California note
Richmond business licenses include a zoning check
Richmond requires businesses operating in the city to hold a business license, and new commercial business license applications need zoning compliance through Planning.
Richmond business license work has a finance side and a location side. The finance side puts the business into the city’s license and tax system. The location side checks whether a new commercial business fits the zoning rules for that place.
That split matters in Richmond because the city has waterfront industry, port-related uses, older commercial corridors, small storefronts, home businesses, food businesses, contractors, artists, and neighborhood service businesses close to one another. A use that fits one address may not fit the next one.
Before you apply, write the business activity in everyday words. Then add the address, whether it is home-based or commercial, whether customers visit, whether food, signs, outdoor work, vehicles, storage, or construction are involved, and whether the business has a fictitious name filing through Contra Costa County.
If you are looking at a lease, ask the zoning question before you treat the space as settled. A license can be routine, but zoning is what tells you whether that routine license belongs at that exact location.
Where to see it
Richmond Business Licenses and Business Guide and Toolkit pages.
Official sources
Official pages
Reviewed July 4, 2026
Current rules, forms, fees, deadlines, maps, and office instructions.
Rules, forms, fees, deadlines, and office procedures can change. Check the current page before you file, pay, or rely on a date.
Connected places
Open the local directory
Related notes
Related California notes
Richmond code issue reports work best with a clear location
Richmond's Code Enforcement form is for possible neighborhood and private-property violations, with phone and email as backup.
Read next →Richmond's BART and Amtrak stop works like a small transit hub
Richmond's Amtrak station sits beside BART and connects with bus and park-and-ride options, but parking rules differ by lot and trip type.
Read next →Richmond has two alert paths worth knowing
Richmond uses two opt-in systems for different jobs: city Everbridge/Nixle notices and Contra Costa CWS protective-action alerts.
Read next →