Brattleboro Business License: $100 for Every Business Including Home-Based, Then $150 After March 15 and $250 After April 1

If you sell goods or services from a location in Brattleboro, Vermont, you need a Brattleboro business license. The Town requires it of every business doing business in town, and that includes a business run from your home. The first application costs $100. Each yearly renewal costs $100 if paid by March 15, $150 from March 16 to March 31, and $250 after April 1. This guide covers what to gather, how to apply, how to renew, and the mistakes that cost people money.

Informational only: This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the Town before you pay. For complex situations, talk to a qualified attorney or CPA.

Vermont Has No Statewide Business License

Vermont does not issue a general state business license. Starting a business here usually involves three layers:

1. Register your entity with the Vermont Secretary of State's Business Services Division. Articles of Organization for an LLC and Articles of Incorporation for a corporation each carry a $155 filing fee.
2. Open a Department of Taxes account if you collect sales or meals tax or withhold from employee pay.
3. Add the licenses and permits your activity needs, from the Town and from state boards.

The Brattleboro license is the local layer. It sits on top of the state steps and is separate from your Secretary of State filing. Counties in Vermont have no licensing or zoning role. Towns, cities and villages handle local licenses, and they differ widely from one to the next.

Who Must Get the Brattleboro License

The requirement comes from Chapter 11 of the Brattleboro Code of Ordinances. It applies to businesses doing business in town, including goods and services provided from a location in Brattleboro. It covers your home, and it covers nonprofits too.

Home-based businesses are not exempt. Vermont law (24 V.S.A. 4412(4)) protects the use of a minor portion of a dwelling for a home occupation, but that protection does not waive the Brattleboro license. If you run a bookkeeping practice or a craft business from a spare bedroom, you still apply and pay.

If you are unsure whether your activity counts as being done from a location in Brattleboro, call the Assessor's Office before you apply.

Materials and Information You Need

• Your legal business name. If you formed an LLC or corporation, have your Vermont filing number ready. Search existing names in the Vermont Business Search.
• Your Brattleboro business address, plus a mailing address if it is different.
• A short description of what you sell or do.
• A list of Business Personal Property: equipment, fixtures, computers and furniture. The application asks you to declare it. Registered vehicles are excluded.
• A payment method. Online payments carry an extra processing fee. Cash or check works at the Assessor's Office.
• A valid email address. Renewal reminders go by email when you use the online system.
• A registered agent on file, if you are an LLC. Every Vermont LLC must name an agent for service of process, with a name, email and address on record. Under 11 V.S.A. 1655 the agent is a Vermont resident individual or a business with a place of business in Vermont and authority to do business here.

Step-by-Step: Applying for Your First License

1. Apply within 30 days. The Town expects a new business to apply within 30 days. Ask the Assessor's Office which start date starts that clock, because the timing matters.
2. Pick your payment route. You can apply and pay online through OpenGov from the Town's site at brattleboro.gov, or pay by cash or check in person at the Assessor's Office, 230 Main Street, Suite 101. The phone number is 802-251-8156.
3. Complete the application. Enter your business details and declare your Business Personal Property. Do not skip that section, because the form asks for it on every filing.
4. Pay the $100 fee. If you pay online, the processing fee appears at checkout, so check the total before you submit. Keep your payment confirmation.
5. Check for other permits. Signs, vendor activity, liquor, tobacco and cannabis each have their own rules, covered below.

How Renewal Works

Renewals open January 1 each year. The fee depends on the date you pay:

Payment Date	Renewal Fee
Paid by March 15	$100
March 16 to March 31	$150
After April 1	$250

The published schedule uses March 31 and April 1 as its boundary dates. If you are paying close to that date, confirm the exact cutoff with the Assessor's Office first.

Taxes That May Apply to Your Business

Vermont's 6% sales tax applies to goods and a short list of items, and it reaches almost no services. Labor by handymen, lawn care, towing and junk haulers is not taxed. Contractors pay sales tax on the materials they buy and do not charge it to customers.

