Pet Sitting Service Permit Requirements in Joliet, IL

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. Illinois — Pet Sitting License Requirements

   Illinois requires facilities that care for animals for a fee to obtain a license under the Illinois Animal Welfare Act. This applies to kennels and doggy daycare facilities. In-home pet sitters who visit clients' homes may be exempt, but home-based boarding operations should verify requirements with the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Animal Welfare Division.

   Official government source

   No fee for in-home sitters (commercial kennel licenses vary)·N/A for individual in-home sitters

   No fee for in-home sitters (commercial kennel licenses vary)

   N/A for individual in-home sitters

2. Illinois Department of Revenue — Retailer's Occupation Tax Registration

   Pet sitting and dog walking services are generally not subject to sales tax in Illinois. However, if you sell pet products (food, leashes, accessories) in addition to services, those sales may be taxable at the applicable rate of 6.25% state + 2.25% local (8.50% combined in Joliet). Register with the Illinois revenue department to confirm your obligations.

   Official government source

   Free (if registration needed)·Immediate (online)

   Free (if registration needed)

   Immediate (online)

1. Joliet Business Registration (No General Business License Required for Pet Sitting)

   The City of Joliet requires a General Business License only for an enumerated list of business types (auctioneers, billiard/pool halls, brokers, dry cleaners, food establishments, food stores, gas stations, hotels/motels, massage salons, nursing homes, public garages, tattoo shops, tobacco and weapons dealers, warehouses, wholesale purveyors) plus separately licensed categories (vending machines, junk peddlers, refuse haulers, secondhand dealers, sidewalk cafes, transient vendors). Pet sitting and dog walking are on none of these lists, so no Joliet business license is required. However, under Article XVIII of the City Code, Joliet requires Business Registration of any business with a place of business inside the city; home-based businesses and businesses already holding a Joliet business license are exempt. A commercial pet care location must therefore register within 30 days of commencing business, while home-based pet sitters are exempt from registration but remain subject to the Zoning Ordinance's home occupation rules (Planning Division, 815-724-4050).

   Official government source

   No business license fee (pet sitting is not a licensed category); Joliet publishes no fee for Business Registration·Register within 30 days of commencing business, or within 30 days of notification from the City. Joliet business licenses, where required, run the calendar year from January 1 to December 31.

   No business license fee (pet sitting is not a licensed category); Joliet publishes no fee for Business Registration

   Register within 30 days of commencing business, or within 30 days of notification from the City. Joliet business licenses, where required, run the calendar year from January 1 to December 31.

2. Illinois Animal Welfare Act -- Animal Care Facility License (State, not County)

   Will County's Animal Control department handles stray impoundment, rabies registration and bite response; it does not issue a commercial animal care facility permit, and Will County's published licenses cover only building, food establishment, access/utility, over-size vehicle and liquor. Commercial pet boarding, kennel and day care operations in Illinois are licensed instead by the Illinois Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act (225 ILCS 605), which licenses kennel operators, boarding/day care operators, pet shops, dog dealers, breeders, shelters, guard dog services and horse rescues. A separate application is required for each license type. Small-scale in-home pet sitting without a dedicated boarding facility may fall outside this framework -- confirm with the Department of Agriculture before boarding pets commercially.

   Official government source

   $350 application fee per license type (Illinois Department of Agriculture)·Licenses expire annually on June 30; a preliminary inspection is required before issuance and the Department publishes no fixed processing time

   $350 application fee per license type (Illinois Department of Agriculture)

   Licenses expire annually on June 30; a preliminary inspection is required before issuance and the Department publishes no fixed processing time

Official Sources

• Joliet Business Licensing
• Illinois Department of Revenue — Retailer's Occupation Tax Registration
• Pet Sitters International (PSI)

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