Where You Actually Go For a Business License in Hollywood (Los Angeles, CA)

You signed a lease on Hollywood Boulevard and the landlord is asking for your “business license.” In this part of Los Angeles, what you actually get is a City of Los Angeles Business Tax Registration Certificate, or BTRC. The City’s Office of Finance issues it. You can file online, or you can go to a public counter. If your address is inside Hollywood’s Los Angeles ZIP codes like 90028, 90038, or 90068, you are in the City’s system and you will register with the Office of Finance, not the County and not West Hollywood.

Here is the plain path: confirm your address is City of Los Angeles, register for a BTRC, renew by the last day of February each year to keep any exemptions, and pick up any add‑on permits your specific business needs. Below are the actual counters, hours, costs, and the common misroutes Hollywood owners run into.

The counter that issues your BTRC for a Hollywood address

In the City of Los Angeles, the “business license” is the Business Tax Registration Certificate (BTRC). Nearly everyone doing business in the City must register. If your business is outside the City but you work inside Los Angeles for 7 or more days in a year, you still register. A BTRC itself does not expire, but you must file your business tax renewal on the City’s schedule each year.

You can apply online 24/7. If you need in‑person help or want to pay at a counter, the City runs two public counters that serve Hollywood addresses:

City Hall, Public Counter, Room 101, 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, 90012. Open by appointment only. Hours as posted: Monday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Tuesday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Wednesday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Thursday 8:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m., Friday closed. Closed daily for lunch 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Use the Main Street entrance.

Van Nuys Civic Center, Suite 110, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, 91401. Also by appointment only. Hours match City Hall: Monday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Tuesday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Wednesday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Thursday 8:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m., Friday closed. Closed daily for lunch 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Fees are set by your tax class, not by a flat license price. Two stable rules matter for Hollywood owners:

• Small Business Exemption: if your prior‑year worldwide gross receipts were at or below $100,000, you can claim the City’s exemption when you file on time. You still file the renewal; you just owe no business tax with that filing.
• Creative Artist Exemption: if you perform qualifying creative activities and your prior‑year worldwide gross receipts from those activities were at or below $300,000, you can claim the creative artist exemption when you file on time. This one is specific to the creative list the City publishes and is common in Hollywood.

Renewals are due January 1 and become delinquent after the last day of February in each year. If the last day falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day applies. When you do have a tax payment due, the City must also collect the State’s $4 SB 1186/AB 1379 fee on that renewal.

After you register online, the permanent certificate is mailed to you. The City states typical mailing time is within 4–6 weeks after online registration. If you need a copy sooner for a lease file or health inspection, the public counters can issue or reprint during your appointment window.

Hollywood confusion points: West Hollywood vs unincorporated County

Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles. West Hollywood is a separate city next door. The County also licenses businesses in the unincorporated pockets. If your shop’s address places you in one of those jurisdictions, the office you visit and the fees change.

West Hollywood City Hall handles West Hollywood business tax certificates. City Hall is at 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, 90069. Business counters are open Monday–Thursday 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. A new West Hollywood business tax certificate has an initial application fee of $29 and the first 12 months are tax‑exempt except for a minimum tax of $24–$72 by category, plus the State’s $4 fee.

Unincorporated Los Angeles County addresses require a County Business License, issued by the Treasurer and Tax Collector’s Business License Section. The downtown office is 225 N. Hill St., Room 122, Los Angeles, 90012, open Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. County licensing applies only in unincorporated areas and specific contract cities; most Hollywood addresses are City of Los Angeles, but if you are unsure, confirm before you file.

Comparison: the right counter for a Hollywood‑area start

Fictitious Business Name filings near Hollywood

If you will operate under anything other than your legal personal or entity name, California requires a Fictitious Business Name (DBA) filing with Los Angeles County. You may file by mail at the Norwalk headquarters or in person at several County Clerk branches. Two locations that are practical from Hollywood:

• Van Nuys Branch, 14340 W. Sylvan St., Van Nuys, 91401. Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Services include Fictitious Business Name filings.
• LAX Courthouse Branch, 11701 S. La Cienega Blvd., 6th Floor, Los Angeles, 90045. Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Also handles Fictitious Business Name filings.

