Special Licenses/Permits

Kentucky doesn't have a statewide business license that applies to all businesses, but certain types of businesses are required to have a special license or permit to legally operate their business. In some cases, more than one license may be required.  While the focus of this web page is on state licenses and permits, you should also be aware of federal licenses/permits, local licenses, environmental permits, and building/zoning permits that your business may need.

To determine if your type of business needs a special license or permit from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, search our database by keyword or browse the list below.  To search by keyword, enter a word or phrase that describes your type of business (accountant, barber, etc.) in the box below, and then click the search button.

   

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Aboveground Storage Tank Installation Accountant, Certified Public
Acupuncture Adoption Agency
Air Conditioning Contractor Airport
Airport Shuttle Alcohol Detoxification Center, Non-Medical
Alcohol Sales/Distribution/Storage/Manufacture Alcohol/Drug Abuse Prevention Program, Non-Medical
Alcohol/Drug Abuse Treatment Facility, Non-Medical Alcohol/Drug Counselor
Ambulance Service Amusement Rides & Attractions
Animal Control Shelter Animal Feed Manufacturing Facility, Commercial
Animal Technician/Technologist Architect
Art Therapist Asbestos Abatement
Athlete/Sports Agent Athletic Trainer
Auction House Operator Auctioneer
Audiologist Automobile Auction
Automobile Dealer Automobile Manufacturer/Distributor/Wholesaler
Automobile Rental/Leasing Automotive Recycling/Junkyard
Bait Dealer, Live Bank/Trust/Bank Holding Company
Barber Beauty Salon/Hairdresser
Bed & Breakfast Facility Beer Sales/Distribution/Storage/Manufacture
Billboard Advertising Bingo/Raffles/Charitable Gaming
Blaster, Explosives Boarding Home
Body Piercing Boiler Contractor/Install/Repair/Inspect
Boxing Brewery
Building Inspectors Bus Charter Service
Bus Transport Services Business Opportunity Sales
Buying Club Cab Service
Car Auction Car Dealer
Car Manufacturer/Distributor/Wholesaler Car Rental/Leasing
Carbonated Beverage/Soft Drink Manufacturing Carcass/Dead Animal Disposal
Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapons (CCDW) Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapons Instructor
Catering Service/Kitchen, Food Cemetery and Pre-Need Cemetery Merchandise Companies
Certified Public Accountant Cervid, Captive
Charitable Gaming Charitable Soliciting Non-Profit Organization
Charter Bus Service Check Casher/Deferred Deposit
Chemical Dependency Treatment Service Chemical Suppression System Design/Install
Child Care Center Child Caring Residential Facility, 24 hour
Child Placing Agency, Adoption/Foster Care Chiropractor
Cigarette Wholesaler/Subjobber/Transporter Clay/Fluorspar/Dolomite/Rock Mining
Coal Mining, Exploration, Reclamation, etc. Commercial Driver
Commercial Driver's License Training School Construction, Heavy
Contact Lens Seller Cosmetologist/Apprentice Cosmetologist
Cosmetology Instructor or Apprentice Instructor Counselor, Mental Health
Credit Union Crematory
Crude Oil/Petroleum Transporter Dairy Farm, Commercial
Dam Construction Day Care Facility, Child
Debt Adjustment/Management Demolition
Dental Hygienist/Lab/Lab Technician Dentistry
Dietitian Disabled Persons Transportation Service
Distilled Spirits Sales/Distribution/Storage/Mfr Dog Training and Shooting Area
Dredging, River Sand/Gravel Driving School and/or Driving Instructor
Drug/Alcohol Counselor Drug/Controlled Substance Manufacture or Wholesale
Ear Piercing Egg Buying/Selling/Processing
Elderly Care In-Home Services Electrical Inspector
