Pennsylvania Business License
General Business License Requirements for Pennsylvania.
Business licenses are often required of business entities, regardless of their products and services. This page provides an overview of business license requirements in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania General Business Licenses
Pennsylvania Business License
Not required
General Business License licensure is not required on the State level in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania does not have a general business license at the state level, but local licenses are often required.
Local General Business Licenses
City of Allentown Out of City Business License
| Agency: | City of Allentown Revenue Department (PA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | Mail. |
| Agency Fee: | $35 application fee |
| Law: |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | Out of City Business License Registration Application (Renewal) |
| Filing Method: | Mail. |
| Agency Fee: | $35 |
| Due: | Annually by December 31. |
Township of Lower Merion Business License
| Agency: | Township of Lower Merion Finance Department (PA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Notes: | Businesses operating within The Township of Lower Merion must file a Business Privilege and Mercantile Tax Return each year. The Business Privilege/Mercantile Tax is a gross receipts tax. Tax forms are mailed to all registered businesses in January of each year and the annual filing deadline is April 15th. Forms and instructions are also available on the Township website at the link above including a calculating PDF version of the form. New businesses file the Business Privilege and Mercantile Tax Return within 40 days of starting business and pay an estimated tax payment based on their first month’s gross receipts. |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | $20 business registration/mercantile license fee |
Registration Renewal
| Filing Method: | Mail. |
| Agency Fee: | Fee invoiced with renewal. |
| Due: | 2023 Business license/registration renewal invoices will be mailed in November 2022 with payment due February 8, 2023. The 2022 Business Privilege/Mercantile Tax forms and 2023 Local Services Tax Forms will be mailed out at the end of January 2023. |
| Penalties: | Any person who fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of the Business Tax ordinances may be punishable by a civil fine of not more than six hundred dollars ($600.00) plus costs of prosecution, upon the verdict of a court of competent jurisdiction. |
Learn about general business licensing requirements in other states:
