How to apply for a business certificate

You need to give us the name and address of your business, along with the names and addresses of any people who have an interest in your business. We also need a copy of your lease agreement that includes signatures and start and end dates. If there is no lease, please provide a notarized letter from your landlord stating that your business is a tenant. 

You CANNOT use a virtual address or a post office box for a business location.

Complete and print out a business certificate form. Check the box that says "new filing." The business owner’s signature needs to be notarized. We can also notarize your signature at the City Clerk's Office if you have a valid picture identification.

Business certificate form

Will the business certificate be associated with a legally established corporation? The signature on the certificate must be one of the listed officers or directors of the corporation, as filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office, or any other state jurisdiction.

The filing fee is $65. If you are not a Massachusetts resident but you want to conduct business in the state, you need to pay an additional $35.

• We accept cash, credit cards, pinless debit cards, and checks or money orders made payable to the City of Boston.
• If you use a credit card or pinless debit card, there is a non-refundable service fee of 2.5% of the total payment, with a $1 minimum. This fee is paid to the card processor and not kept by the City.
• Please note: if your debit card requires you to enter your pin to process a payment, you CANNOT use it to pay your fee.

• If you send your payment by mail, please include a check or money order made payable to the City of Boston.

For some businesses, we require other documents.

To file a business registration as a food truck vendor, you must have a valid:

• health permit
• fire permit
• Hawkers and Peddlers License
• commissary kitchen agreement or letter, and
• Certificate of Liability Insurance.

To file a business registration for short-term rental housing, you must have a registration number from Inspectional Services. You'll need to give us a copy of the registration number form. You can learn more about short-term rentals online.

If you plan to open a daycare business, you must give us a copy of a state-issued daycare provider license.

If you want to open a livery business, you also need to give us copies of this information:

• registrations for all cars used in the business
• insurance binders
• two utility bills
• Massachusetts licenses for all drivers
• the lease where the business is operating, and
• livery plates issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Are you a home improvement contractor or construction supervisor?

• You will need to give us a valid copy of your Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration issued by the Mass. Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
• If you are a Construction Supervisor (CS), you need to give us a valid copy of your license issued by the Mass. Office of Public Safety and Inspections.

Want more information about HIC registration and CS licenses? Please contact 617-973-8797 or 888-283-3757 toll free.

If you are a real estate broker, please bring your Real Estate Brokers License issued by the Commonwealth to register your business in Boston.  If you are a real estate salesperson, you cannot file a business registration. A salesperson cannot operate their own real estate business until they complete the requirements and pass the state exam for a Real Estate Brokers License.

If you own a restaurant, you must have the following items:

• a copy of the Certificate of Inspection
• a copy of the current lease agreement, and
• a copy of the ServSafe Health Certification

To file a business registration for a cannabis business in Boston, please review the steps and documents you need to follow before completing a business registration form.

If there is a business certificate on file with the same name or address as your business, you must give us:

• a notarized letter from the landlord that states the previous business owner is gone, and
• a copy of your lease agreement that includes signatures and start and end dates of the lease. Don’t have a lease? Please give us a notarized letter from your landlord stating that your business is a tenant. The letter must include start and end dates for your tenancy.

Bring your documents, payment, and completed form to City Hall:

City Clerk’s Office, Room 601

1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You need to give us the name and address of your business, along with the names and addresses of any people who have an interest in your business. We also need a copy of your lease agreement that includes signatures and start and end dates. If there is no lease, please provide a notarized letter from your landlord stating that your business is a tenant. 

You CANNOT use a virtual address or a post office box for a business location.

Complete and print out a business certificate form. Check the box that says "renewal." The business owner’s signature needs to be notarized. We can also notarize your signature at the City Clerk's Office if you have a valid picture ID.

Business certificate form

Is your business certificate associated with a legally established corporation? The signature on the certificate must be one of the listed officers or directors of the corporation, as filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office, or any other state jurisdiction.

The filing fee is $65. If you are not a Massachusetts resident but you want to conduct business in the state, you need to pay an additional $35:

• We accept cash, credit cards, pinless debit cards, and checks or money orders made payable to the City of Boston.
• If you use a credit card or pinless debit card, there is a non-refundable service fee of 2.5% of the total payment, with a $1 minimum. This fee is paid to the card processor and not kept by the City.
• Please note: if your debit card requires you to enter your pin to process a payment, you CANNOT use it to pay your fee.

• If you send your payment by mail, please include a check or money order made payable to the City of Boston.

For some businesses, we require other documents.

