How to Start a Business in Long Beach, California: The Sequence

The City of Long Beach publishes each rule well and the order between them poorly. The Business License Division, Planning, Health, Building, Fire and the state each hold one piece, and a mistake in the order (a signed lease on a space the zoning does not allow, a license applied for before the building passes inspection) is the expensive kind. This page is the section pillar for the Business pages: the whole sequence from entity to license, one short section per step, with the fee or rule for the step and the guide that covers it in full. Fees from the Planning schedule are as of October 2026; the license tax is the 2026-27 table.

The city adopted a new Master Fee Schedule on September 8, 2026, effective October 1, 2026; where a figure below comes from a Health or Building schedule that the city has replaced, the text says which fee year it belongs to¹⁰.

The short answer

Step 1. Check the zoning before you sign anything

The city’s restaurant brochure puts this first: “Check with the Planning Bureau to make sure that the proposed location allows (is zoned for) your proposed restaurant use before you sign a lease. Ask the Building and Safety Bureau if all building improvements have been permitted”⁸. The retail brochure runs the same sequence for a shop or office⁹. The Planning and Zoning phone line is (562) 570-6194⁷.

In a commercial district’s use table, “Any use not specifically permitted … shall be prohibited”, so a use needs a letter in its row¹². The city’s online zoning map and the phone line carry no fee on Planning’s schedule; written answers do. As of October 2026, a Business License Zoning Review is $213.92, a Zoning Confirmation Letter $1,142.40 and a formal Classification of Use $16,916.48, each with the 12 percent surcharge included⁶. The full routine is in The Zoning Check Before You Sign a Long Beach Lease, and the six questions to settle before a lease are in Questions to Settle Before Leasing a Long Beach Storefront.

Which streets sit in a business improvement district is the subject of the planned guide Long Beach Business Improvement Districts.

Step 2. The state and county papers

None of these are Long Beach rules, but the city asks for them at the license counter¹. They can be done in parallel once you know the name and the structure.

Since August 1, 2026, Statement of Information filings go through the Secretary of State’s web user access¹⁷.

The seller’s permit applies if you “intend to sell or lease tangible personal property subject to sales tax sold at retail”, so a service-only business may not need one¹⁹. The fictitious name applies to a for-profit business whose name omits the owner’s surname; the notice must run “once per week for four consecutive weeks in an adjudicated newspaper in Los Angeles County”²⁰. Employer registration is the step a sole proprietor with no staff skips²¹.

Official pages disagree The county’s main fictitious-name page says publication must begin “within 30 days of filing”; its publication page says “within 45 days of filing”²⁰²². Start within 30 days and both are satisfied.

Step 3. A Planning entitlement, if the use needs one

Most small businesses skip this step. It applies when the use table marks your use “C” in your district, and it is the slowest and costliest part of the sequence. A conditional use permit is $17,330.88 with the surcharge as of October 2026, an administrative use permit $7,603.68 and the alcohol exemption for a meals-only restaurant $1,694.56; an approved permit carries an annual zoning compliance fee of $1,680.00⁶.

The city’s timeline, labeled “general estimates”, runs from one to three weeks to submit and pay to a hearing “typically held within 60 days of the submittal of a complete application”, with environmental review of “2 weeks to 15 months” on its own¹¹. A conditional use permit is decided by the Planning Commission and an administrative use permit by the Zoning Administrator¹³. The rules, the exemption route and the hearing are in Conditional Use Permits in Long Beach.

Step 4. The build-out: Health, Building, Fire and the certificate of occupancy

A storefront that needs construction goes through the city in one order. Where the use is a food facility, Health must approve the plans first: “building permits for food facilities are not to be issued until plan approval has been obtained”²⁵. Construction documents then go to the Permit Center at 411 West Ocean Boulevard, where they are routed to Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire and Planning⁸²³. Inspections follow, and the certificate of occupancy comes before the business license⁹²⁵.

The city publishes no calendar timeline for a whole build-out. Its rule of thumb: “you could expect to spend about 2% of your building costs on plan checks, permits, inspections and other agency fees”, plus a $119.00 processing fee per application¹⁰. Fire inspects a business that “produces conditions hazardous to life or property” or is a place of assembly, “occupancy of 50 or more people”²⁴.

