Business Licensing in Counties & Cities

Local Government Contacts

Licensing and regulation of businesses at the local level allows local governments to address needs specific to the local area and to raise tax revenue for local services.  These requirements vary from county to county and town to town, but there are a few common threads.  For example (and this is not intended as a full list):

• County Health Departments across West Virginia issue permits for food handlers, restaurants and other vendors of food products.
• County Health Departments also issue septic system permits.
• Many County Commissions and municipalities issue building permits for construction within their jurisdiction.
• Many municipalities require registration of persons who solicit sales door-to -door.
• Many municipalities impose a Business & Operation tax, which may be up to one percent of gross revenues, and therefore require all businesses to register with the city to implement this requirement.

Contacting Local Governments

Use our rosters to help locate contact information for the county or city where you plan to do business.

County Commissions

Municipalities

Use Business for West Virginia to locate such county agencies as county health departments and planning commissions and other numbers. Municipal offices are also linked there

Use our West Virginia Counties on the Web to find more specific contact information through county websites or information compiled by the County Commissioners Association of West Virginia.

The West Virginia Municipal League also offers links for cities and towns which have websites.