Photography Business Permit Requirements in Morgantown, WV

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. West Virginia State Tax Department — Business Registration

   Before engaging in business activity in West Virginia every individual or business entity must obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the WV Tax Division (WV Code §11-12-1 et seq.), applied for through the Business for West Virginia portal at business4.wv.gov or on form BUS-APP. A separate certificate is needed for each business name and each location. The certificate is permanent — it does not expire — until the legal name, location or ownership changes, and it must be surrendered when the business stops operating in West Virginia. It also authorises you to collect the 6% state sales tax plus any municipal sales tax of up to 1%.

   Official government source

   $30 one-time Business Registration Certificate fee, per business name and location·1–5 business days when filed online through the Business for West Virginia portal (business4.wv.gov); longer by paper BUS-APP

   $30 one-time Business Registration Certificate fee, per business name and location

   1–5 business days when filed online through the Business for West Virginia portal (business4.wv.gov); longer by paper BUS-APP

1. City of Morgantown Finance Department — Municipal Business License

   Every business operating inside Morgantown city limits must hold a Municipal Business License issued by the city Finance Department (304-284-7408) and applied for through the Morgantown Access Portal. You must first hold a WV State Business Registration Certificate, and if you have a physical location in the city you must also obtain a Certificate of Occupancy ($65) before the license will issue. Licenses run on the city fiscal year and expire June 30, so renew on or before July 1. The license is separate from the city's Business & Occupation (B&O) gross-receipts tax and its municipal service fee on employees and self-employed owners working in the city.

   Official government source

   $20 flat Municipal License Fee (also $20 for non-profits), printed on the city's Municipal Business License Application; B&O tax and the municipal service fee are billed separately·1–3 weeks

   $20 flat Municipal License Fee (also $20 for non-profits), printed on the city's Municipal Business License Application; B&O tax and the municipal service fee are billed separately

   1–3 weeks

2. City of Morgantown Special Event Permit (public property use)

   Ordinary portrait or small-group photography in a Morgantown public park normally needs no permit. A Special Event permit is required if you rent the Morgantown Marketplace Pavilion, host a block party or gathering, or use the public right-of-way for a parade, fair, festival or similar event — the kind of situation a photographer meets when shooting a permitted event. A waiver of the city noise code is required for amplified sound. The applicant must be the event organizer, and the application must be submitted at least 15 days before the event or it is rejected. Monongalia County does not issue park or special event permits.

   Official government source

   The city does not publish a special event fee schedule online; charges depend on the facility or right-of-way used — check date availability and fees with special event staff at 304-284-7522·Submit at least 15 days before the event; allow 2–4 weeks

   The city does not publish a special event fee schedule online; charges depend on the facility or right-of-way used — check date availability and fees with special event staff at 304-284-7522

   Submit at least 15 days before the event; allow 2–4 weeks

Official Sources

• City of Morgantown City Clerk
• West Virginia State Tax Department — Business Registration

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