Davis County Utah Business License: Unincorporated Davis and the Late-Fee Rule
Davis County Utah Business License: Unincorporated Davis and the Late-Fee Rule
In Davis County, the first question is not what the license costs. It is which government issues it. Your business gets its license from the city it sits in, and only from Davis County if it sits outside every city boundary. A Davis County Utah business license covers unincorporated Davis County and nothing else. Most owners never deal with the county office, but the ones who do, and who miss the January renewal, can end up paying double.
This guide explains where the county license applies, how to apply and pay, how the January 31 deadline works, and the common mistakes that send owners to the wrong office. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Confirm current fees and dates with the office named below before you rely on them.
Utah has no statewide business license
Utah does not issue a general business license at the state level. If you form an LLC, corporation, or other entity, you register it with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, part of the Utah Department of Commerce. That step is a registration, not a license. If you sell taxable goods or services, you may also open a sales tax account with the Utah State Tax Commission. That is a tax registration, not permission to operate at a particular address.
The local license is the one that decides whether you can open at a given address. It comes from the city or town whose limits the business sits inside, and from the county for anything outside them.
City or county: the boundary decides
Three rules govern almost every Davis County business:
- Inside a city or town: the city licenses your business. Each city sets its own license.
- Outside every city: Davis County licenses your business through its Community and Economic Development office.
- A city license does not carry over: moving from Layton to Kaysville means a new license from Kaysville.
Davis County has little unincorporated land, so for most businesses the answer is the city. Cities such as Layton, Bountiful, and Farmington license their own businesses. The county office is in Farmington, but that does not mean the county licenses businesses inside the city of Farmington.
A mailing address with a city name does not prove you are inside that city. Postal city names can differ from the actual city limits. Verify the boundary with the city or the county before you apply.
What the Davis County license covers
The Davis County Utah business license applies only to businesses located in unincorporated Davis County. It is issued by the county's Community and Economic Development office:
Davis County Community and Economic Development
61 S Main Street, Room 304, Farmington, Utah
Phone: 801-451-3279
The license is renewed every year. Fees are set by the county fee schedule in effect on the day you apply. This guide does not list dollar amounts, because the schedule controls and it can change. Ask the office for the current schedule before you budget, and ask which fee applies to your filing date.
| License or filing | Issued by | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Entity registration (LLC Certificate of Organization or corporate Articles of Incorporation) | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | Statewide |
| Assumed name (DBA), also called a business name registration | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | Statewide, not the county |
| Sales tax license | Utah State Tax Commission, through TAP | Any seller with an established presence in Utah |
| Business license | The city or town | Inside city limits |
| Business license | Davis County Community and Economic Development | Unincorporated Davis County only |
| Alcohol sales licensing | Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) | Businesses that sell alcohol |
| Occupational license | Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) | Many regulated professions |
How to pay
The county accepts two payment methods:
- Credit card: a 2.5% service fee applies to card payments.
- In person: cash or check, payable to Davis County Community and Economic Development.
Write the payee name exactly as shown. Before you visit, confirm with the office how checks should be made out and whether it accepts any other form of payment.
The January 31 deadline and the late-fee rule
Davis County Utah business licenses are renewed annually, and renewals not paid by January 31 pay double the original renewal fee. The county's page gives its deadline as 1/31/2026, so confirm the deadline for the year you are renewing with the office at 801-451-3279.
The late rule is a doubling, not a flat penalty. If the renewal fee on the schedule in effect is X, a renewal paid after January 31 costs 2X. There is no separate late charge in the county's stated rule, but ask the office whether any other consequence applies to a late renewal before you assume the doubled fee is the whole cost.
Here is how the rule plays out in practice:
- A renewal paid on or before January 31 costs the regular renewal fee.
- A renewal paid on February 1 or later costs double the original renewal fee.
- A business that moved from unincorporated Davis County into a city during the year does not owe the county renewal. Confirm that with the county and the city in writing.
The easy fix is a calendar reminder in early December and payment as soon as the renewal notice arrives.
Common mistakes that send owners to the wrong office
- Filing a DBA with the county. An assumed name is filed with the state, through the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, not the county.
- Assuming the county office means county licensing. The office location in Farmington does not decide which businesses the county licenses. The city limits do.
- Trusting a mailing address. A city name in your address does not prove the property is inside that city.
- Carrying a city license across a city line. A license from one city does not transfer to another.
- Missing January 31. The doubled renewal fee is easy to avoid and easy to forget.
The state filings that go with your local license
A DBA is the filing most often confused with a county license. It is registered with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, which handles it statewide. The state DBA page is at https://commerce.utah.gov/corporations/business-entities/dba/. The fee is $22 to register. Check the Division's DBA page for the renewal term and fee.
An LLC files a Certificate of Organization with the same Division. The filing fee is $59. The yearly filing is called an annual renewal, and it costs $18. A late renewal adds $10. Expedited processing is $75 per filing, under the Division's Fiscal Year 2026 fee schedule.
Every registered entity must name a registered agent for service of process, with a Utah street address. A PO box may be listed only in addition to a street address. A commercial registered agent registration costs $52. Your business name must also be distinguishable on the state's records and may not imply that the company is a state agency or political subdivision. Check the name at https://businessregistration.utah.gov/ before you file.
Complete the state registration first, so the business name on your local license matches the state record.
Sales tax and occupational licenses
If you sell taxable goods or services in Utah, register for a sales tax license through the Tax Commission's TAP system at https://tap.tax.utah.gov/TaxExpress/_/?Link=TapBr. The state sales tax rate is 4.85%, and combined state and local rates run from 6.35% to 9.55%, and up to 10.05% in some special districts, depending on the jurisdiction. The state rate on grocery food is 1.75%, and the combined grocery food rate is 3.0%. Confirm the rate for your location at https://tax.utah.gov/.
Many professions also need an occupational license from the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL). That license is separate from any city or county business license, and the county does not issue it. Check your trade's requirements before you apply locally. If you sell alcohol, the licensing comes from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services, not the county or the city.
Step by step
- Confirm the boundary. Verify with the city whether your address is inside its limits. If you are outside every city, call the county at 801-451-3279.
- Complete state registration. Register your LLC, corporation, or DBA with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code first.
- Apply with the right office. Apply with the city or with the county. Ask for the fee schedule in effect on the day you file.
- Pay the fee. Use a credit card, which carries a 2.5% service fee, or pay in person by cash or check payable to Davis County Community and Economic Development.
- Calendar the renewal. Pay the county renewal before January 31 each year. A late renewal costs double the original renewal fee.
- Keep state filings current. Renew your LLC annual renewal and any DBA on time.
- Re-license if you move. A move across a city line, or from a city into unincorporated county land, requires a new license from the correct office.
When to get professional help
Entity choice, tax treatment, personal liability, and multi-owner agreements belong with a qualified attorney or CPA. A general guide cannot weigh those facts for you. For free-of-charge counseling on business planning and licensing questions, the Utah Small Business Development Center offers resources at https://utahsbdc.org/. The SBA's Utah district page is at https://www.sba.gov/district/utah.
Disclaimer: This guide is informational content about Utah business formation and licensing. It is not legal or tax advice. Your license, entity structure, and tax obligations depend on facts specific to you. Consult a qualified attorney or CPA before you make decisions, and confirm current fees and deadlines with Davis County Community and Economic Development at 801-451-3279 or with the city where your business is located.