Wedding Planner Permit Requirements in Nashville, TN

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. Tennessee Business License (County and City Clerk)

   Not every Tennessee business needs one. A business licence is required only in counties and municipalities that have enacted the business tax, and only once annual gross sales exceed $3,000: more than $3,000 but less than $100,000 calls for a minimal activity license, and $100,000 or more calls for a standard business license plus business tax returns filed with the Department of Revenue through TNTAP. A business with $3,000 or less in gross sales may obtain a minimal activity license but is not required to. Several classifications are excluded outright - individual real estate agents, whose firm rather than the agent is liable; veterinary services; movie theatres; and receipts from selling or renting real property you own. A business located inside a city's limits registers with both the county clerk and the city, so it holds two licences.

   Official government source

   $15 flat to each clerk. A business outside any city's limits pays $15 to the county clerk; a business inside a city's limits pays $15 to the county clerk and $15 to the municipal clerk, for $30 total. The fee does not vary by municipality and is not a percentage of receipts.·The clerk issues the licence at the counter. Registration for the state business tax account is separate: the Department of Revenue states it takes up to 10 business days to register your business.

   $15 flat to each clerk. A business outside any city's limits pays $15 to the county clerk; a business inside a city's limits pays $15 to the county clerk and $15 to the municipal clerk, for $30 total. The fee does not vary by municipality and is not a percentage of receipts.

   The clerk issues the licence at the counter. Registration for the state business tax account is separate: the Department of Revenue states it takes up to 10 business days to register your business.

2. General Liability Insurance (Not Required by Tennessee Law)

   No Tennessee statute requires a wedding planner to carry liability insurance. Wedding and event planning is not one of the occupations the Department of Commerce and Insurance's Regulatory Boards Division licenses, and no state board imposes a coverage minimum. The requirement, where it exists, is contractual: venues commonly make a certificate of insurance naming the venue as additional insured a condition of working on site, and couples' contracts often mirror that. The limit is therefore set by whichever venue you are working in, not by the state, so read the venue's vendor requirements before quoting. Coverage that responds to damage you cause to a venue is general liability; errors in the planning itself would be professional liability, a separate policy. Any vehicle used in the business needs commercial auto liability under Tennessee's financial responsibility law.

   Official government source

   Tennessee publishes no premium and mandates no limit. General liability is priced by private insurers on revenue, event count and claims history.·Not a government process. Insurers bind coverage and issue certificates on their own schedule, often the same day.

   Tennessee publishes no premium and mandates no limit. General liability is priced by private insurers on revenue, event count and claims history.

   Not a government process. Insurers bind coverage and issue certificates on their own schedule, often the same day.

1. Nashville Business License

   All businesses operating in Nashville must obtain a business license from the Davidson County Clerk's Business Services office. Wedding planners operating as sole proprietors, LLCs, or corporations need this license to legally conduct business, and it is renewed annually. Gross receipts over $3,000 but under $100,000 take a minimal activity license; $100,000 or more requires a standard business license plus registration for Tennessee business tax.

   Official government source

   $15/year flat outside Nashville city limits (General Service District) or $30/year flat within Nashville city limits (Urban Service District)·Issued by the Davidson County Clerk when you apply and pay (online, in person, or by mail); standard (non-minimal-activity) licensees must first register for business tax with the TN Department of Revenue, which takes up to 10 business days.

   $15/year flat outside Nashville city limits (General Service District) or $30/year flat within Nashville city limits (Urban Service District)

   Issued by the Davidson County Clerk when you apply and pay (online, in person, or by mail); standard (non-minimal-activity) licensees must first register for business tax with the TN Department of Revenue, which takes up to 10 business days.

2. Assumed Name Registration (Tennessee Secretary of State)

   Tennessee has no DBA or fictitious-name registration. The Secretary of State's FAQ states that Tennessee does not recognize "DBAs" (doing business as) or fictitious names, and Davidson County has no trade-name filing office. A registered entity (LLC or corporation) that wants to trade under a name other than its legal entity name files an Application for Registration of Assumed Name (form SS-4402) with the Secretary of State; the assumed name is valid 5 years and is renewable. A sole proprietor has nothing to file - simply list the trade name on the county business license application.

   Official government source

   $20 to register an assumed name (form SS-4402), $20 to renew - LLCs and corporations only. No fee and no filing for sole proprietors.·Effective on filing with the Secretary of State; the registration lasts 5 years and is renewable.

   $20 to register an assumed name (form SS-4402), $20 to renew - LLCs and corporations only. No fee and no filing for sole proprietors.

   Effective on filing with the Secretary of State; the registration lasts 5 years and is renewable.

Official Sources

• City of Nashville — Business Licensing
• Tennessee Secretary of State
• IRS — Apply for EIN

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