New Business Information and Regulation Michelle ascencion ventura county clerk-recorder & registrar of voters

New Business Licenses and Regulations

One of the basic steps in starting your new business is to review applicable city, county, state and federal regulations and obtain any necessary licenses or permits.

This brochure lists some of the requirements at each level of government. It is a general guide and should not be considered an all-inclusive checklist. Requirements vary depending on the business type, size, location, etc.

Page 1 - City

Page 3 - County

Page 4 - State

Page 5 - Federal

Page 1 City

A Business License is an annual tax you pay for doing business within a city boundary. It is required BEFORE any business, trade, profession, enterprise, establishment, occupation, or calling is conducted within the boundaries of a city limits or you have a business license from another city. Contact your city for further information.

CAMARILLO: 601 Carmen Dr. Camarillo, CA 93010 (805) 388-5330

FILLMORE: 250 Central Ave. Fillmore, CA 93015 (805) 524-1500 ex. 99

MOORPARK: 323 Science Drive, Moorpark, CA 93021 (805) 517-6200

OJAI: 401 S. Ventura St. Ojai, CA 93023 (805) 646-5581

OXNARD: 214 S. C St. Oxnard, CA 93030 (805) 385-7817

PORT HUENEME: 250 N. Ventura Rd. Port Hueneme, CA 93041 (805) 290-4927

SANTA PAULA: 970 Ventura St. Santa Paula, CA 93060 (805) 933-4211

SIMI VALLEY: 2929 Tapo Canyon Rd. Simi Valley, CA 93063 (805) 850-1521

THOUSAND OAKS: 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 (805) 449-2201

VENTURA: 501 Poli St., Room 107 (805) 658-4715

Page 2 City Continued...

Zoning: Every business must comply with the zoning ordinance regulations whether the business is in the County or in a City. BEFORE SIGNING any leases and moving in, one should check with the local Planning Department to be sure that your proposed business is allowed at the location you are considering.

Planning permits: Many businesses can be started with few permits; however, other more intensive businesses will often require special permits before the businesses can commence. These are Conditional Use Permits (CUP) and Planned Development Permits (PD)and usually require environmental review and public hearings. These permits will take time to acquire, so factor this into your plans.

Signs: Consult with the City or County Planning Department BEFORE using or installing any type of permanent or temporary sign including those on walls, windows, banners, balloons, and awnings.

Building and Safety: In addition to checking with the Planning Department, you should also check with the local City or County Building & Safety office to see if the building you intend to occupy is suitable for your business.

Address and APN: Before going to any public agency you should have an exact address for the proposed business. It is also very useful to have the Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) for the property as well. Having accurate site location information is crucial for receiving the correct zoning information and for filing various documents and permits.

Page 3 County

Ventura County Government Center 800 S. Victoria Avenue Ventura, CA 93009 https://venturacounty.gov

Fictitious Business Name: If you regularly transact business in this state, you will need to file a Fictitious Business Name Statement with the County Clerk’s Office. Check the business name index at the County Clerk’s Office or on the Clerk self-service portal to ensure that your business name is not already being used by another business. An individual who has previously registered a business name has the exclusive right to use that name as well as any confusingly similar name. If you accidentally “infringe” upon another business name, you may be subject to legal action. After you file your Fictitious Business Name Statement with the County Clerk, you must PUBLISH the statement in a newspaper WITHIN 45 DAYS to complete the filing of your statement. The County Clerk’s Office will provide a list of newspapers from which to choose and tell you how often to run your notice. Keep in mind that advertising rates vary for each newspaper. Additional information is available on the County Clerk’s website at: ClerkRecorder.venturacounty.gov, or call the County Clerk’s Office at (805) 654-2263.

Health Permits: Contact the County Environmental Health Division, Hall of Administration, 3rd Floor,(805) 654-2813 for the appropriate permit if your business/project is associated with any of the following: retail food sales, public pools/spas, septic systems, underground fuel tanks, medical waste, hazardous materials and waste, tattooing, body piercing, permanent cosmetics, landfills, compost facilities, or trash trucks.

County Business License: The County Treasurer Tax collector accepts applications for business licenses ONLY from businesses located in the unincorporated areas of Ventura County which are regulated by the Sheriff, such as: temporary show or concert, dance hall, hawker, pool table, pawn broker, junk collector or dealer, massage parlor, rubbish collector, second-hand dealer, solicitor, taxicab operator, itinerant merchant, bingo. Please contact the Sheriff’s Office to see if you are required to hold a County Business License at (805)654-2371.

County Business Tax Certificate: All businesses, professions, trades, vocations, enterprises, establishments, occupations, and callings being conducted in the unincorporated areas of the county must obtain a Business Tax Certificate. This includes temporary businesses (e.g. film productions). Even businesses located within any city limits who deliver, solicit, or operate in the unincorporated areas of the county must have this certificate. For more information call the business Treasurer Tax-Collector at (805) 654-3727.

