Directory of Licenses and Permits which contains a complete list of regulated activities, licenses and permits, and the appropriate state agency contact. It is reprinted at the end of this Guide. A list of licenses and permits with more extensive information on state requirements, schedules, fees is available at Minnesota ELicensing. From the Minnesota ELicensing website, a business can access licensing information on over 750 licenses administered by state agencies in Minnesota. This includes information on permits, registrations, certifications, credentialing and other forms of approval granted by state agencies and boards as a condition of doing business: conducting a trade, profession or occupation, or pursuing a recreational activity in Minnesota. This includes equipment and vehicles and the right to operate them. This site is easy to use and conveniently lets you access licensing information by activity, administering agency, name of license, or with a keyword search. Note that Minn. Stat. § 645.44, subd. 19 makes explicit that monies paid to a government entity for a business or individual to engage in trade, profession, or business or to improve private property are a tax not a fee. LOCAL LICENSURE In addition to the licensing requirements imposed by the state, some local governments also require certain kinds of business activity to be licensed on the local level. In some cases this local licensure may take the form of a general business license involving no more than registration and payment of a fee. In other cases it may involve compliance with local ordinances specific to a particular type of business. For example, current state law imposes no license requirements on commercial building contractors. Many municipalities, however, require registration and bonding of these contractors before the municipalities will issue necessary building permits or conduct necessary inspections. Larger cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul have licensing departments. Smaller municipalities usually rely on the city clerk to direct licensing activities. A call to either of these early in your business planning will help avoid confusion and delay later. In addition, the city clerk can in most cases give you information on local zoning requirements. Refer to the County and City Licensing Contact information in the Resource Directory of this Guide. LOCAL ZONING Zoning is the process by which a local community enacts ordinances to regulate and control the uses of privately owned land and structures within the community. In practice this process involves the creation of districts or zones within the community and restriction on the use of land, and the use, height and area of buildings within these districts. Zoning serves to promote and conserve the health, safety, convenience and general welfare of the community. The local zoning board or planning commission should be contacted early in your business planning to determine the regulations regarding any space in which you plan to operate your business. This is true especially if you plan to operate your business out of your home. The zoning ordinances of each local community detail the procedure for establishment of zones and the procedures for petition for variances.
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