Electrician/Electrical Contractor Elevator/Escalator/Material Lift/Chair Lift
Embalming Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Instructor
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Engineer, Professional
Esthetician Esthetics Salon
Esthetics/Cosmetology Dual Instructor Explosives
Eyeglass/Ophthalmic Dispenser Falconry
Family Care Home Family/Marriage Therapist
Fertilizer Distributor Fire Alarm Inspector
Fire Protection System Design/Install/Inspect Fireworks
Fish Dealer, Live Fisheries Transportation
Fishing Tournament/Marine Event Fishing, Commercial
Fitness Center/Club, For-Profit Food Manufacturing/Processing/Packaging Facility
Food Salvage Processor or Distributor Food Service Establishment
Food Storage Warehouse Foxhound Training Enclosure, Commercial
Frozen Food Locker Fundraising Consultant, Professional
Fundraising Solicitor/Consultant, Professional Funeral Home Establishment or Director
Funeral/Burial Services, Pre-Need, Sale of Fur Buyer or Processor
Garbage Transportation Garden Center
Gasoline and Other Motor Fuels Gasoline Station / Motor Fuels Dealer
Gasoline Tank Truck General Contractor, Construction
Geologist Going Out of Business Sale, Fire Sale, Removal Sale
Grain Dealer or Grain Storage/Warehouse Grocery or Retail Food Store
Group Home, Mental Retardation/Devp Disabilities Group Home/Institution/Shelter, Childrens
Gymnasium/Athletic Center, For-Profit Hatcheries and Dealers in Chicks and Eggs
Hazardous Waste Health Care Delivery Network
Health Care Facility/Service/Major Medical Equip. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
Health Spa/Health Club, For-Profit Hearing Aid/Hearing Therapist
Hearing Instrument/Aid Specialist Heating Contractor
Highway Encroachment Home Health Care Agency
Home Inspector Horse Racing Participants and Activities
Hospice Services Hospital
Hotel or Motel Facility Household Goods Carrier
Hunting/Fishing Guide, Commercial HVAC
Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing Independent Living Services
Insurance Interior Designer, Certified
Interpreter for Deaf Investment Advisor/Representative
Junkyard, Motor Vehicle/Automotive Laetrile Manufacturing
Land Surveyor Landfill
Landscape Architect Landscaping Service
Law Enforcement/Police Instructor Lawn Service Company/Specialty Fertilizer
Lead Hazard Detection or Abatement Services Lead Hazard Detection/Abatement Training Provider
Limestone For Agricultural Use Limestone Mining
Limousine Service Liquefied Petroleum (LP) Gas Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) Tank Installation
Liquefied Petroleum (LP) Gas Dealer/Equipment Liquor Sales/Distribution/Storage/Manufacture
Livestock Dealer Loan Company, Consumer or Industrial
Loan, Title Pledge Lender Logging/Tree Cutting
Malt Beverage Sales/Distribution/Storage/Mfr Manufactured Home Installer/Dealer/Manufacturer
Manufactured Housing Installer/Dealer/Manufacturer Marriage/Family Therapist
Martial Arts, Mixed Massage Therapy
Mechanical Contractor, Construction Medical Facility/Service/Major Medical Equipment
Medical Laboratory Mental Health Counselor
Mental Health-Mental Retardation Center, Community Methamphetamine Cleanup Contractor
Milk Handler/Lab/Transfer Station Milk Producer/Processor/Hauler/Distributor
Milk Sampler/Weigher/Tester Mining, Surface Disturbance, Non-Coal
Mobile Home Installer/Dealer/Manufacturer Mobile Home/RV Park
Money Transmitter Monuments/Grave Stones
Mortgage Loan Company/Broker Mortgage Loan Officer/Originator
Motor Carrier Transportation Motor Vehicle Auction
Motor Vehicle Dealer Motor Vehicle Junkyard
Motor Vehicle Manufacturer/Distributor/Wholesaler Motor Vehicle Rental/Leasing
Motor Vehicle Salesperson Motor Vehicle Transportation/Delivery
Motorboat Dealer/Manufacturer Motorcycle Dealer