Three guides cover this step:

1. The Commercial Build-Out Sequence in Long Beach follows the brochure’s order and the fees at each department.
2. Certificate of Occupancy and Change of Use in Long Beach covers when a new tenant needs the certificate.
3. Fire Permits and Inspections for Long Beach Businesses is planned for the occupancy, assembly and cooking-hood questions.

Step 5. The sign

“A sign permit is required to display, enlarge, modify, relocate or change in any way” an on-premises sign unless the code exempts it; window signs covering up to 10 percent of the glass and any other non-prohibited sign under three square feet are exempt¹⁵. The first sign is $119.84 with surcharge as of October 2026, and a temporary banner, allowed for 90 days once a calendar year, is $38.08⁶¹⁵. A wall sign may be one square foot per linear foot of wall, and an awning sign 40 percent of the awning’s face¹⁵. The detail is in Business Signs and Awnings in Long Beach.

A home-based business has no sign: the home occupation standards allow none visible from outside¹⁴.

Step 6. The business license, last

The city’s own sequence ends here: “Upon receiving a final building inspection or Certificate of Occupancy, file for a business license”⁹. The rule that makes the license unavoidable is Municipal Code section 3.80.210, which makes it “unlawful for any person to transact and carry on any business, trade, profession, calling or occupation in the City without first having procured a license”, and the city says this includes home-based and out-of-city businesses²⁴. Non-profits and certain veterans may be exempt from the tax, “not exempt from applying for and obtaining a business license”³⁵.

The tax is a table, not a percentage of revenue. For July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027:

Source:⁵, the city’s rate table for 2026-27.

Eligible business types apply online through the Business Portal; the others file at 411 West Ocean Boulevard, second floor²³⁶. The first year’s tax is paid before the license issues; “In most cases a license can be issued upon receipt of the application and payment”, and where inspections or investigations are required first, “for most businesses, this takes two weeks or less”³. The code lets the city issue a conditional license valid up to “one hundred eighty (180) days” while departments finish their reviews, and operating without a license is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 or up to six months in jail⁴. The three guides are Do You Need a Long Beach Business License?, What a Long Beach Business License Costs and How to Apply for a Long Beach Business License.

Step 7. Regulated businesses add a layer

Some lines carry a state license or a city permit on top of the sequence above. Planned guides cover each:

• Alcohol. The state license comes from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control: Type 41 for beer and wine at a “bona fide eating place”, Type 47 for on-sale general at an eating place; on-sale licenses require Responsible Beverage Service certification, and Long Beach is served by the Lakewood district office²⁶²⁷. The city’s layer is a conditional use permit or its exemption, and “the concentration of existing ABC licenses and the area crime rate are factors considered in reviewing applications for alcohol sales”¹². See Serving Alcohol in Long Beach.
• Entertainment. “No person shall carry on, maintain or conduct any entertainment activity in the City without first obtaining a permit therefor from the City”²⁸. Events have a separate path in Special Event Permits in Long Beach.
• Child care. A state-licensed family day care home with 14 or fewer children in the provider’s home is exempt from the city license and tax⁴. See Opening a Daycare in Long Beach.
• Cannabis and short-term rentals. Each has its own ordinance; the guides are Cannabis Businesses in Long Beach and Short-Term Rentals in Long Beach.

The city's programs for new businesses

The city’s Economic Development and Opportunity office takes Business Support calls at 562.570.4BIZ (4249), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.²⁹. Three programs are aimed at people starting out.

• BizCare. A hotline at 562.570.4BIZ (4249) and [email protected]; “Voicemails and emails received after normal business hours will be responded to within 24 business hours”. It publishes a “Starting a Business in Long Beach” guide in four languages³⁰.
• Inclusive Business Navigators. “Free technical assistance, workshops, and business coaching/advising”, delivered through partners that include the Small Business Development Center (562.938.5100), SCORE Long Beach South Bay and Centro CHA³¹.
• The SBDC. The center’s own site describes “no-cost business advising”³².

The city also runs loans: a Microenterprise Loan of $10,000 to $100,000, and a Grow Long Beach Fund of $100,000 to $5 million for businesses open at least two years³³. Its grants page lists programs that open and close, so the live page is the place to check³⁴. The planned guide is BizCare, Business Navigators and the Long Beach Programs That Exist as of 2026.

