Licenses and permits to open a grocery store in Irvine
Selling packaged food adds food rules on top of a store's usual registrations. Here are the 7 filings, in the order they're made.
Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Internal Revenue ServiceUS federal
Owners with an SSN or ITIN apply online. A company whose responsible party has neither (most China-based owners) faxes or mails Form SS-4, or calls the IRS international line.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Paper form, faxed or mailed
- Takes
- Fax: about 4 business days. Mail: about 4 to 5 weeks. Phone: issued on the call.
Articles of Organization (California LLC)
California Secretary of StateCalifornia
Filed online in bizfile Online.
- Fee
- $70
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Online filings are currently reviewed about 3 days after receipt (mail about 8 days), per the Oct 8, 2026 queue.
- Renews
- Statement of Information (LLC-12, $20) within 90 days, then every two years.
Seller's permit
California Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationCalifornia
Register online before your first sale; one permit for each location.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Often issued the same day.
- Renews
- Does not expire.
City of Irvine business license
City of Irvine Community Development, Business LicensingIrvine
A city tax rather than a regulatory license: apply online or at the public counter, confirm first that the use is allowed at the address, and display the license at the business.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Irvine doesn't publish how long it takes to issue the license; the online application takes minutes, and new businesses must apply within 60 days of starting to avoid late fees.
- Renews
- Every 12 months from the first day of the application month.
Registration Form for Commercial Employers
California Employment Development DepartmentCalifornia
Register in e-Services for Business within 15 days of paying over $100 in wages.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Mail-in registration takes about 10 to 14 days; online is faster.
LLC annual tax ($800)
California Franchise Tax BoardCalifornia
Paid every year by every LLC registered or doing business in California.
- Fee
- $800
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Paying the $800 LLC tax online through Web Pay is immediate; it's due by the 15th day of the 4th month of the LLC's tax year.
- Renews
- Every year, by the 15th day of the 4th month of the tax year.
Proposition 65 warning labels
California Office of Environmental Health Hazard AssessmentCalifornia
Nothing is filed. Businesses with 10 or more employees warn before exposing Californians to listed chemicals, including online at checkout.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Nothing to file
- Takes
- Nothing is filed with or approved by OEHHA, so there's no processing time; the business decides whether a warning is needed and must have it in place itself.
More on opening in Irvine
Questions people ask
- How do I get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN?
- How long does it take to get an EIN?
- Does a foreign-owned single-member LLC have to file Form 5472?
- How do I become an importer of record in the US?
- Do I need a seller's permit in California?
- Does a new California LLC have to pay the $800 tax in its first year?
Other businesses in Irvine
Agency requirements change. Check each agency's page before you file.
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This guide covers the city. Your exact address decides the county, the health district and the zoning. Placetta maps every filing for it, fills the official forms from your details, adds the deadlines and puts them up for your approval.
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