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Nevada is one of the few states where the Secretary of State runs a real business license. It is a yearly fee, and it is tied to the LLC's yearly list. The rules sit in Chapter 76 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, titled State Business Licenses, and in the office's licensing FAQ.
Who needs the Nevada State Business License?
NRS 76.100 says a person shall not conduct a business in Nevada until they obtain a state business license from the Secretary of State. An entity that has to file an initial or annual list gets the license at the time it files that list. Everyone else needs it before they start.
The statute defines a business broadly. It covers any non-natural person that performs a service or engages in a trade for profit, plus any individual who has to file Schedule C, E or F for the activity. It also covers any entity organized under Title 7 whether or not it earns a profit. Governments and tax-exempt nonprofits are excluded in NRS 76.020.
A person with several Schedule C style activities does not need more than one license.
What does it cost and when is it due?
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State Business License, LLC | $200 a year |
| Annual list of managers or members, LLC | $150 |
| Penalty for a late license fee | $100 |
The license and the list must be filed together. The first filing is due by the end of the month after you file the articles. After that, the renewal date follows the anniversary month of formation. Our Nevada LLC cost guide puts these next to the $75 articles fee.
Those amounts come from the Secretary of State's FAQ and the LLC chapter.
What if you miss it?
Under NRS 76.110, an entity that fails to get a license pays a $100 penalty on top of the license fee for each year it fails. It is treated as not having filed its annual list. That brings in the default and revocation rules for the charter.
Separately, NRS 76.180 allows a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000 for willfully failing or neglecting to get or renew a license. The statute lets the Secretary of State refer the matter to a district attorney or the Attorney General.
Do you need to claim an exemption?
If you say you are excluded or exempt, you must send the Secretary of State an application for a certificate of exemption every year, signed by the owner, a member, a general partner or an officer, depending on the business type. The certificate shows your business identification number. Do not assume you are exempt because you are small. The FAQ lists a separate question for sole proprietors and another for single-member LLCs, and we could not read the answers.
What other licenses might you need?
City and county offices run their own licenses. The state FAQ includes a question on how to prove a current state license when applying for a local one, which tells you the local office may ask. Trades with boards, alcohol and similar special permits are outside this page.
For tax accounts, we did not read a Nevada Department of Taxation page, so we do not list those. Get your EIN first with the EIN guide, then ask the Department of Taxation what applies to you.
Where do you check a license?
The Secretary of State's FAQ asks whether the Nevada Business Entity Search shows a license status, but we could not read the answer. The entity search itself is covered in our Nevada business search guide. For lookups in other states, see business license lookup.
The licensing FAQ page also carries a banner about ORION, described as Nevada's new business licensing portal. The entity pages name SilverFlume as the filing portal. Because both appear, follow the link on the office's own page when you file.
What this page leaves out
It does not cover local fees, professional boards, tax accounts, or the full list of exempt businesses. If you plan to sell under another name, read the Nevada DBA page. Neighbours differ, so compare Idaho, Utah and Oregon.