Event Planning Permit Requirements in Evansville, IN

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. Indiana Business Registration

   Event planning businesses operating in Indiana register with the Indiana Secretary of State (through INBiz) if they are an LLC, corporation or limited partnership. Sole proprietors and general partnerships trading under a name other than the owner's must instead record a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the COUNTY RECORDER for the county where the business is located — not a county clerk and not the state. An LLC provides personal liability protection, which matters when coordinating large events.

   Official government source

   Secretary of State entity filing fees vary by entity type. County Recorder assumed-name recording fees are set locally under IC 36-2-7-10: $25 in Allen County and Vanderburgh County, $35 in Marion County·INBiz entity filings are processed online; a DBA is recorded on submission in person at the Recorder's office

   Secretary of State entity filing fees vary by entity type. County Recorder assumed-name recording fees are set locally under IC 36-2-7-10: $25 in Allen County and Vanderburgh County, $35 in Marion County

   INBiz entity filings are processed online; a DBA is recorded on submission in person at the Recorder's office

2. Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate (Sales Tax)

   Indiana taxes tangible personal property, not services, so event-planning and coordination fees are not subject to sales tax. If you sell or resell tangible goods — decorations, florals, favors, rented tangible items — you must hold a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate (RRMC) and collect Indiana's flat 7% state sales tax (no local sales tax exists). Register through INBiz using the BT-1 business tax application.

   Official government source

   $25 registration fee per business location; renews automatically every two years at no charge·Immediate (online via INBiz)

   $25 registration fee per business location; renews automatically every two years at no charge

   Immediate (online via INBiz)

1. No General Business License in Evansville

   Evansville does not require a general business license for event planning businesses. The city's licensing list covers only specific regulated activities and does not include this profession. If you work primarily from home, see the home-based-business zoning note; if coordinating events in public spaces, a Special Event Permit may apply.

   Official government source

   Not applicable·Not applicable

   Not applicable

   Not applicable

2. Evansville Special Event / Temporary Use Permit (for events in public spaces)

   Events staged on Evansville or Vanderburgh County public parks, streets or plazas need approval from the department that controls the venue. A temporary event use on private property (tents, outdoor sales, staging) requires a Temporary Use improvement location permit from the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission, and event signage requires a separate special-events signage application from the same office. Expect to supply event details, attendance estimates and proof of liability insurance.

   Official government source

   $100 (Area Plan Commission Temporary Use permit, fee schedule effective January 1, 2026); park or street use fees are set separately by the controlling city department·File well ahead of the event; Area Plan Commission filings follow its published 2026 application deadline and meeting calendar

   $100 (Area Plan Commission Temporary Use permit, fee schedule effective January 1, 2026); park or street use fees are set separately by the controlling city department

   File well ahead of the event; Area Plan Commission filings follow its published 2026 application deadline and meeting calendar

3. Evansville–Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission — Temporary Use Permit

   A Temporary Use Permit from the Evansville–Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission is required for temporary events and uses on private property, in both the city and unincorporated Vanderburgh County — the APC is a single joint commission serving both jurisdictions, so there is no separate county-only permit. Apply at the APC office, 1 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Room 312. Events on public property or streets require separate city approvals, and any food service requires a Vanderburgh County Health Department permit.

   Official government source

   $100.00 Temporary Use permit (2026 APC fee schedule). Late permits are charged three times the normal fee, minimum $500·2–4 weeks

   $100.00 Temporary Use permit (2026 APC fee schedule). Late permits are charged three times the normal fee, minimum $500

   2–4 weeks

Official Sources

• Evansville Business Licensing
• Indiana Secretary of State — Business Registration
• IRS EIN Application

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