Business License FAQ

All entities that are required to register with the State of Washington and are engaged in business activities within the Sammamish city limits must have a city of Sammamish business license. This includes those physically located in commercial or in-home locations inside the city limits and those coming inside the city limits to perform work.

The city is partnering with Washington State’s Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service (BLS).

Sammamish was the third city to join BLS with many more to come. It is a coordination of efforts with other municipalities and the State of Washington, to make the business license process as easy, efficient and streamlined as possible.

The idea behind BLS is a one-stop license application and renewal process. For example, a Washington State business doing business in both Bellevue and Sammamish would need to fill out only one application, write one check, and receive one license from BLS showing endorsements for both Sammamish and Bellevue, as well as its state licenses and registrations.

The following entities and/or situations are exempt:

• Governmental organizations;
• Farmers selling their own farm products;
• Casual or isolated sales providing they take place no more than four times a year;
• Delivery of goods by vehicle to a location in Sammamish when the actual sale took place outside the city;
• Taxi, limousine, airporter shuttle or similar service where the business operates from premises outside the city;
• Sales of goods or services by mail, telephone, or internet where the seller operates from premises located outside the city and the only event occurring within the city is the receipt of the goods or services; and
• Provision of internet or wireless phone services where the provider operates from premises located outside the city and the only event occurring within the city is the receipt of the services.

It will be mailed approximately two to three weeks after your complete license application and all related fees are received by the state’s Business Licensing Service.

If your application included licenses that require a lengthier approval process, you may receive an interim Business License with only some licenses listed on it. You would then receive another license later showing the remainder of the licenses.