The City of Port Orchard is partnered with the State of Washington Business Licensing Service . Businesses may now apply at www.bls.dor.wa.gov for the City of Port Orchard and various state and local agencies (including Department of Revenue, Secretary of State, Employment Security, Labor & Industry, and Department of Licensing and other municipalities) using a single form with addendum pages for each participating municipality.

You will receive one Business License from the State showing both your city and state business licenses.

To register your business with the City and State:

Visit the City of Port Orchard License Information Page. You will be instructed how to apply online or by mail.  Questions about the Business License Application and/or the Addendum form should be directed to the Department of Licensing.

To apply on-line:

Complete the online Applications for both the State of Washington Business License Application and the City of Port Orchard Addendum and pay the appropriate fees by credit card. You will receive faster service when you apply online and will generally have your License within approximately two weeks.

For additional questions regarding License applications please visit Business Licensing service.

To apply by mail:

Download the State of Washington License and the City of Port Orchard Addendum. Send the completed forms to the State of Washington, Business Licensing Service, PO Box 9034, Olympia WA 98507-9034. Include the appropriate fees made payable to "Department of Revenue."  You will receive your Business License about four weeks after submitting your application.

Your city license may take longer to process.

To add a City of Port Orchard Addendum to your existing Washington State license:

Follow the same procedure outlined above, including completion of the Business License Application as well as the City of Port Orchard Addendum, if you are already registered with the State but need to register with the City of Port Orchard.

Please note that your license is subject to city approval, in particular, zoning approval by the city’s Planning department for businesses physically located within city limits.

Other Port Orchard registration requirements:

In addition to a business license, most businesses within the city limits require a City of Port Orchard Occupancy Permit prior to opening for business. For additional information, please contact our Department of Community Development at (360) 874-5533.

Additional Information

To find out if a business or a trade name is registered with the State please visit the Business and Professional License website.

Renewing your City business license

If you are a business that has one or more city or state business licenses to renew, you will be able to do so with just a single renewal for each business location.  Many of you will be eligible to renew over the Internet. If so, instructions will be printed on the renewal notice you receive in the mail or please visit Business Licensing Services to process your renewal online.

If you have questions about renewing your license, please contact the Department of Revenue's Business License Service.

City and Department of Revenue Fees

The Department of Revenue charges additional fees. Please click here to see a list of up to date fees. City fees for a business license can be found here.

Tax information

If you have retail sales within the boundaries of the City of Port Orchard you should use the City’s 4-digit location code 1802 on the Washington Combined Excise Tax Return, line 18.