Property Tax (business): Each person owning, claiming, possessing or controlling taxable personal property, such as supplies, equipment and furnishings, used in connection with a business, trade or profession, shall file a property statement upon request or when the total cost of the personal property is $100,000 or more. Business inventory is exempt. For assessment information or to request a property statement call the Assessor’s Office at (805) 654-2181. For questions on payment of taxes, call the Tax Collector’s Office at (805) 654-3744.

Kennel License: The County Animal Regulation Department regulates kennels. Contact the Animal Regulations Department for kennel business information: 600 Aviation Drive Camarillo, CA 93010 (805) 388-4341 http://www.vcas.us/

Air Quality Permits: Air quality permits are required for any equipment or process at a facility that may emit air pollutants. The Air Pollution Control District has a two-step permitting process. Applicants are required to obtain an Authority to Construct from the District before construction begins. Before operation begins, applicants are required to obtain a Permit to Operate. Permits must be modified when any equipment is modified, if the equipment is moved or changes ownership, or if conditions on the permit need to be modified. Examples of equipment requiring a permit are boilers, engines, dry-cleaning machines, gasoline storage tanks, and surface coating operations. Forms available from the District website, www.vcapcd.org,or at the office: 4567 Telephone Rd., 2nd Floor Ventura, CA 93003 (805) 303-3684

Page 4 State

Secretary of State (SOS): The Secretary of State regulates many business entities (corporations, LLCs, LLPs, partnerships, notaries public, etc.). For more information, contact the S.O.S. at: Sacramento Main Office 1500 11th Street Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 657-5448 www.sos.ca.gov L.A. Regional Office 300 South Spring Street, or Rm. 12513 Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 897-3062

Employment Development Department (EDD): In general, employers must register with the State to report wages and taxes. If your business will have employees or you hire domestic employees, contact the EDD for information regarding your payroll tax responsibilities. www.edd.ca.gov Employment Tax Customer Services Office: 4820 McGrath Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 250 Ventura, CA 93003 (888) 745-3886

State of California Department of Tax and Fee Administration: Every person or firm to sell tangible goods ordinarily subject to sales tax is required to apply for a California Sellers Permit. Wholesalers, as well as retailers, must apply for a permit for each place of business. If you fall into this category you must obtain a Sales Tax Permit whether your business is commercial or home based sale or repair-oriented. If you have questions, or if you require a Sales Tax/Seller's Permit or Resale Certificate, contact the Department of Tax and Fee Administration: 4820 McGrath Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 260 Ventura, CA 93003-7778 (805) 677-2700, toll free 1-800-400-7115

Franchise Tax Board (FTB): For information on the personal or corporate state taxes resulting from your business activities, contact the FTB at: 300 S. Spring Street, Suite 5704 Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 897-5196 www.ftb.ca.gov

Labor Commissioner: Contact the Labor Commissioner for labor standards, employer regulations, minimum wages/overtime, working conditions, and filing complaints at: 411 E. Canon Perdido Street, Suite 3 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 568-1222 or www.dir.ca.gov

Page 5 Federal

Internal Revenue Service: Contact the Internal Revenue Service for information on employer identification tax numbers and federal taxes at: 751 Daily Drive Camarillo, CA 93010 (805) 445-4771 https://www.irs.gov/

The Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE): The SBA is an independent agency of the federal government whose mission is to “aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as possible, the interests of small business concerns.” It has many programs available, including loan and bond guarantees, publications, training, and special emphasis programs for international trade and selling to the government. SCORE is comprised of retired business people who donate their time and expertise to those wishing to start,buy-out, or expand a business. SCORE offers consultation, seminars and clinics on internal small business operations, such as planning for future growth.Counseling is also available at most of the Chambers listed below.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Development Division 312 N. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 634-3855

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) Ventura Chapter 255 (805) 204-6022 https://ventura.score.org

Local Chambers of Commerce

Camarillo Chamber of Commerce 2400 E. Ventura Boulevard Camarillo, CA 93010 (805) 484-4383

Fillmore Chamber of Commerce 246 Central Avenue Fillmore, CA 93015 (805) 524-0351

Ventura Chamber of Commerce 505 Poli Street, 2nd Floor Ventura, CA 93001 (805) 643-7222

Moorpark Chamber of Commerce 18 E. High Street Moorpark, CA 93021 (805) 529-0322

Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center 206 N. Signal, Suite “P” P.O. Box 1134, Ojai, CA 93024 (805) 646-8126

Oxnard Chamber of Commerce 400 E. Esplanade Drive, Suite 302 Oxnard, CA 93036 (805) 983-6118

Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce 529 W. Channel Islands Boulevard Port Hueneme, CA 93041 (805) 986-6500

Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce 200 N. 10th Street Santa Paula, CA 93060 (805) 525-5561

Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce 40 W. Cochran Street, Suite 100 Simi Valley, CA 93065 (805) 526-3900

Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce 600 Hampshire Road, Suite 200 Thousand Oaks, CA 91361 (805) 370-0035