier

   No state filing fee; premiums are paid to a licensed carrier and vary with payroll and class code — commonly $500–$2,000/year for a small cleaning business

   Immediate to 1 week to bind coverage with a carrier

1. City of Wilmington Business License (Department of Finance, Wage/Business License Division)

   Businesses operating inside Wilmington must hold a City of Wilmington business license in addition to their State of Delaware business license. Applications are filed with the Department of Finance, Wage/Business License Division (302-576-2415), and a copy of the current State of Delaware business license must be attached. Fees are set per license-type code; air conditioning, plumbing, heating, mechanical and refrigeration contractors must first pass a trade test with the Department of Licenses and Inspections. Employers also pay a head tax of $15 per month for each employee above five.

   Official government source

   Set by license-type code (fee increase effective 1/1/2024): $200/year for most non-professional services (e.g. landscaping/tree services, beauty parlor/barber shop, day care centers, janitorial, pest control, photographers) and construction trades; $300 for professional services; $250 for retailers; $151 for a mobile food vendor; $50 branch license·1–3 weeks

   Set by license-type code (fee increase effective 1/1/2024): $200/year for most non-professional services (e.g. landscaping/tree services, beauty parlor/barber shop, day care centers, janitorial, pest control, photographers) and construction trades; $300 for professional services; $250 for retailers; $151 for a mobile food vendor; $50 branch license

   1–3 weeks

2. Wilmington Home Occupation Zoning Compliance and Trade Name (DBA) Registration

   If you run a cleaning service from your home in Wilmington, the business must comply with the home-occupation provisions of the City's zoning code, administered by the Department of Licenses and Inspections — New Castle County has no jurisdiction inside city limits. L&I will confirm a parcel's zoning designation and whether the proposed use is allowed. Separately, if you use a trade name, register the DBA with the Delaware Division of Revenue through Delaware One Stop (statewide since February 2, 2026) — not with a county clerk. A City of Wilmington business license is required either way.

   Official government source

   $25 for a written zoning certification from L&I (verbal confirmation is free); $25 one-time for the state trade name registration·1–2 weeks

   $25 for a written zoning certification from L&I (verbal confirmation is free); $25 one-time for the state trade name registration

   1–2 weeks

Official Sources

• City of Wilmington Revenue Division
• Delaware — No Sales Tax

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