Event Planning Permit Requirements in Boise, ID

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if operating as a business entity (LLC or corporation) or if you have employees. Free from the IRS. You will need an EIN to open a business bank account and sign vendor contracts professionally.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Idaho Secretary of State — Business Registration

   An event planning business structured as an LLC, corporation, or partnership registers with the Idaho Secretary of State through the SOSBiz portal. A sole proprietor trading under a name other than their own legal name files a Certificate of Assumed Business Name instead. Idaho has no county-level DBA filing — assumed business names are registered only with the Secretary of State, whether you are a sole proprietor or an entity trading under a different name. An LLC is worth the modest cost here — coordinating large events means signing venue and vendor contracts in the business's name and carrying real liability exposure.

   Official government source

   $100 online for an LLC Certificate of Organization ($120 by paper, including the $20 manual processing fee); $25 online for a Certificate of Assumed Business Name ($45 by paper).·Online filings through SOSBiz are effective immediately; mailed paper filings take longer.

   $100 online for an LLC Certificate of Organization ($120 by paper, including the $20 manual processing fee); $25 online for a Certificate of Assumed Business Name ($45 by paper).

   Online filings through SOSBiz are effective immediately; mailed paper filings take longer.

2. Idaho Seller's Permit (only if you sell taxable goods)

   Idaho taxes tangible personal property and a short list of specifically enumerated services; event planning and coordination labor is not on that list, so your planning fees are not taxable. You do need a seller's permit if you sell taxable items — decorations, favours, floral arrangements, rented or resold supplies — or if you buy goods for resale to clients. Marking goods up and rebilling them to a client is a taxable sale even when the planning fee beside it is not. Registering for a seller's permit through the Tax Commission's Taxpayer Access Point (TAP) is free — there is no application fee. Note the agency is the Idaho State Tax Commission; Idaho has no 'Department of Revenue'.

   Official government source

   $0 — Idaho charges no fee for a seller's permit·Registration through TAP is completed online, typically the same day.

   $0 — Idaho charges no fee for a seller's permit

   Registration through TAP is completed online, typically the same day.

1. No Boise General Business License Required

   Boise does not require a general business license, business tax certificate, or occupational license. The City Clerk licenses only specific activities: animal licenses and non-commercial kennels, food and alcohol beverage licenses, security services, vehicle and transportation businesses, special events and film permits, and a short 'Other' list (auction, fireworks, going-out-of-business, massage establishments, news racks, pawn/precious metals, tree service, and vendor/solicitor licenses). Event planning falls under none of these. If you coordinate events on public property you may still need a Special Event Permit ($237) or Film Permit, and home-based coordinating is subject to the city's zoning home-occupation standards.

   Official government source

   $0 — no general business license exists·N/A — nothing to apply for

   $0 — no general business license exists

   N/A — nothing to apply for

2. Boise Special Event Permit and Parks Special Events Park Use Permit

   Events on Boise public property run through two tracks. Parks and Recreation issues a Special Events Park Use Permit for events in city parks or on the Boise River Greenbelt; the application itself is free but the park reservation is not. Separately, the City Clerk issues a Special Event Permit — required for events drawing over 1,000 people and for events using streets, plazas, and other non-park public property. Both require general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence naming the City of Boise as additional insured, and vendors must be approved as part of the permit.

   Official government source

   City Clerk Special Event Permit $237. Parks Special Events Park Use Permit application is free, but park reservation fees apply — about $275 for a pavilion and $650–$2,700 for a full community park for a resident full-day booking — plus $25 per vendor per day.·Apply at least 45 days before the event, or at least 90 days if beer or wine will be sold. Applications are accepted up to a year in advance; late applications are not guaranteed review.

   City Clerk Special Event Permit $237. Parks Special Events Park Use Permit application is free, but park reservation fees apply — about $275 for a pavilion and $650–$2,700 for a full community park for a resident full-day booking — plus $25 per vendor per day.

   Apply at least 45 days before the event, or at least 90 days if beer or wine will be sold. Applications are accepted up to a year in advance; late applications are not guaranteed review.

3. Ada County Temporary Use Permit (unincorporated county land)

   Events on unincorporated Ada County land outside city limits — including seasonal events on private property — go through the county's Temporary Use application under Ada County Code 8-6-29, administered by Ada County Development Services. Submit a master application form, a detailed letter covering proposed use, dates and hours of operation, attendance and frequency, parking spaces, and deliveries, plus a scaled site plan showing property lines, easements, structures, septic and well locations, and driveways. Building, engineering, and surveying permits are separate and carry their own fees. This is not needed for events inside Boise city limits, which use the city's own permits.

   Official government source

   $300 application fee. Building, engineering, and surveying applications, if triggered, are billed separately.·2–4 weeks for the Director's review of a complete application; longer if other departments must weigh in.

   $300 application fee. Building, engineering, and surveying applications, if triggered, are billed separately.

   2–4 weeks for the Director's review of a complete application; longer if other departments must weigh in.

Official Sources

• Boise Business Licensing
• Idaho Secretary of State — Business Registration
• IRS EIN Application

Related Guides