Guides in this section

Every Business guide, in the order of the sequence. Guides marked planned are not yet published.

The license
– Do You Need a Long Beach Business License?
– What a Long Beach Business License Costs
– How to Apply for a Long Beach Business License
– Running a Business From Home in Long Beach

The address, the lease and the build-out
– The Zoning Check Before You Sign a Long Beach Lease
– Questions to Settle Before Leasing a Long Beach Storefront
– Conditional Use Permits in Long Beach
– Certificate of Occupancy and Change of Use in Long Beach
– The Commercial Build-Out Sequence in Long Beach
– Business Signs and Awnings in Long Beach
– Fire Permits and Inspections for Long Beach Businesses (planned)
– Long Beach Business Improvement Districts (planned)

By type of business
– How to Open a Food Business in Long Beach
– How to Open a Salon or Barbershop in Long Beach (planned)
– How to Open a Retail Store in Long Beach (planned)
– Opening a Daycare in Long Beach (planned)
– Running a Contracting Business From Long Beach (planned)
– Mobile and Home-Service Businesses in Long Beach (planned)
– Selling Online From Long Beach (planned)
– Opening a Medical or Therapy Office in Long Beach (planned)
– Tattoo and Body Art Studios in Long Beach (planned)
– Auto Sales and Repair Businesses in Long Beach (planned)

Regulated lines, events and programs
– Serving Alcohol in Long Beach (planned)
– Cannabis Businesses in Long Beach (planned)
– Short-Term Rentals in Long Beach (planned)
– Special Event Permits in Long Beach (planned)
– BizCare, Business Navigators and the Long Beach Programs (planned)

After opening
– Hiring Your First Employee in Long Beach (planned)
– Closing a Business in Long Beach (planned)

What the sequence adds up to

The city’s recurring charge for most businesses is the license. A home-based business with no employees pays $299.54 for 2026-27; a retail shop with three staff pays $526.79 ($488.81 plus three times $12.66), and a services business with three staff $564.89 ($488.81 plus three times $25.36), before the state’s accessibility fee⁵. The one-time city charges depend on what the space needs: a Planning letter at $1,142.40 if you want the answer in writing, a sign at $119.84, building and fire permits that the Permit Center quotes when you file, and, for the few uses that need one, a conditional use permit at $17,330.88⁶¹⁰. The state’s papers add $70 for an LLC and a $20 statement¹⁶. The private costs the city does not set, the lease deposit, general liability insurance, a point-of-sale system and formation help, will usually exceed these; the city’s figures are the part you can know in advance. The site earns a commission on some links to business services, which does not affect what is recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first step to start a business in Long Beach?

If you will lease space, check the zoning before you sign: the city’s brochures say to confirm that the location “is zoned for” your use and that the existing improvements were permitted⁸. If you will work from home, start with the home occupation standards in the zoning code¹⁴.

Do I need a business license to run a business from home in Long Beach?

Yes. The city says “all businesses operating within the City of Long Beach need to obtain a business license, including out-of-city or home-based businesses”; the home-based category is $299.54 plus $12.66 per employee for 2026-27²⁵.

How much does it cost to start a business in Long Beach?

The city’s fixed charges are the license ($299.54 to $488.81 base for 2026-27, plus per-employee charges), any Planning fees and any permits the build-out needs; the state’s LLC articles are $70 and the EIN and seller’s permit are free^5161819.

How long does it take to get a Long Beach business license?

Most licenses issue on receipt of the application and payment; where inspections or investigations are required first, “for most businesses, this takes two weeks or less”, and the code allows a conditional license valid up to 180 days while departments finish their reviews³⁴.

Do I need a seller's permit?

If you “intend to sell or lease tangible personal property subject to sales tax sold at retail”. The permit is free, though the state may require a security deposit¹⁹.

Do I file a fictitious business name in Long Beach?

Yes, if the business is for-profit and its name omits the owner’s surname. The filing is with Los Angeles County, and the notice is published once a week for four consecutive weeks²⁰.

Where do I get free help starting a business in Long Beach?

The city’s BizCare hotline, 562.570.4BIZ (4249), its Inclusive Business Navigators and the Small Business Development Center offer no-cost advising³⁰³¹³².

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