About business licenses
Summary
Each business in Boston, from restaurants to retail, must be licensed by the city. In this section of EveryBlock, we publish certificates throughout Boston, so you can find businesses that have been certified or re-certified near you.
Each certificate report from the City Clerk includes a business address, the date it was issued, the business name and a file number. Some, but not all, include category information — which can tell you more about what type of businesses have been certified near you.
Source
The data comes from the DBA Database Search maintained by the Office of the City Clerk of Boston. The City Clerk updates its database each business day, and we at EveryBlock retrieve the data each night.
About the certification process
Hundreds of businesses in Boston get new or renewed certificates each month — and those without certificates face fines of up to $300 for each month they operate.
It costs $50 for a new or renewed business certificate, which is valid for four years. Non-residents only conducting business in Massachusetts pay $25 more per application.
When a business moves, it must submit a Business Certificate Change of Location Form, which costs $40. If a business shuts down before its certificate expires, it needs a Withdrawal of Business Certificate, which costs $40.
More information about this process is available on the city clerk's Web site.
