Cleaning Service Permit Requirements in Fargo, ND

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. North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — Sales and Use Tax Permit

   Required for any business selling taxable goods or services in North Dakota. The state sales tax rate is 5% for most retail sales, and cities and counties may levy additional local sales and use taxes that vary by location — check the Tax Commissioner’s local tax rate listings for your address. Apply for the permit in ND TAP, the state’s Taxpayer Access Point.

   Official government source

   Free·Apply through ND TAP at least 30 days before you open for business, as the Tax Commissioner advises.

   Free

   Apply through ND TAP at least 30 days before you open for business, as the Tax Commissioner advises.

2. North Dakota Workers’ Compensation Coverage (WSI)

   North Dakota law requires nearly all employers to insure every employee — full-time, part-time, seasonal and occasional — before that person starts work. Coverage must be bought from North Dakota Workforce Safety & Insurance: WSI is the sole provider and administrator of workers’ compensation in the state, and North Dakota law does not allow private insurers to underwrite it. A sole proprietor with no employees is not required to cover themselves but may buy optional coverage. Operating without required coverage can bring penalties up to $10,000 plus $100 a day, and premium may never be deducted from an employee’s wages.

   Official government source

   Premium is set by WSI from your payroll and industry classification rather than a fixed schedule; request a quote through WSI.·Coverage must be in place before an employee starts work; accounts can be opened online with WSI.

   Premium is set by WSI from your payroll and industry classification rather than a fixed schedule; request a quote through WSI.

   Coverage must be in place before an employee starts work; accounts can be opened online with WSI.

1. City of Fargo Occupational License (only for listed trades)

   Fargo does not require a general business license. The city states: "The City does not require business licenses for every type of commerce; however, the Fargo Municipal Code does require a City license for the businesses listed below." The licensed categories are specific trades and regulated businesses — excavator, sidewalk builder, house mover, re-roofing, sign hanger, master plumber, master and journeyman heating contractor, commercial hauler, pawn broker, second hand dealer, transportation vehicles, alcohol sellers, mobile home communities and forestry. Check the Auditor's Office list before assuming a license applies to you.

   Official government source

   No general business license fee. Listed categories have set annual fees — for example excavator $250/year (with a $100,000 bond), master plumber $125/year, master heating contractor $125/year, sign hanger $125/year, forestry $50/year.·1–3 weeks, and only if your business type is on the city's licensed list

   No general business license fee. Listed categories have set annual fees — for example excavator $250/year (with a $100,000 bond), master plumber $125/year, master heating contractor $125/year, sign hanger $125/year, forestry $50/year.

   1–3 weeks, and only if your business type is on the city's licensed list

2. ND Secretary of State Trade Name Registration (and Fargo Home Occupation Zoning)

   North Dakota files trade names (DBAs) only with the Secretary of State through the FirstStop portal — Cass County has no DBA filing, and neither does any other North Dakota county. Register the trade name if you operate a cleaning service under any name other than your own legal name; banks require it to open an account in the business name. Separately, a cleaning service run out of a residence must comply with Fargo’s zoning standards for home occupations (no client traffic, no exterior signage, no outdoor storage of equipment), which is a zoning compliance matter rather than a priced city license — Fargo has no general business license.

   Official government source

   $25 one-time state filing fee for the trade name. No general business license fee in Fargo.·A FirstStop trade name filing is processed online in the same session.

   $25 one-time state filing fee for the trade name. No general business license fee in Fargo.

   A FirstStop trade name filing is processed online in the same session.

Official Sources

• City of Fargo Finance Department
• North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — Sales Tax Permit

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