Licenses and permits to open a dessert shop in Las Vegas
Desserts served on site make it a food service business, with the health permit and inspection that go with it. Here are the 9 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.
LLC formation and state business license
Nevada Secretary of State (SilverFlume)NV
Form the company and get the state business license together online.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
Nevada sales tax permit
Nevada Department of TaxationNV
Register online in My Nevada Tax once you have an EIN and the state business license, or mail the Nevada Business Registration Form. Businesses paying more than $50,000 in wages in a quarter also register for the Modified Business Tax, through DETR.
- Fee
- $15
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Online, the permit number comes within 24 hours; by mail, several weeks.
Food handler cards for staff
Southern Nevada Health DistrictLas Vegas
Everyone employed in or running a food establishment holds one. A first card means an in-person test at a Health District location with photo ID; some renewals can be done online. A Certified Food Safety Manager card also meets the requirement.
- Fee
- $20
- Filed
- Filed in person
- Renews
- Every 3 years.
City of Las Vegas business license
City of Las Vegas, Business LicensingLas Vegas
For an address inside City of Las Vegas limits; check the jurisdiction first, since other addresses license with Clark County or their own city. Confirm the zoning allows the business and the building is code compliant, get the state business license and register with the Department of Taxation, then apply on the city's online portal.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed on the agency's portal
- Takes
- A license technician emails within 5 business days; the license is issued within 30 days of applying, usually sooner.
Clark County business license
Clark County Business LicenseLas Vegas
For an address in unincorporated Clark County. Confirm the zoning allows the activity, get the state business license, register with the Department of Taxation, file a fictitious firm name with the County Clerk if you trade under another name, and finish all construction; then apply online or at 500 S Grand Central Pkwy, 3rd floor, with proof of rights to the location and, for food, proof of your Health District application.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Apply within 30 days of opening; the county doesn't publish a processing time.
Unemployment insurance employer account
Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, Employment Security DivisionNV
Employers open their unemployment insurance account with DETR's Employment Security Division, whose Registration Unit handles Nevada business registration; DETR shares the details with the Department of Taxation. The account is then managed in the Employer Self-Service portal.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed online
Food establishment plan review
Southern Nevada Health DistrictLas Vegas
Plans are needed for new and remodeled places and must be approved before construction starts. Email the application packet, plans in PDF, the menu, the food questionnaire and proof of the lease or deed to FOODREV@SNHD.ORG; a remote plan review follows and the invoice comes by email. Two construction walkthroughs are included.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Paper form, mailed
Food establishment health permit
Southern Nevada Health DistrictLas Vegas
Issued after the final permitting inspection, which needs a Certificate of Occupancy (or a temporary one) after new construction or a remodel, and every fee paid first. Food can't be stocked until the permit is approved.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Paper form, mailed
- Takes
- Inspection appointments can be up to 4 weeks out at busy times.
- Renews
- Every year.
More on opening in Las Vegas
Questions people ask
Other businesses in Las Vegas
Agency requirements change. Check each agency's page before you file.
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Get the plan for your dessert shop in Las Vegas
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.
- The full list for your address, in filing order
- The official forms, filled line by line
- Renewal and inspection reminders