Pressure Washing Permit Requirements in Evansville, IN

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. Indiana Business Tax Application (BT-1)

   Required for businesses collecting sales tax or withholding income tax in Indiana. Register online via INBiz (Indiana's one-stop business registration portal), which processes the Business Tax Application (historically paper Form BT-1) and issues your Registered Retail Merchant Certificate.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate to 2 weeks

   Free

   Immediate to 2 weeks

2. General Liability and Commercial Auto Insurance (recommended, not legally required)

   Indiana does not require a pressure washing business to carry general liability insurance, but most commercial clients and property managers require proof of coverage — commonly $1 million per occurrence — before hiring, because of the property-damage risk. Indiana does require insurance on any vehicle you operate, so a company vehicle needs commercial auto coverage. The Indiana Department of Insurance regulates insurers and producers and is where to confirm an agent or company is licensed before you buy.

   Official government source

   Not a government fee. Premiums are set by insurers and vary with coverage limits, revenue, equipment, and claims history; no official source publishes a rate, so get quotes from licensed carriers rather than relying on a stated range.·Coverage can often be bound the same day through an online quote. There is no government approval or waiting period.

   Not a government fee. Premiums are set by insurers and vary with coverage limits, revenue, equipment, and claims history; no official source publishes a rate, so get quotes from licensed carriers rather than relying on a stated range.

   Coverage can often be bound the same day through an online quote. There is no government approval or waiting period.

1. No General Business License in Evansville

   Evansville does not require a general business license for pressure washing companies. The City Controller's office issues licenses only for specific regulated activities (e.g., street vending, hotels, pawnbrokers) — pressure washing is not one of them.

   Official government source

   Not applicable·Not applicable

   Not applicable

   Not applicable

2. Stormwater / Wastewater Discharge Compliance

   Pressure washing businesses in Evansville must comply with local stormwater ordinances. Wastewater containing detergents, oils, or other pollutants cannot be allowed to enter storm drains. You may need to contain and properly dispose of wastewater. Contact Vanderburgh County Environmental Health for specific requirements.

   Official government source

   No permit fee (compliance requirement)·Ongoing compliance

   No permit fee (compliance requirement)

   Ongoing compliance

3. Certificate of Assumed Business Name (DBA) — Vanderburgh County Recorder

   If you operate under a trade name, record a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the Vanderburgh County Recorder's Office before accepting jobs under that name; the Recorder's listed document types explicitly include Assumed Business Names. A corporation or LLC operating under a different name files a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the Indiana Secretary of State instead.

   Official government source

   $25 — the Vanderburgh County Recorder's flat fee for "deeds and all other documents", which covers an assumed business name filing and includes one oversize page ($5 for each additional page over 8.5" x 14").·No processing time is published. The Vanderburgh County Recorder accepts documents in person at the Civic Center, by mail (enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope), or electronically through an approved e-recording service, which charges its own service fee.

   $25 — the Vanderburgh County Recorder's flat fee for "deeds and all other documents", which covers an assumed business name filing and includes one oversize page ($5 for each additional page over 8.5" x 14").

   No processing time is published. The Vanderburgh County Recorder accepts documents in person at the Civic Center, by mail (enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope), or electronically through an approved e-recording service, which charges its own service fee.

Official Sources

• City of Evansville — Business Licensing
• Indiana Department of Environmental Quality
• Indiana Secretary of State

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