Photography Business Permit Requirements in Joliet, IL

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. Illinois — No State Photography License Required

   Illinois does not require a state-issued license or certification to offer paid photography services. Photography is an unregulated profession at the state level — there is no state board or licensing agency that certifies photographers in Illinois.

   Official government source

   N/A·N/A

   N/A

   N/A

2. Illinois Department of Revenue — Retailers' Occupation Tax Registration

   Illinois requires photographers to collect Retailers' Occupation Tax on the sale of tangible photographs and prints. The combined rate in Joliet is 6.25% state plus 2.25% local, 8.50% total. Some digital delivery arrangements may also be taxable. Register with the Illinois Department of Revenue through MyTax Illinois.

   Official government source

   Free (IDOR charges no fee to register)·Register online through MyTax Illinois; allow 1–2 business days for the account to be issued

   Free (IDOR charges no fee to register)

   Register online through MyTax Illinois; allow 1–2 business days for the account to be issued

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

   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). Photography studios and freelance photographers are on none of these lists, and Joliet has no 'Occupational Tax Certificate'. 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 studio must therefore register within 30 days of commencing business, while a home-based photographer is exempt from registration but remains subject to the Zoning Ordinance's home occupation rules (Planning Division, 815-724-4050).

   Official government source

   No business license fee (photography 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 (photography 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. Joliet Filming Permit (filming or photography on public property)

   The City of Joliet publishes a Filming Permit application, listed under Block Parties, Garage Sales & Special Events on its Permits and Forms page and submitted through the city's online document center. It covers filming and commercial photography that uses public property or the public way -- streets, sidewalks, parks and city-owned plazas -- where the city needs to manage the space and public safety. Shoots held entirely on private property with the owner's permission and no impact on the public way are handled separately. Joliet does not operate a film office; direct questions to City Hall at 815-724-4000, 150 W. Jefferson Street.

   Official government source

   Joliet does not publish a filming permit fee schedule; confirm any fee with the City at 815-724-4000 when you submit the application·Not published by the city; submit well before the shoot date and confirm timing with City Hall

   Joliet does not publish a filming permit fee schedule; confirm any fee with the City at 815-724-4000 when you submit the application

   Not published by the city; submit well before the shoot date and confirm timing with City Hall

Official Sources

• Joliet Business Licensing
• Illinois Department of Revenue — Retailer's Occupation Tax Registration
• FAA — Become a Drone Pilot (Part 107)

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