Louisiana Business License
General Business License Requirements for Louisiana.
Business licenses are often required of business entities, regardless of their products and services. This page provides an overview of business license requirements in Louisiana.
Louisiana General Business Licenses
Louisiana Business License
Not required
General Business License licensure is not required on the State level in Louisiana.
Louisiana does not have a general business license at the state level, but local licenses are often required.
Local General Business Licenses
Bossier City Occupational License
| Agency: | Bossier City Finance Department - Tax Division (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | Varies by gross annual receipts. |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | Varies by gross annual receipts. |
| Due: | Licenses expire annually on December 31 and must be renewed by March 1. |
Lake Charles Occupational License
| Agency: | City of Lake Charles Finance Department (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | Varies by business services and gross receipts. See Tax Table for details. |
City of Monroe Occupational Tax License
| Agency: | City of Monroe Tax & Revenue Division (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business and gross receipts |
| Notarization Required?: | Required |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | Renewal forms are included with the renewal notice. |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business and gross receipts |
| Due: | Annually by the last day of February |
| Notes: | Renewal notices and forms are mailed out at the end of December. |
City of Ponchatoula Occupational License
| Agency: | City of Ponchatoula - Tax Collections & Occupational Licenses (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business. |
| Before you Apply: | Businesses with a physical location in the City of Ponchatoula must:
All businesses regardless of location must:
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| Required Attachments: |
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Registration Renewal
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business. |
| Due: | Annually by January 1 |
| Penalties: |
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| Required Attachments: |
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Shreveport Occupational License
| Agency: | City of Shreveport Department of Finance (LA) |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | Initial fee is $50 for the first 6 months of the year and $25 starting July 1st - except for professional classifications. |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | A tax notice is mailed annually in December/January. |
| Agency Fee: | The fee is the tax amount due which varies according to total gross receipts, fees or commissions from business done in Shreveport during the past year. |
| Due: | Annually by March 1. |
City of Slidell Occupational License
| Agency: | City of Slidell Department of Finance (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary by gross receipts and type of business. The minimum fee is $50. |
Registration Renewal
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary by gross receipts and type of business. The minimum fee is $50. |
| Due: | Annually |
City of West Monroe Occupational License
| Agency: | City of West Monroe Business License Division (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees depend on gross receipts and occupation. |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees depend on gross receipts and occupation. |
| Due: | Annually |
Caddo Parish Occupational License
| Agency: | Caddo Parish Finance Department (LA) |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Instructions: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary and depend on business services and gross receipts. There is a $50 minimum fee or $25 if applying on or after July 1. |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary and depend on business services and gross receipts. There is a $50 minimum fee and a $2,000 maximum fee. |
| Due: | Licenses expire on December 31 of each year and must be renewed by March 1 to avoid penalty. |
Calcasieu Parish Occupational License
| Agency: | Calcasieu Parish Policy Jury - License Office (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business and annual gross receipts |
| Required Attachments: |
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Registration Renewal
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business and the annual gross receipts |
| Due: | Annually by December 31 |
| Penalties: | If not renewed before March 1, for every 30 days the occupational tax is outstanding a 5% tax penalty will apply. This is not to exceed 25% of the tax in the aggregate. |
| Required Attachments: |
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City of Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish Occupational License
| Agency: | City of Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish Combined Government - Finance Department - Revenue Division (LA) |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business and gross receipts |
Registration Renewal
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business |
| Due: | Licenses expire annually on January 1. If renewal is not received by the last day of February, the license becomes delinquent |
East Feliciana Parish Occupational Tax Certificate
| Agency: | East Feliciana Parish - Tax Collector (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | Forms are not currently available online. Please call and request one to be sent via email. |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | Forms are not currently available online. Please call and request one be sent via email. |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business |
| Due: | Licenses expire annually December 31 and renewals are due annually by January 1 |
Jefferson Parish Occupational Tax License
| Agency: | Jefferson Parish - Sheriff's Office (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: |
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Registration Renewal
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: |
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| Due: | Licenses expire annually on December 31 and renewals are due on January 1 |
Livingston Parish Occupational Tax Certificate
| Agency: | Livingston Parish - Sheriff's Office - Tax & Fines (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | Forms are not currently available online. Please call and request one to be sent via email. |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the gross receipts |
Registration Renewal
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on gross receipts |
| Due: | Licenses expire annually on December 31 and renewals are due by January 1 |
Rapides Parish Occupational License
| Agency: | Louisiana Association of Tax Administrators - Rapides Parish (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Exemption Eligible Organizations: | 1. Blind persons and their widows and orphans R.S. 47:360(A) |
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fee determined by business type. See application for fee schedule with minimal license fee. |
| Penalties: | 5% for each 30 days or fraction thereof computed from open date (25% max) |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | Occupational License Renewal – All Other Businesses & Professionals |
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fee determine dby gross reciepts, business type and interest by jurisdiction. |
| Due: | Annually by January 1. |
| Penalties: | Licenses become deliquent on March 1. |
St. Tammany Parish Occupational License
| Agency: | St. Tammany Parish Department of Planning and Development (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | $50, becomes $25 on July 1st of application year. |
| Required Attachments: |
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Registration Renewal
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | $50 |
| Due: | Annually by December 31. |
Tangipahoa Parish Occupational Tax Certificate
| Agency: | Tangipahoa Parish - Sheriff's Office (LA) |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Initial Registration
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business and gross receipts |
Registration Renewal
| Filing Method: | |
| Agency Fee: | Fees vary based on the nature of the business and gross receipts |
| Due: | Licenses expire annually on December 31 and renewals are due by March 1 |
Learn about general business licensing requirements in other states: