Landscaping Business 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. Office of Indiana State Chemist — Commercial Pesticide Applicator and Business Licenses

   If you apply pesticides or herbicides as part of landscaping services in Indiana, you must be licensed by the Office of Indiana State Chemist (OISC) at Purdue University — not by a state department of agriculture, which does not administer this program. The individual applying pesticides for hire holds a For Hire Pesticide Applicator License in the relevant category, and the business holds a Pesticide Business License, which requires a certificate of insurance with the application. Licenses expire and are renewable annually on December 31.

   Official government source

   $45 per year for the Pesticide Business License and $45 per year for each individual For Hire Pesticide Applicator License. Exam fees are charged separately by the testing provider.·OISC publishes no processing time. Certification exams must be passed before a credential is issued, and every license expires December 31 regardless of issue date, so allow for exam scheduling.

   $45 per year for the Pesticide Business License and $45 per year for each individual For Hire Pesticide Applicator License. Exam fees are charged separately by the testing provider.

   OISC publishes no processing time. Certification exams must be passed before a credential is issued, and every license expires December 31 regardless of issue date, so allow for exam scheduling.

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. Allen County Building Department — Contractor Registration (irrigation work only)

   Allen County Code Title 6, Article 10 lists no landscaping contractor category, and Fort Wayne has no general business license, so ordinary landscaping, lawn care and hardscape work requires no contractor registration. Registration is required only if you install irrigation — the Non-Sanitary Lawn Sprinkler Contractor class — or perform other listed regulated work such as concrete, demolition, masonry or pool construction. Registration is annual and is a prerequisite to pulling any Allen County permit.

   Official government source

   No registration required for general landscaping. Non-Sanitary Lawn Sprinkler Contractor registration $90/year; superintendent registration $25/year; other regulated contractor classes also $90/year·1–3 weeks

   No registration required for general landscaping. Non-Sanitary Lawn Sprinkler Contractor registration $90/year; superintendent registration $25/year; other regulated contractor classes also $90/year

   1–3 weeks

Official Sources

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

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