Mobile Dog Grooming Permit Requirements in Nashville, TN

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source for EIN (Employer Identification Number) (opens in a new tab)

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. Tennessee Secretary of State Business Registration

   Required if operating as an LLC, corporation, or partnership in Tennessee. Tennessee does not require a state license for dog groomers, but proper business entity registration is necessary for liability protection and banking. Sole proprietors may operate under their legal name without registration.

   Official government source for Tennessee Secretary of State Business Registration (opens in a new tab)

   $100 for a for-profit corporation charter (form SS-4417); $300 minimum for LLC Articles of Organization (form SS-4270) — $50 per member, $300 minimum, $3,000 maximum·Filed online through the Secretary of State's business services portal and effective when accepted; allow additional time for mailed paper filings.

   $100 for a for-profit corporation charter (form SS-4417); $300 minimum for LLC Articles of Organization (form SS-4270) — $50 per member, $300 minimum, $3,000 maximum

   Filed online through the Secretary of State's business services portal and effective when accepted; allow additional time for mailed paper filings.

1. Metro Nashville - Davidson County Clerk Business License

   Required for businesses operating within Metro Nashville-Davidson County. Issued by the Davidson County Clerk's Business Services office, not the Metro Finance Department. Mobile dog groomers with annual gross receipts of $3,000-$99,999 obtain a minimal activity license; at $100,000 or more they obtain a standard business license and file Tennessee business tax with the Department of Revenue through TNTAP. Under $3,000 in gross receipts, no license is required.

   Official government source for Metro Nashville - Davidson County Clerk Business License (opens in a new tab)

   $15 flat registration fee if the business is in Davidson County outside the Nashville city limits (General Service District), or $30 if inside the city limits (Urban Service District). The fee is flat, not a percentage of gross receipts. Tennessee's separate, uncapped business tax is filed with the Department of Revenue once gross receipts reach $100,000/year.·The Davidson County Clerk publishes no processing time; apply online, in person, or by mail at the Clerk's Business Services office. If your gross receipts require a state business tax account, the Department of Revenue states registration takes up to 10 business days.

   $15 flat registration fee if the business is in Davidson County outside the Nashville city limits (General Service District), or $30 if inside the city limits (Urban Service District). The fee is flat, not a percentage of gross receipts. Tennessee's separate, uncapped business tax is filed with the Department of Revenue once gross receipts reach $100,000/year.

   The Davidson County Clerk publishes no processing time; apply online, in person, or by mail at the Clerk's Business Services office. If your gross receipts require a state business tax account, the Department of Revenue states registration takes up to 10 business days.

2. Vehicle Inspection - Not Required in Davidson County

   Tennessee has no periodic vehicle safety inspection program, so a mobile grooming van needs no annual state safety inspection. Davidson County's vehicle emissions testing program has also ended: the Metropolitan Council voted to end it effective February 5, 2022, and residents titling, registering, or renewing a registration no longer need an emissions test. Ordinary Tennessee registration and insurance requirements still apply to the van.

   Official government source for Vehicle Inspection - Not Required in Davidson County (opens in a new tab)

   No fee - neither a state safety inspection nor a Davidson County emissions test exists.·Not applicable - there is no inspection to schedule.

   No fee - neither a state safety inspection nor a Davidson County emissions test exists.

   Not applicable - there is no inspection to schedule.

Official Sources

• Metro Nashville Finance Department - Business Tax
• Tennessee Secretary of State - Business Services
• Tennessee Department of Revenue - Vehicle Registration

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