Cleaning Service Permit Requirements in Evansville, IN

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. Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property at retail in Indiana. Indiana charges a flat 7% state sales tax with no additional local sales tax. Register online via INBiz.

   Official government source

   $25 one-time registration fee·Immediate (online via INBiz)

   $25 one-time registration fee

   Immediate (online via INBiz)

2. Indiana Workers' Compensation Insurance

   Indiana requires most employers to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees; the Indiana Workers' Compensation Board administers the system and hears disputes. A sole proprietor with no employees is generally exempt, but the exemption turns on how workers are classified — independent contractors are not automatically covered — so confirm your own situation with the Workers' Compensation Board rather than assuming you are exempt.

   Official government source

   Not a government fee. Premiums are set by insurers using payroll, job classification, and claims history, and no official source publishes a rate, so get quotes from licensed carriers rather than relying on a stated range.·Coverage can usually be bound quickly through an insurer or agent; there is no government approval step for standard coverage.

   Not a government fee. Premiums are set by insurers using payroll, job classification, and claims history, and no official source publishes a rate, so get quotes from licensed carriers rather than relying on a stated range.

   Coverage can usually be bound quickly through an insurer or agent; there is no government approval step for standard coverage.

1. No General Business License in Evansville

   Evansville does not require a general/universal business license for most business types. The City Controller's office issues licenses only for specific activities (e.g., street vending, hotels, pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers) — none apply to a typical service business. Verify zoning compliance and, if applicable, a Certificate of Occupancy with the Area Plan Commission / Building Commission before opening.

   Official government source

   Not applicable (no general license fee)·Not applicable

   Not applicable (no general license fee)

   Not applicable

2. Evansville Home Occupation Permit & Vanderburgh County DBA Recording

   If you run a cleaning service from your home in Evansville, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission issues a Home Occupation permit confirming the activity is compatible with residential zoning — the Area Plan Commission, not the City Clerk, administers zoning and Improvement Location Permits for both the city and the county. If you use a trade name, record a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the Vanderburgh County RECORDER's Office, whose listed document types explicitly include Assumed Business Names — not with the County Clerk.

   Official government source

   $100 for the Area Plan Commission Home Occupation permit (services fee schedule effective January 1, 2026); $25 for the Vanderburgh County Recorder's assumed business name filing, its flat fee for "deeds and all other documents".·No processing time is published for either. The Recorder accepts documents in person, by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope, or through an approved e-recording service; Improvement Location Permit applications go through the Area Plan Commission's weekly review cycle.

   $100 for the Area Plan Commission Home Occupation permit (services fee schedule effective January 1, 2026); $25 for the Vanderburgh County Recorder's assumed business name filing, its flat fee for "deeds and all other documents".

   No processing time is published for either. The Recorder accepts documents in person, by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope, or through an approved e-recording service; Improvement Location Permit applications go through the Area Plan Commission's weekly review cycle.

Official Sources

• City of Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development
• Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

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