Two timing rules are strict. First, after you file a Fictitious Business Name statement, you must begin publishing it in a newspaper of general circulation in Los Angeles County within 45 days, once per week for four consecutive weeks. Second, the affidavit of publication must be filed with the County Clerk within 45 days after publication completes. Mail‑in FBN filings are processed at Norwalk only; walk‑in service is available at Van Nuys and LAX as listed above.

Since Hollywood business names often include creative branding, bring entity proof if you are a corporation, LLC, LP, or LLP; the County Clerk requires a current status printout from the California Secretary of State for those entity types.

Other permits that commonly apply on or near Hollywood Boulevard

Police Commission permits for regulated business types

Certain activities require a Police Commission permit in addition to your BTRC. The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners’ Commission Investigation Division regulates these permits. The public office is at 100 W. First St., Los Angeles, 90012, and keeps Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. hours. The City accepts applications by email, and background investigations are standard. The Office of Finance collects the permit fees at its counters, so if you are paying in person you will be sent to City Hall Room 101 or Van Nuys Suite 110 during the appointment windows listed earlier.

Typical Hollywood use cases include cafe entertainment, arcade devices, and other activity types listed under the Police Commission. If your lease mentions live entertainment, amplified music, late hours, or adult activity, budget extra time for this step; some permits are routed for additional review.

LADBS clearances for spaces open to the public

Retail storefronts, assembly rooms, small restaurants, and filming‑adjacent studios often need a zoning and occupancy check. The flagship Development Services Center in the Hollywood area is the LADBS Metro (Figueroa Plaza), 201 and 221 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, 90012. The building houses Express Permits and Records on the first floor at 201 N. Figueroa, plus Counter Plan Check and other services on the 4th and higher floors. Public counters generally operate Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and Wednesday 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The Department does not issue new queue tickets after 4:00 p.m.

Many Police Commission permits require a “Zoning and Use Clearance for Police Permits” sign‑off from LADBS. If you are opening quickly, schedule that early. If you only need records, the Records Counter at 201 N. Figueroa, Room 110, keeps the same public counter hours and can provide Certificates of Occupancy and old permit sets for your address.

Key next steps for a Hollywood address

• Pick the right jurisdiction. City of LA for most “Hollywood” addresses; West Hollywood City Hall for addresses inside that city; County Business License only for unincorporated pockets.
• Decide online vs counter. Online is 24/7; counters are by appointment at City Hall Room 101 and Van Nuys Suite 110 with limited hours and a daily lunch closure.
• Set your renewal reminder. File by the last day of February each year to keep the small business ($100,000) or creative artist ($300,000) exemptions when you qualify.
• Handle your DBA within 45 days if you use a trade name. Van Nuys and LAX branches of the County Clerk take walk‑ins 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
• Check if a Police Commission permit or an LADBS clearance applies before you open to the public. Some permits require background checks and a zoning sign‑off, which add time.

Reader Q&A

Can I just walk into a Hollywood office to get my “business license” today?

There is no Hollywood public counter any longer for the City’s BTRC. For a Hollywood address inside Los Angeles, the walk‑in option is by appointment at City Hall Room 101 (200 N. Spring St.) or Van Nuys Suite 110 (6262 Van Nuys Blvd.). Hours are limited and Friday is closed. Online registration is available 24/7.

If I made under $100,000 last year, do I still have to file with the City?

Yes. The Small Business Exemption waives the tax, not the filing. File by the last day of February to claim the exemption. If your work qualifies under the City’s creative artist list and your creative receipts were at or below $300,000, you can claim that creative exemption when filing on time.

Where do I file my DBA for a Hollywood shop name?

Fictitious Business Name statements are filed with Los Angeles County. From Hollywood, the closest branches are Van Nuys (14340 W. Sylvan St.) and the LAX Courthouse (11701 S. La Cienega Blvd., 6th Floor), both open Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. After filing, you must publish within 45 days and file the affidavit after publication completes.

I plan to host live music in my cafe near Hollywood and Vine. Is the BTRC enough?

No. Certain activities need a Police Commission permit in addition to your BTRC. The Commission office is at 100 W. First St., open Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Applications are submitted by email, and you will pay permit fees at the City’s Office of Finance counters during the posted appointment hours.

To keep this simple, look at your exact street address first. If it is City of Los Angeles, choose City Hall Room 101 or Van Nuys for in‑person help and set your calendar for the late‑February renewal each year. If it is West Hollywood or an unincorporated pocket, go straight to the correct counter so you only stand in line once.

Published: September 5, 2026