To file a business registration as a food truck vendor, you must have a valid:

• health permit
• fire permit
• Hawkers and Peddlers License
• commissary kitchen agreement or letter, and
• Certificate of Liability Insurance.

To file a business registration for short-term rental housing, you must have a registration number from Inspectional Services. You'll need to give us a copy of the registration number form. You can learn more about short-term rentals online.

If you plan to open a daycare business, you must give us a copy of a state-issued daycare provider license.

If you want to open a livery business, you also need to give us copies of this information:

• registrations for all cars used in the business
• insurance binders
• two utility bills
• Massachusetts licenses for all drivers
• the lease where the business is operating, and
• livery plates issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Are you a home improvement contractor or construction supervisor?

• You will need to give us a valid copy of your Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration issued by the Mass. Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
• If you are a Construction Supervisor (CS), you need to give us a valid copy of your license issued by the Mass. Office of Public Safety and Inspections.

Want more information about HIC registration and CS licenses? Please contact 617-973-8797 or 888-283-3757 toll free.

If you are a real estate broker, please bring your Real Estate Brokers License issued by the Commonwealth to register your business in Boston.  If you are a real estate salesperson, you cannot file a business registration. A salesperson cannot operate their own real estate business until they complete the requirements and pass the state exam for a Real Estate Brokers License.

If you own a restaurant, you must have the following items:

• a copy of the Certificate of Inspection
• a copy of the current lease agreement, and
• a copy of the ServSafe Health Certification

If there is a business certificate on file with the same name or address as your business, you must give us:

• a notarized letter from the landlord that states the previous business owner is gone, and
• a copy of your lease agreement that includes signatures and start and end dates of the lease. Don’t have a lease? Please give us a notarized letter from your landlord stating that your business is a tenant. The letter must include start and end dates for your tenancy.

Bring your documents, payment, and completed form, to City Hall:

City Clerk’s Office, Room 601

1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You need to give us the name and address of your business, along with the names and addresses of any people who have an interest in your business. We also need a copy of your lease agreement that includes signatures and start and end dates. If there is no lease, please provide a notarized letter from your landlord stating that your business is a tenant. You CANNOT use a post office box for a business address.

Complete and print out a change of location form. The business owner’s signature needs to be notarized. We can also notarize your signature at the City Clerk's Office if you have a valid picture ID.

Change of location form

Is your business certificate associated with a legally established corporation? The signature on the certificate must be one of the listed officers or directors of the corporation, as filed with the

Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office, or any other state jurisdiction.

The filing fee is $50. 

• We accept cash, credit cards, pinless debit cards, and checks or money orders made payable to the City of Boston.
• If you use a credit card or pinless debit card, there is a non-refundable service fee of 2.5% of the total payment, with a $1 minimum. This fee is paid to the card processor and not kept by the City.
• Please note: if your debit card requires you to enter your pin to process a payment, you CANNOT use it to pay your fee.

• If you send your payment by mail, please include a check or money order made payable to the City of Boston.

The City Clerk’s Office is waiving any and all late fees for business registrations from January 2020 until the end of the public health emergency in Boston. Read the City Clerk's memo.

Bring your payment and completed form to City Hall:

City Clerk’s Office, Room 601
1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

You need to give us the name and address of your business, along with the names and addresses of any people who have an interest in your business. We also need a copy of your lease agreement that includes signatures and start and end dates. If there is no lease, please provide a notarized letter from your landlord stating that your business is a tenant. You CANNOT use a post office box for a business address.

Complete and print out a withdrawal of business certificate form. The business owner’s signature needs to be notarized. We can also notarize your signature at the City Clerk's Office if you have a valid picture ID.

Withdrawal of business certificate form

Is your business certificate associated with a legally established corporation? The signature on the certificate must be one of the listed officers or directors of the corporation, as filed with the

Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office, or any other state jurisdiction.

The filing fee is $50. If you only want to remove a person’s name from a business certificate, complete and print out a withdrawal of names form. The filing fee is still $50.

• We accept cash, credit cards, pinless debit cards, and checks or money orders made payable to the City of Boston.
• If you use a credit card or pinless debit card, there is a non-refundable service fee of 2.5% of the total payment, with a $1 minimum. This fee is paid to the card processor and not kept by the City.
• Please note: if your debit card requires you to enter your pin to process a payment, you CANNOT use it to pay your fee.

• If you send your payment by mail, please include a check or money order made payable to the City of Boston.

The City Clerk’s Office is waiving any and all late fees for business registrations from January 2020 until the end of the public health emergency in Boston. Read the City Clerk's memo.

Bring your payment and completed form to City Hall:

City Clerk’s Office, Room 601

1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.