Cleaning Service Permit Requirements in Fort Wayne, 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. Fort Wayne — No General Business License

   Fort Wayne has no general city business license, and there is no "Department of Neighborhood Code Enforcement" business license. The city's official Starting a Business guide states: "The City of Fort Wayne does not currently require a general business license." What does apply: register your business name with the Allen County Recorder if it does not include the owner's last name, verify zoning with the Allen County Department of Planning Services, and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from the Allen County Building Department after final inspection of any commercial space.

   Official government source

   $0 — no general business license exists. Related fees: Certificate of Assumed Business Name $25 (Allen County Recorder); Allen County Building Department permit and contractor license fees vary by project.·Not applicable — there is no general license to apply for. Certificate of Occupancy timing depends on Allen County Building Department plan review and final inspection.

   $0 — no general business license exists. Related fees: Certificate of Assumed Business Name $25 (Allen County Recorder); Allen County Building Department permit and contractor license fees vary by project.

   Not applicable — there is no general license to apply for. Certificate of Occupancy timing depends on Allen County Building Department plan review and final inspection.

2. Fort Wayne Home Occupation Zoning & Allen County Recorder DBA Registration

   If you run a cleaning service from your home in Fort Wayne, verify the use in writing with the Allen County Department of Planning Services. Its most restrictive classification, Home Occupation (no client visits), requires no fee; a Home Based Business or Home Workshop requires a special-use application heard by the Board of Zoning Appeals at a public hearing. If you use a trade name that does not include the owner's last name, file a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the Allen County RECORDER's Office — not the County Clerk.

   Official government source

   $0 for a Home Occupation classification; $150 for a Home Based Business or Home Workshop special-use application to the Board of Zoning Appeals; $25 for the Allen County Recorder's Certificate of Assumed Business Name.·The Recorder records the assumed-name certificate while you wait, or by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope. A special use requires a Board of Zoning Appeals public hearing, so allow for its meeting schedule.

   $0 for a Home Occupation classification; $150 for a Home Based Business or Home Workshop special-use application to the Board of Zoning Appeals; $25 for the Allen County Recorder's Certificate of Assumed Business Name.

   The Recorder records the assumed-name certificate while you wait, or by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope. A special use requires a Board of Zoning Appeals public hearing, so allow for its meeting schedule.

Official Sources

• City of Fort Wayne Department of Neighborhood Code Enforcement
• Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

Related Guides