Motorcycle Manufacturer/Distributor/Wholesaler Moving Van Service
Mussel Harvesting/Buying Nail Salon
Nail Technician Natural Gas/Natural Gas Liquids Severing/Processing
Natural Resource Severing/Processing, Except Coal and Oil Nurse
Nursery or Nursery Dealer Nursing Continuing Education Provider
Nursing Home Nursing Home Administrator
Nursing Pool/Nursing Temporary Medical Staffing Service Nursing School
Nutritionist Occupational Therapist
Oil (Used) Collector or Recycler Oil Shale Exploration/Operations
Oil Well or Gas Well Drilling/Operation Ophthalmic/Eyeglass Dispenser
Optometrist Osteopathy
Paramedic Pastoral Counselor, Fee-Based
Pawn Shop or Pawnbroker Pay Fishing Lake
Payday Lender Peace Officer
Personal Services/In-Home Care Companion Pest Control Operator
Pesticides Pet Food/Dog Food/Cat Food Manufacturing Facility, Commercial
Pharmaceutical/Controlled Substance Mfr/Wholesale Pharmacist/Pharmacist Intern
Pharmacy Physical Therapist
Physical Therapist Assistant Physician
Physician Assistant Plumber/Plumbing
Podiatrist Polygraph Examiner/Trainee
Primary Care Center, Medical Private College/Educational Institution
Private Foundation Private Investigator
Proprietary Schools Psychologist/Psychological Associate
Radiation Equipment Operator Radiation Producing Equipment
Radioactive Materials Rangehood Fire Protection System Design/Install
Real Estate Broker/Sales Associate Recreation/Retirement Land Sellers
Recreational Sports/Health Center, For-Profit Recreational Vehicle (RV) Dealer/Sales
Recycling Facility/Junkyard Renal/Kidney Dialysis Facility
Rendering Plant, Animal/Poultry/Fish Respiratory Therapist
Respite Care/Attendant Care/Sitter Services Restaurant
Rock/Stone/Limestone Severing/Processing Salvage Yard, Motor Vehicle
Savings & Loan School, Proprietary/For-Profit
Securities Broker-Dealer/Agent Securities Offering
Security Guard Seed Dealer or Labeler
Septic System/Tank Install/Service/Transport Waste Service Contract, Consumer Product
Sewage Disposal System, On-site Sewer Line Construction
Shale/Gravel/Sand/Clay Severing/Processing Shellfish Repacking Plant
Shoot to Retrieve Field Trials Shooting Preserve, Commercial
Social Worker Sod Producer
Solid Waste or Special Waste Solid Waste Transportation
Speech-Language Pathologist/Therapist Sports/Athlete Agent
Sprinkler System Design/Install/Inspect Stockyards
Stream/Floodplain Construction Surgical Assistant
Surveyor, Land Swimming Pool/Bathing Facility, Public
Tanning Salon/Facility Tattoo Artist/Studio
Taxicab Service Taxidermist
Telemarketing Telephone Solicitor
Time Share Sellers Tobacco Products (Snuff, Cigars, Etc.)
Tobacco Warehouse Trailer Rental/Leasing
Transient Merchant Transportation/Trucking
Trucking/Transportation Underground Storage Tank
Underground Storage Tank Contractor Utilities (Water, Gas, Sewer, Electric, Phone)
Vacation Club Vending Machine, Food or Beverage
Ventilation/Duct work Contractor Veterinarian/Vet Office
Veterinary Technician/Technologist Viatical Settlement Investment
Waste Tire Accumulator/Transporter/Processor Wastewater Facility Construction
Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Water Supply Facility Construction
Water Treatment/Distribution Plant Operator Water Well or Monitoring Well Driller
Waterfowl Shooting Area, Commercial Weighing and Measuring Device Repair or Service
Wilderness Youth Camp Wildlife Nuisance Control, Commercial
Wildlife Rehabilitation Wildlife, Captive and Transportation
Wildlife, Scientific & Educational Collecting Wine Sales/Distribution/Storage/Manufacture
Winery Wrestling
X-Ray Equipment X-Ray Equipment Operator
Youth Camp Facility

Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development   Old Capitol Annex  300 West Broadway   Frankfort, KY 40601
502-564-7140 (local)   800-626-2930 (toll free)