City looks to streamline business license process

According to the city of Las Vegas Department of Planning Development Services Center, 333 N. Rancho Drive, there were 6,276 new business licenses issued last year, with more than 630 applications received each month.

January 2011 saw 30,861 businesses in the city. By Dec. 31, that number had jumped to 36,156.

The city is making changes to be more business-friendly. It’s offering incentives, waiving origination fees and allowing businesses to do more under one license. Many requirements can be completed online.

The best place to start is the city’s website, lasvegasnevada.gov. On the left, click “I Want to …,” then choose “Apply For …” from the drop box and then choose “Licenses.”

The city’s site includes pages to explore, such as: business license, database search business license list of requirements, and industry classification codes.

It also lists sites with specific information, including: gisgate.co.clark.nv.us/ziploc, where one can learn which jurisdiction they are in via their ZIP code, and nvsos.gov, the secretary of state site where information can be found on forming corporations, operating as a limited liability entity and business trust structure.

It can take as few as nine days, the city reports, to process a license application. But businesses such as ice cream trucks, martial arts and any other type of business dealing with children get higher scrutiny and require background checks done by law enforcement.

Jim Pierce, assistant county clerk, said the days of going from one entity to the next where you plan to do business (i.e., Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Clark County) are nearing an end.

“What’s going on right now is, the state is actually working on consolidating the application process so that one day you’ll just go to one place to get your license and whatever (you need),” he said.

Karen Duddlesten, business licensing manager for the city of Las Vegas Department of Planning Development Services Center, said the city is on track to streamline the process. Part of that is combining categories for business licenses. There used to be 387 different types. Now there are 241.

This spring, more than 5,500 businesses were notified that they no longer need to carry multiple business licenses and can conduct their business under one primary license. Businesses will receive a new consolidated sales or services license in the mail as their regular renewals are due over the next six months. Previously, certain businesses were required to process, track and pay multiple bills from the city relating to different licenses.

For example, a business may have had a sales license, an accessory sales license and a clothing sales license, resulting in separate reporting of sales for each license. Establishing a primary business license saves time and increases a business’ efficiency, as it will now receive one bill from the city and be required to report only combined sales on one license. In addition, the city will no longer have to send out 22,000 bills.

The city is continuing this effort and plans to make more consolidations over the next year.

Outdated rules still on the books are being expunged. A drug store, by definition, can still have a soda fountain and a grill.

Sometimes a new business defies description.

“I usually get called to the front counter when (the clerks) don’t know how to categorize a business,” Duddlesten said. “Usually, it’s people with a small idea … one man had a lobster claw … to choose your lobster at a restaurant … Another idea was to use a green screen so you could pick your background on your Facebook page. Now, is that a service or a sale? Is it a photograph? Historically, anything involving photography had a lot of requirements. You had chemicals. You had waste. We have to look at these antiquated codes.”

Home-based businesses have their own requirements. They are limited by signage and the number of vehicles on the property, rules aimed at protecting the integrity of the neighborhood.

“It’s designed so your neighbors don’t even know it (a business) is there,” Duddlesten said.

For all legal concerns, consult an attorney.

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.