Step 6 — Business License (City of Atlanta)

What Is the Business License?

The Occupational Tax Certificate — commonly called a business license — is issued by the City of Atlanta Office of Revenue and is required to legally operate a business within Atlanta city limits. Restaurants must obtain this before opening.

How to Apply

1. Register your business with the Georgia Secretary of State (if not already done) at sos.ga.gov
2. Apply for your Atlanta Occupational Tax Certificate at atlantaga.gov/government/departments/finance/office-of-revenue
3. Provide: business name, address, owner information, business type, and estimated gross revenue
4. Pay the occupational tax (based on gross revenue)

Phone: (404) 330-6270

Timeline

• Online applications: 2–4 weeks
• Your Certificate of Occupancy (Step 3) must be issued before the business license is finalized

Annual Renewal

• Renewal deadline: January 31 each year
• Late fee applies after January 31
• See the ongoing article on Business License Renewal for details

What SpoonSeal tracks

The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.