Dog Grooming Permit Requirements in Indianapolis, IN

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if operating as a business entity or if you have employees. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

2. General Liability & Pet Care Insurance

   While not federally mandated, dog grooming businesses should carry general liability insurance and pet bailee/care, custody, and control (CCC) insurance to cover injuries, escapes, or accidental deaths of animals in your care. Most landlords and all professional grooming standards bodies recommend at least $1 million in coverage.

   $500–$2,500/year depending on business size·Obtained before opening

   $500–$2,500/year depending on business size

   Obtained before opening

1. Indiana Secretary of State — Business Registration (no state groomer license)

   Indiana has no state license for dog groomers — the Indiana State Board of Animal Health regulates animal health and disease control, not business licensing — so local zoning and local animal-business permits are what apply. Register the business entity with the Indiana Secretary of State through the INBiz portal if it is an LLC, corporation, or partnership; a sole proprietor or general partnership using a trade name records a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the County Recorder instead. An LLC is worth considering for liability protection when handling animals.

   Official government source

   Entity filing fees are set and published by the Indiana Secretary of State on the INBiz portal. County DBA recording fees are separate, local under IC 36-2-7-10, and vary: $35 in Marion County, $25 in Allen County, $25 in Vanderburgh County.·INBiz online filings are processed by the Secretary of State with no published fixed turnaround; county recorders typically record an assumed-name certificate at the counter while you wait.

   Entity filing fees are set and published by the Indiana Secretary of State on the INBiz portal. County DBA recording fees are separate, local under IC 36-2-7-10, and vary: $35 in Marion County, $25 in Allen County, $25 in Vanderburgh County.

   INBiz online filings are processed by the Secretary of State with no published fixed turnaround; county recorders typically record an assumed-name certificate at the counter while you wait.

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

   Indiana's 7% sales tax applies to tangible personal property, not to services, so dog grooming labor is not taxable. If you sell retail products — shampoos, brushes, collars, treats — you must hold a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate (RRMC) and collect the flat 7% state rate; Indiana has no local sales tax. 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 to 1 week (online via INBiz)

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

   Immediate to 1 week (online via INBiz)

3. Indiana — No State Pet Groomer License Required

   Pet grooming is not a regulated profession in Indiana; it does not appear on the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's list of licensed professions, and there is no state grooming board, exam or continuing education mandate. Voluntary certification — National Dog Groomers Association of America, International Professional Groomers, or the International Society of Canine Cosmetologists — is purely a credibility and insurance matter, though franchise agreements and some pet-care chains require it. Local animal-care or kennel licensing may still apply where you board or handle animals.

   Official government source

   No state license or fee. Voluntary certification is priced by each association and typically requires training plus a practical evaluation·N/A for the state; 3–12 months if pursuing voluntary certification

   No state license or fee. Voluntary certification is priced by each association and typically requires training plus a practical evaluation

   N/A for the state; 3–12 months if pursuing voluntary certification

1. Indianapolis — No General Business License; Kennel/Pet Store/Stable/Groomer License

   Indianapolis has no general business or occupational license, and no 'Home Occupation Permit' exists for a home-based groomer. What does apply to a grooming business is the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services animal-business license, listed on the DBNS fee schedule as "Kennels Pet Store Stables Groomer" and described on the city's Business Licenses page as covering businesses that maintain facilities to board, train, or sell animals. Because the fee schedule names groomers but the license description does not, confirm with DBNS Licensing ([email protected], 317.327.4316) whether a grooming-only shop or a mobile groomer needs it before opening.

   Official government source

   $0 for a general business license, because none exists. Kennels/Pet Store/Stables/Groomer license $200, plus $84 for the building inspection and $84 for the fire inspection of the licensed premises, each charged for the initial inspection and again for the annual reinspection (DBNS fee schedule effective January 5, 2026).·No fixed turnaround is published. Where the license applies, inspections are initiated by licensing staff once the application and fee are received, and the license expires one year from the date of issuance.

   $0 for a general business license, because none exists. Kennels/Pet Store/Stables/Groomer license $200, plus $84 for the building inspection and $84 for the fire inspection of the licensed premises, each charged for the initial inspection and again for the annual reinspection (DBNS fee schedule effective January 5, 2026).

   No fixed turnaround is published. Where the license applies, inspections are initiated by licensing staff once the application and fee are received, and the license expires one year from the date of issuance.

2. Indianapolis — Zoning Verification & Kennel/Pet Store/Stable/Groomer License

   Confirm a commercial location's zoning before signing a lease: the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues a Zoning Classification Letter stating the property's zoning district, and the same information can be researched free through the city's Citizen's Access Portal and Zoning Tool. Indianapolis also licenses animal businesses — the DBNS license listed on its fee schedule as 'Kennels Pet Store Stables Groomer' covers businesses that maintain facilities to board, train, or sell animals, and licensing staff initiate an inspection once the application is received. Confirm with DBNS Licensing ([email protected], 317.327.4316) whether a grooming-only operation needs it.

   Official government source

   DBNS fee schedule effective January 5, 2026: Kennels/Pet Store/Stables/Groomer license $200; building inspection of licensed premises $84 and fire inspection of licensed premises $84, each charged for the initial inspection and the annual reinspection; Zoning Classification Letter $85.·No fixed turnaround is published. The license expires one year from the date of issuance, and inspections are initiated by licensing staff once the application and fee are received.

   DBNS fee schedule effective January 5, 2026: Kennels/Pet Store/Stables/Groomer license $200; building inspection of licensed premises $84 and fire inspection of licensed premises $84, each charged for the initial inspection and the annual reinspection; Zoning Classification Letter $85.

   No fixed turnaround is published. The license expires one year from the date of issuance, and inspections are initiated by licensing staff once the application and fee are received.

3. Indianapolis — Inspections for a Grooming Business (no Certificate of Occupancy)

   Indianapolis does not issue a Certificate of Occupancy and runs no separate health or environmental inspection programme for pet grooming salons. What does apply: the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services fee schedule lists its animal-business license as "Kennels Pet Store Stables Groomer", and premises used for municipally licensed activities receive both a building inspection and a fire inspection, initially and as an annual reinspection. Confirm with DBNS Licensing ([email protected], 317.327.4316) whether a grooming-only operation needs the license. After any construction, the contractor files a Certificate of Completion and Compliance with DBNS before the space is occupied.

   Official government source

   DBNS fee schedule effective January 5, 2026: Kennels/Pet Store/Stables/Groomer license $200; building inspection of licensed premises $84 and fire inspection of licensed premises $84 — $168 combined — charged for the initial inspection and again for the annual reinspection.·No fixed turnaround is published. The license expires one year from the date of issuance, and inspections are initiated by licensing staff once the application and fee are received.

   DBNS fee schedule effective January 5, 2026: Kennels/Pet Store/Stables/Groomer license $200; building inspection of licensed premises $84 and fire inspection of licensed premises $84 — $168 combined — charged for the initial inspection and again for the annual reinspection.

   No fixed turnaround is published. The license expires one year from the date of issuance, and inspections are initiated by licensing staff once the application and fee are received.

Official Sources

• Indiana State Board of Animal Health
• Indianapolis Business Licensing
• National Dog Groomers Association of America

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