Wedding Planner Permit Requirements in Shreveport, LA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees, operate as an LLC/corporation, or file certain business tax returns. Free from the IRS. Sole proprietors with no employees may use their SSN instead.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. Louisiana Sales Tax Registration

   Register as a dealer with the Louisiana Department of Revenue if you sell, lease or rent tangible personal property or digital products in Louisiana, or furnish one of the services the statute specifically enumerates as taxable (R.S. 47:301(4)). Louisiana taxes only listed services, so most professional and personal services are outside the requirement. Registration is made through LaTAP or geauxBIZ; local sales taxes are collected separately by parish collectors.

   Official government source

   The Louisiana Department of Revenue publishes no fee for opening a sales tax account; register through LaTAP or geauxBIZ and confirm at registration.·Not published by LDR; register before your first taxable sale and confirm account activation through LaTAP.

   The Louisiana Department of Revenue publishes no fee for opening a sales tax account; register through LaTAP or geauxBIZ and confirm at registration.

   Not published by LDR; register before your first taxable sale and confirm account activation through LaTAP.

2. General Liability Insurance (venue and contract requirement, not a Louisiana licensing requirement)

   Louisiana does not license wedding planners and no statute requires them to carry insurance. The requirement is imposed by venues and clients. Public venues publish the hardest numbers: the City of Shreveport's SPAR special permit application for events in city parks requires a city-approved certificate of liability insurance naming the City of Shreveport as additional insured, with commercial general liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, workers' compensation as required by Louisiana law with employer's liability of at least $1,000,000, and business auto liability of at least $100,000 per person and $500,000 per accident — each carrying a waiver of subrogation, a 30-day cancellation endorsement and an additional-insured endorsement, written by carriers licensed in Louisiana with an A.M. Best rating of B+VII or better. If alcohol will be served, the liquor liability exclusion must be removed or host liquor liability added. The policy period must cover set-up and take-down, not just the event hours.

   Not a government fee — the premium is set by the insurer from your revenue, number and size of events, and claims history, so the '$400-$1,200/year' band has no official source. Get quotes from carriers licensed in Louisiana. Note that per-event coverage and an annual policy price very differently.·Not an official process with a published turnaround. An online quote is not coverage; the policy takes effect when the insurer binds it and the certificate follows. Venues typically require the certificate with the booking or permit application — Shreveport requires it submitted with the permit application, which is due 45 calendar days before the event.

   Not a government fee — the premium is set by the insurer from your revenue, number and size of events, and claims history, so the '$400-$1,200/year' band has no official source. Get quotes from carriers licensed in Louisiana. Note that per-event coverage and an annual policy price very differently.

   Not an official process with a published turnaround. An online quote is not coverage; the policy takes effect when the insurer binds it and the certificate follows. Venues typically require the certificate with the booking or permit application — Shreveport requires it submitted with the permit application, which is due 45 calendar days before the event.

1. Shreveport Business License

   All businesses operating in Shreveport must obtain an Occupational License from the city's Revenue Division (Finance Department, 505 Travis St. Ste. 120, 318-673-5500) — there is no City Clerk business-licensing office. A Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained from the Metropolitan Planning Commission first. Wedding planners operating as sole proprietors, LLCs or corporations need the license, renewed annually.

   Official government source

   Initial fee $50 if the business opens January–June or $25 if it opens on or after July 1 (except professional classifications). The annual tax itself is on a sliding gross-receipts scale — retailers $50–$6,200, wholesalers $50–$7,500, professionals 1/10 of 1% of gross — so it is not a flat $25–$100/year.·A temporary license is issued to operate for the first 30 days, after which you file an update for the permanent license. Renewals are due before March 1 each year.

   Initial fee $50 if the business opens January–June or $25 if it opens on or after July 1 (except professional classifications). The annual tax itself is on a sliding gross-receipts scale — retailers $50–$6,200, wholesalers $50–$7,500, professionals 1/10 of 1% of gross — so it is not a flat $25–$100/year.

   A temporary license is issued to operate for the first 30 days, after which you file an update for the permanent license. Renewals are due before March 1 each year.

2. Trade Name (DBA) Registration — Louisiana Secretary of State

   If operating under a trade name (for example "Perfect Day Events" rather than your legal name), register the trade name with the Louisiana Secretary of State (form #309, filed online through geauxBIZ) before accepting payments under that name. Trade names are a state filing in Louisiana — Caddo Parish does not register fictitious business names.

   Official government source

   $75 for a Trade Name/Trademark/Service Mark registration (Louisiana Secretary of State form #309). The Commercial Division fee rises to $95 effective October 1, 2026 under Act 921 of the 2026 Regular Session. Credit card filings add a $5 statutory convenience fee; optional expedite is $30 ($50 priority).·The Secretary of State does not publish a processing time for standard filings; expedited service is $30 ($50 priority). Check name availability before filing (225-925-4704).

   $75 for a Trade Name/Trademark/Service Mark registration (Louisiana Secretary of State form #309). The Commercial Division fee rises to $95 effective October 1, 2026 under Act 921 of the 2026 Regular Session. Credit card filings add a $5 statutory convenience fee; optional expedite is $30 ($50 priority).

   The Secretary of State does not publish a processing time for standard filings; expedited service is $30 ($50 priority). Check name availability before filing (225-925-4704).

Official Sources

• City of Shreveport — Business Licensing
• Louisiana Secretary of State
• IRS — Apply for EIN

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