Pressure Washing Permit Requirements in Indianapolis, 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. Indianapolis Business License

   Indianapolis (Marion County) does not require a general business license. The Dept. of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS) licenses only specific business types by ordinance (e.g., adult entertainment, alarm companies, hotels/motels, kennels, massage establishments, pawnbrokers, taxis). Pressure washing is not a licensed category, so no city business license applies. Questions: [email protected].

   Official government source

   N/A — no license required for this business type·N/A

   N/A — no license required for this business type

   N/A

2. Stormwater / Wash Water Discharge Compliance (Indianapolis MS4)

   Pressure washing businesses in Indianapolis must keep wash water out of storm drains. Under IDEM's stormwater program the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) is operated locally by the City of Indianapolis Department of Public Works, not by the Marion County Public Health Department, and city ordinance prohibits discharging anything but clean water to the storm sewer. Wash water carrying detergents, oils, paint, degreasers or sediment must be contained — with berms, mats or vacuum recovery — and either discharged to the sanitary sewer with Citizens Energy Group's approval or hauled off site. Confirm an acceptable disposal route with Indianapolis DPW before your first job.

   Official government source

   No permit fee — this is a compliance obligation, not a permit; violations carry municipal fines·Ongoing compliance

   No permit fee — this is a compliance obligation, not a permit; violations carry municipal fines

   Ongoing compliance

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

   If you operate under a trade name, record a Certificate of Assumed Business Name (DBA) with the Marion County Recorder's Office before accepting payments or jobs under that name; many banks and lenders require it. The document must be notarized, meet the county's recording requirements, and include the correct fee. You can record it in person, by mail, or electronically through the county's third-party e-recording portal. An LLC or corporation operating under a different name registers that name with the Indiana Secretary of State instead.

   Official government source

   $35 — the Marion County Recorder's flat fee for "deeds and all other documents", which explicitly includes a DBA, plus $5 for each additional page exceeding 8.5" x 14". Recording fees are set by the Indiana General Assembly under IC 36-2-7-10 and differ by county.·No processing time is published. In-person filings are recorded at the counter; mail and e-recording are also accepted, and the e-recording provider charges its own service fee.

   $35 — the Marion County Recorder's flat fee for "deeds and all other documents", which explicitly includes a DBA, plus $5 for each additional page exceeding 8.5" x 14". Recording fees are set by the Indiana General Assembly under IC 36-2-7-10 and differ by county.

   No processing time is published. In-person filings are recorded at the counter; mail and e-recording are also accepted, and the e-recording provider charges its own service fee.

Official Sources

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

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