Pet Sitting Business Permit Requirements in Des Moines, IA

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. Iowa Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

   Required for businesses selling taxable goods or services in Iowa. The state rate is 6%, and local option sales tax of up to 1% may apply. Iowa taxes about 75 enumerated services, so check whether your service is taxable before assuming you need a permit. Register with the Iowa Department of Revenue online.

   Official government source

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit·Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit

   Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

1. No Des Moines General Business License Required

   Des Moines has no general or blanket business license, and the Development Services Department does not issue one. The City Clerk's Office licenses only specific regulated activities - alcohol, tobacco, transient merchants, mobile food vendors, peddlers, pawnbrokers, theaters, coin-operated machines, solid waste haulers and similar categories. Most businesses need nothing from the Clerk. What a commercial tenant does need is a Certificate of Occupancy for the space, issued by the Permit and Development Center, and home-based businesses go through home occupation review with Zoning Enforcement.

   Official government source

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50·Not applicable

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50

   Not applicable

2. Iowa Boarding Kennel State License (IDALS)

   Boarding pets overnight — at a home or a standalone facility — makes the operation a commercial establishment under Iowa Code ch. 162, licensed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Animal Welfare program. This is a state license, not a Polk County permit; facilities are inspected for humane care, housing, and sanitation standards. Pet sitting in the client's own home, with no animals kept at your premises, does not require the license.

   Official government source

   $175 for issuance or renewal of the state license (Iowa Code 162.2B)·Licenses are renewed annually; allow for a facility inspection before the license is issued

   $175 for issuance or renewal of the state license (Iowa Code 162.2B)

   Licenses are renewed annually; allow for a facility inspection before the license is issued

Official Sources

• City of Des Moines Development Services Department
• Polk County Animal Services

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