Prepared food, coffee, bakery items eaten on the spot and catering fall under the separate 9% meals and rooms tax, and alcohol is taxed at 10%. Brattleboro also adds a 1% local option tax on meals, alcohol and rooms, so a restaurant meal is generally taxed at 10% in total. Confirm the local rates with the Department of Taxes, because local option taxes vary by town. Short-term rentals owe the 9% rooms tax plus a 3% surcharge.

If a customer buys from you for resale, the resale exemption is Form S-3 that the buyer gives you. Your sales tax account number does not replace that form.

Pass-through entities, including LLCs taxed as partnerships or S corporations, owe a minimum annual entity tax of $250. You pay it with the business income tax return, Form BI-471 or BI-476. A disregarded single-member LLC does not owe it.

If you form an LLC or corporation, the annual report is also due each year. The LLC annual report is $45 and is due by March 31 for a calendar-year LLC. The corporation annual report is $60 and is due by March 15. If an entity misses its annual report, it is terminated. It can be reinstated, because Vermont does not use administrative dissolution.

Other Brattleboro Permits to Check

• Sign permits: All business signs need a permit under Land Use Regulations Section 319. The fee is $45, and you file Forms A and B with Planning Services at 802-251-8154.
• Vendors and taxis: These need permits separate from the general license. Applications go to the Town Manager's Office, and review can take up to 30 days. You may also need a commercial zoning permit. Ask the Town Manager's Office for the current vendor fee, because it is not stated here.
• Liquor and tobacco: Apply through the Department of Liquor and Lottery portal. The Selectboard meets on the first and third Tuesdays, and you should apply at least three weeks before the meeting. The Town fee goes to the Town Clerk: $115 for first class, $70 for second class, and none for third class.
• Cannabis: Brattleboro appears on the Cannabis Control Board's opt-in map (as of January 3, 2025) and is not on the commission list (as of April 17, 2026). Confirm current status with the Board and the Town before you plan a cannabis business.
• Contractors and trades: Vermont has no general contractor license. Residential contractors register with the Office of Professional Regulation for jobs over $10,000. Electricians and plumbers are licensed by the Division of Fire Safety, not OPR.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using an old fee. Some older FAQ copies online show $50. The current Town site says $100 for a new license.
• Assuming a home-based business is exempt. It is not. Home use is protected under state zoning law, but the Brattleboro license still applies.
• Waiting until the deadline to pay. Paying on March 16 instead of March 15 raises the renewal from $100 to $150.
• Leaving out the personal property declaration. The form asks for equipment, fixtures, computers and furniture, so list them.
• Forgetting to report a closure. If you close your Brattleboro location, tell the Assessor.
• Treating the state filing as the local license. The Secretary of State filing and the Brattleboro license are separate obligations.
• Stacking deadlines. An LLC annual report due March 31 lands in the same window as the Brattleboro renewal. Put both on one calendar.

Tips for a Smoother Process

• Put January 1, March 15, March 31 and April 1 on your calendar every year.
• Pay early in the renewal window to avoid the step-up fees.
• Call the Assessor's Office at 802-251-8156 with questions before you apply, not after.
• Keep copies of your application, your payment confirmation and your personal property list in one folder.

What to Expect After You Apply

Once you pay, you should have a payment confirmation and a copy of your application. The sources reviewed for this guide do not describe a separate paper license certificate, so ask the Assessor's Office what document it issues and whether you need to display anything. Renewal reminders should arrive by email if you use the online system, though you should still track the dates yourself.

Official Resources

• Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division
• Online Business Service Center
• Vermont Department of Taxes, with business registration at tax.vermont.gov/business/register
• Vermont Small Business Development Center
• SBA Vermont District
• Town of Brattleboro

This guide is informational and is not legal or tax advice. Confirm every fee and deadline with the agency that administers it before you act.