Frequently Asked Questions

PermitDashboard is a web application that helps small business owners discover what permits and licenses they need, track expiration dates, and receive reminders before deadlines. All your permits, all your deadlines, one dashboard.

You answer a few questions about your business type, location, and activities. Our system cross-references official state and municipal databases to generate a personalized checklist of every permit and license you need. Permit Finder runs without requiring an account.

We cover all 50 US states with over 1,000 permit types tracked across 500+ jurisdictions and 330+ agencies.

We cover restaurants, retail, construction, healthcare, professional services, salons, and more. Restaurant permit tracking is our most comprehensive coverage, with 12-16 permit types tracked across multiple agencies.

Yes. We offer LLC formation in all 50 US states. The process takes about 10 minutes — you answer questions about your business, we pre-fill your state paperwork (or generate a data card for online filing), and give you step-by-step instructions. $49 service fee plus your state's filing fee. After formation, you get a checklist for EIN, BOI reporting, and the permits your business needs.

After the free Permit Finder gives you a checklist, the Compliance Playbook ($49 one-time) turns it into an action plan. You get sequenced steps for each permit, data cards with your business info, direct agency links, processing time estimates, and tips from businesses who did it before you. Pay once, get your permits sorted.

Most restaurants need 8-14 permits including: a food service establishment permit from your local health department, a food handler certificate for all employees, a food manager certification, a business license from your city, a sales tax permit from your state, an EIN from the IRS, a certificate of occupancy, a fire department permit, and a liquor license if serving alcohol. The exact permits and fees vary by city and state. Use our free Permit Finder to get a personalized checklist for your specific location.

A cleaning service typically needs 3-7 permits: a city business license ($50-$200), a state tax registration (usually free), an EIN from the IRS (free), general liability insurance ($300-$1,600/year, often required by clients), and workers' compensation insurance (required once you have employees). Cleaning services have some of the lowest permitting costs among small businesses. Some states like Arizona require just $50 in permits to get started.

Food trucks typically need 7-9 permits: a mobile food vendor license from your city ($300-$580), food handler certificates for all employees, a fire safety permit (for propane/cooking equipment), a commissary agreement with an approved commercial kitchen, a state sales tax license, a zoning/parking permit, and an EIN. The commissary requirement is the most unique — you must operate from an approved commercial kitchen for food prep and storage.

Permit costs vary widely by business type and city. A cleaning service in Phoenix might pay just $50 in required permits. A restaurant in Chicago could pay $2,000-$8,000 in the first year. A restaurant in Boston needing a liquor license could face $200,000+ just for the license itself. Use our free Permit Finder to get estimated costs for your specific business type and location.

Operating without required permits can result in fines ($500-$10,000+ per violation), forced business closure, inability to open a business bank account, rejection of insurance claims, personal liability for injuries, and criminal charges in serious cases. The average fine for a missed permit renewal is $5,000+. Permit requirements are enforced through random inspections, complaints, and renewal audits.

Timeline varies by business type and city. Simple businesses (cleaning service, consulting) can be fully permitted in 1-2 weeks. Restaurants typically take 2-6 months due to health inspections, fire department approvals, and liquor license processing. The slowest permits are usually liquor licenses (3-6 months) and certificates of occupancy requiring construction (2-4 months). Start the longest permits first.

Yes, genuinely free. The Permit Finder gives you a full checklist of every permit your business needs — no paywall, no credit card, no time limit. You can also track up to 3 permits on the free tier indefinitely.

The Playbook is a one-time purchase of $49. Not a subscription — you pay once and get a complete action plan for every permit your business needs, including data cards, agency links, and step-by-step instructions.

Because you only set up your permits once. A monthly subscription for something you use during initial setup does not make sense. We charge once for the value we deliver. For ongoing renewal tracking ($29/year), the subscription makes sense because permits expire on a recurring basis.

A free program for professionals who advise business owners — accountants, attorneys, consultants, insurance agents, and others. You get a referral link and a read-only dashboard showing permit status for clients who sign up through your link. Your clients pay normal PermitDashboard pricing — there is no additional cost to them or to you.

Because your clients ask you about permits and you shouldn't have to become a permit expert to help them. Send them to PermitDashboard through your referral link. They get the answers. You get visibility into their compliance status so you can bring it up proactively at your next meeting.

No. Advisor accounts are free. Your clients sign up at the same pricing as everyone else. Nobody gets an extra bill.

All permit requirements are sourced from official state and municipal government websites. Each data point includes a source attribution and verification date. We never present unverified information as fact.

We verify permit requirements against official sources on a rolling basis. High-priority permits (those with frequent changes or high consequence for non-compliance) are checked monthly. All permits are verified at least quarterly.

Please let us know immediately through our contact form. We take data accuracy very seriously — incorrect permit information can have legal consequences. We investigate every report within 24 hours.

We use 256-bit SSL encryption for all data in transit and AES-256 encryption for data at rest. Your data is stored in SOC 2 compliant data centers. We never sell your data or share it with third parties.

On paid plans, you can optionally upload permit documents for safekeeping. Documents are encrypted and accessible only to you and team members you authorize. They are never shared externally.

Yes. You can delete your account at any time. All your data, including uploaded documents, is permanently deleted within 30 days of account deletion.