Business License
Business Licenses (Ordinance No. 883)
Every person who engages in business activities within the city shall apply for and obtain from the city clerk a license for the privilege of engaging in business within the city for each calendar year or portion thereof.
Applying for a Business License
Effective November 2, 2021, City of Algona business licenses are being managed by the Washington State Department of Revenue. To apply go to: www.dor.wa.gov/manage-business/city-license-endorsements.
Applications are subject to review by Building, Code Enforcement, Police, and Fire officials.
Business License Fees
Home Occupation – $50.00
Short-Term (Contractors or businesses with no physical location inside City limits – $250.00
Commercial/Industrial/Retail with a physical location inside City limits – $250.00
The business license year is January 1st through December 31st . New businesses are required to obtain a license thirty days after business commences operation within the City.
Ownership Change/Relocation
Licenses are non-transferable nor assignable. A new license is required upon change of ownership and/or when the primary business being conducted has changed.
When a business relocates to another location within the city limits, the licensee must surrender their license and complete an updated application. A new business license will be issued free of charge provided the criteria for issuance are met at the new location.
Additional City Licenses
Amusement Device – Pinball games – Each game – $50/year
Amusement Device – Pool tables – Each table – $35/year
Amusement Device – Each game – $35/year
Amusement Device – All other mechanical/electrical – Each game – $25/year
Cabaret without dancing – $100/year
Cabaret with dancing – $200/year
Solicitor, Canvasser & Transient Merchant – $20 per day/$40 per month/$100 per year
Operating a Business from your Home
Home occupations are required to have a business license and comply with all City codes and ordinances, and shall be consistent with the following provisions:
1. Only members of the immediate family residing on the premises may be employed.
2. No inventory is kept (other than incidental supplies necessary for and consumed in the conduct of such home occupation) or commodities sold other than those produced on the premises. Samples may be kept but not sold on the premises. No outside storage of commodities used in the conduct of the business allowed.
3. The home occupation(s) shall not use electrical or mechanical equipment that results in:
1) A change to the fire rating of the structure(s) used for the home occupation(s);
2) Visual or audible interference in radio or television receivers, or electronic equipment located off-premises; or
3) Fluctuations in line voltage off-premises.
4. Not more than one-fourth of the floor area of any building is devoted to such occupation, nor in any case to exceed three hundred square feet.
5. Such occupation shall not require internal or external alteration or involve construction features not customarily found in a family dwelling.
6. The conduct of any home occupations, including but not limited to the storage of goods and equipment, shall not reduce or render unusable, areas provided for the required off-street parking as per Section 22.40.020 of the Algona Municipal Code.
7. Only one sign is permitted, one square foot in area, non-illuminated and attached to a building.
8. No display pertaining to the occupation, other than the one permitted sign, is visible from the street or adjacent residences.
9. No more animals are maintained on the premises than what may otherwise be permitted in the zone.
10. The home occupation is to be conducted in such a manner that the residence shall not differ from its residential character either by the use of colors, materials, construction, lighting, signs, or the emission of sounds, noises, vibrations, or odor.
Exemptions
Garage sales, yard sales, bake sales, temporary home boutiques or bazaars for handcrafted items, parties for the display of domestic products, and other like uses do not need to obtain a home occupation business license as long as the use does not operate for more than twenty days in any one calendar year or in violation of any other provisions of the Algona Municipal Code. To qualify for this exemption, garage and yard sales must involve only the sale of household goods, none of which were purchased for the purpose of resale.
Special Home Occupation Permits
You may need a special home occupation permit if you operate any of the following types of businesses or meet less than eight of the ten requirements as listed above for a home occupation business. Contact the City Clerk’s office (253) 833-2897 for an application.
1. Automobile repair and rebuild
2. Personal service shops
3. Music and dancing studios
4. Daycare II
5. Bed and breakfast inns (three to five rooms)
6. Home occupations that can only meet eight of the ten requirements outlined above.
In considering applications for special home occupation permits, the city council shall consider the nature and conditions of all adjacent structures, and no such special home occupation permit shall be authorized unless the city council finds the authorizing of such special home occupation permit will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property in the zone or vicinity in which the property is located, and that the authorization of such special home occupation permit will be consistent with the spirit and purpose of this title. In authorizing a special home occupation permit, the city council may impose such requirements and conditions with respect to location, installation, construction, maintenance and operation and extent of open spaces in addition to those expressly set forth in this title, as may be deemed necessary for the protection of other properties in the zone or vicinity and the public interest.
A public hearing shall be conducted on all applications for a special home occupation permit in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 22.68 of the Algona Municipal Code.
Other Licensing Requirements
You are required to obtain a Washington State Master Business License (UBI number) in addition to your City license. You may apply for a City business license prior to obtaining your state license; however, the City license will not be issued until you have obtained your state license or provided proof that you are exempt from state licensing.
You may apply for a Washington State Business License on line at www.dor.wa.gov.
Depending on the type of business activity, you may need additional licenses. Any certification or license required by another governmental agency must be supplied upon request.
