How long permits take in Orlando
How long each agency takes, so you can plan the opening date.
Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Internal Revenue ServiceUS federal
Owners with an SSN or ITIN apply online. A company whose responsible party has neither (most China-based owners) faxes or mails Form SS-4, or calls the IRS international line.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Paper form, faxed or mailed
- Takes
- Fax: about 4 business days. Mail: about 4 to 5 weeks. Phone: issued on the call.
Florida sales tax and reemployment tax registration
Florida Department of RevenueFL
Register online before you start doing business. The same application covers sales and use tax and reemployment tax, Florida's unemployment tax for employers.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- After registering online, the certificate number is available on the website after three business days.
Create/Update Importer Identity Form
U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionUS federal
Sent to CBP (usually through your customs broker), or created in the ACE portal. Needed before your first entry as importer of record.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Paper form, mailed
- Takes
- Up to 5 business days.
Customs Bond
U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionUS federal
Bought from a CBP-approved surety, usually through your customs broker, who files it electronically. A continuous bond covers a year of entries.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed on the agency's portal
- Takes
- At least 5 business days for review.
- Renews
- Continuous bonds renew yearly.
City of Orlando business tax receipt and certificate of use
City of Orlando, Permitting ServicesOrlando
Businesses inside city limits apply online with the Sunbiz registration, EIN and any state license; the certificate of use confirms the zoning allows the business. Get it before the county receipt.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- A billing summary within 10 business days of processing; the receipt is mailed after payment.
- Renews
- Every year; receipts expire September 30.
Orange County (FL) local business tax receipt
Orange County Tax CollectorOrlando
Apply online or in person after the city receipt, uploading the city receipt, Sunbiz registration, any state license and the EIN.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Orange County doesn't publish a processing time; Zoning must approve the business (and a CO is needed for new or altered space) before the Tax Collector issues the receipt.
Florida public food service license
Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels and RestaurantsFL
Apply and pay on DBPR Online, one license for each operation. Once the plan review requirements are met, call 850-487-1395 several business days before opening to book the opening inspection; serve nobody until it passes and a temporary paper license is issued on the spot.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Most applications are processed within a few business days; mailed ones take longer.
- Renews
- Every year online, on the district's date: October 1 in Miami, February 1 in Tampa, April 1 in Orlando.
Guides for each business in Orlando
Agency requirements change. Check each agency's page before you file.
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Get the plan for your business in Orlando
This guide covers the city. Your exact address decides the county, the health district and the zoning. Placetta maps every filing for it, fills the official forms from your details, adds the deadlines and puts them up for your approval.
- The full list for your address, in filing order
- The official forms, filled line by line
- Renewal and inspection reminders