Business Licensing — City of Detroit (BSEED)

What it is. Detroit's Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) runs the city's business licensing and permits. Importantly, restaurants no longer need a business license from BSEED; a license from the Detroit Health Department is required instead (see the food license article). Certain activities may still require specific city licenses (e.g., outdoor cafe, entertainment), and you will still need building/change-of-use permits and a Certificate of Occupancy.

Who issues it. City of Detroit — BSEED, Business License Center (City layer). Applications use the Accela/eLAPs portal.

When you need it. Before operating, confirm which city licenses/permits your concept requires via the Business License Center.

How to apply. Use the BSEED business-license checklist / Development Resource Center; apply through Accela/eLAPs.

Fees. Per the applicable BSEED schedules — see source (⟢ VERIFY).

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.

References

• City of Detroit — Business Licensing (BSEED) — https://detroitmi.gov/departments/buildings-safety-engineering-and-environmental-department-bseed/business-licensing — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02