Business Registration Certificate — San Francisco
Every business in San Francisco must obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector within 30 days of starting, before other City permits.
Overview
Every person engaging in business in San Francisco must register with the SF Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector (TTX) within 30 days of commencing business. Registration produces your Business Account Number (BAN), which you need before most other City permits.
Corporations/LLCs/LPs must register with the California Secretary of State first; if using a name other than your legal name, file a Fictitious Business Name with the SF County Clerk. SF's First Year Free program waives initial registration and many first-year permit/license fees for qualifying businesses.
Renewal: Business registration runs the City fiscal year (July 1–June 30), renewed annually (filed in May). City permit/license fees on the Unified License Bill are due March 31.
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.
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.