Business License
The complete requirements, rules, and regulations regarding the registration of businesses located in the City of Elmhurst are outlined in Chapter 31 of the City of Elmhurst Municipal Code.
Registration
All persons engaged in businesses or occupations operating within the City for which a license is not specifically required by the Municipal Code, shall register with the City Clerk.
- The complete conditions and regulations regarding obtaining a Business License / Registration are outlined in Chapter 31 of the City of Elmhurst Municipal Code. First, you must obtain a Certificate of Occupancy. After the Certificate of Occupancy is submitted and approved, to apply, you must fill out a Business License / Registration Application(PDF).
All persons engaged in businesses or occupations operating within the City for which a license is not specifically required by the Municipal Code, shall register with the City Clerk.
To find out if a license is needed for your business, view License Categories. A Business License / Registration must be obtained from the City Clerk's Office when:
- Starting a new business
- Relocating a business
- Expanding a business
- A change in ownership
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact the City Clerk at (630) 530-3015.
License Categories
Requirements
A license shall be required of any person who engages in the business of operating an ambulance from points within the City to points within the City without a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 31).
Business License / Registration Application
Fees
A license shall be required of any person who engages in the business of operating an ambulance from points within the City to points within the City without a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 31).
Business License / Registration Application
Fees
| Type of Ambulance | Yearly Cost Per Ambulance |
| Advanced life support | $50 |
| Other | $30 |
Requirements
A license shall be required for each coin-in-slot, mechanical and/or electronic amusement device, including jukeboxes (MCO Chapter 31, Section 40) .
Business License / Registration Application
Recreation Facility
A license shall be required for each coin-in-slot, mechanical and/or electronic amusement device, including jukeboxes (MCO Chapter 31, Section 40) .
Business License / Registration Application
Recreation Facility
- Maximum number of billiards / pool tables allowed is one per every 500 square feet of floor area
- Maximum number of coin-in-slot, mechanical, and/or electronic amusement devices, including jukeboxes is one per every 1,000 square feet of floor area
- Maximum number of Billiards / pool tables allowed is one per every 500 square feet of floor area
- Maximum number of coin-in-slot, mechanical and/or electronic amusement devices, including jukeboxes is one per every 500 square feet of floor area, not to exceed the cap of five total devices
| Device | Cost Per Device |
| Billiards / pool tables | $150 |
| Coin-in-slot | $150 |
Requirements
It shall be unlawful to operate an automobile repair establishment, express automobile service center, or automobile service station without first having obtained a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 151).
Business License / Registration Application
Fees
It shall be unlawful to operate an automobile repair establishment, express automobile service center, or automobile service station without first having obtained a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 151).
Business License / Registration Application
Fees
| Establishment | Yearly Fee |
| Automobile repair | $50 |
| Express service centers | $30 |
| Service stations | $50 |
Requirements
It shall be unlawful for any person to establish or operate within the City, a plant, plant store, branch in connection with any dry cleaning operation or business without having first obtained a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 31).
Business License / Registration Application
Fees
Fees
| Service | Yearly Fee |
|---|---|
| Dry cleaning establishment | $100 |
| Dry cleaning machine | $25 |
| Drop-off service only | $100 |
Requirements
It shall be unlawful for any food handler to engage in or do business in the city without having first secured a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 31)..
Business License / Registration Application
Please include a copy of your most recent DuPage County Health Inspection Report with your application.
Fees
Food and Beverage Tax
The City of Elmhurst will collect a 1% Food and Beverage Tax on the retail sale of food and beverage. This includes all food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages which are prepared for immediate consumption and which may be consumed either on and/or off the premise. Retail sales of packaged alcoholic liquor at any packaged liquor establishment are also included.
It shall be unlawful for any food handler to engage in or do business in the city without having first secured a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 31)..
Business License / Registration Application
Please include a copy of your most recent DuPage County Health Inspection Report with your application.
Fees
| Liquor License Holder | Yearly Fee |
|---|---|
| Yes | No fee |
| No | $25 |
Food and Beverage Tax
The City of Elmhurst will collect a 1% Food and Beverage Tax on the retail sale of food and beverage. This includes all food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages which are prepared for immediate consumption and which may be consumed either on and/or off the premise. Retail sales of packaged alcoholic liquor at any packaged liquor establishment are also included.
Requirements
Each individual mobile food vending operator and vehicle must be licensed before they are allowed to operate within the Elmhurst City limits. Vehicles must pass inspections at approved locations within 30 days of application. An original certificate of insurance must also accompany the application. Mobile food vendor operators are subject to a background check prior to approval. Operators must submit a Driving Abstract from the Secretary of State’s Office within 30 days of application. Mobile food units shall move from place to place upon the public ways and shall not be operated at a fixed location except as otherwise provided herein. Stops shall be made only to service customers and shall not exceed a total of 30 minutes in any one block. No such unit shall traverse any such block more often than twice in any given day. It shall be unlawful for a person or corporation to operate a mobile food unit unless such person or corporation possesses a valid license issued by the City Clerk. No operator of such unit shall park or stand such vehicle within 500 feet of a school or school playground while school is in session or during any time school activities are taking place. No sale shall be made from any such unit except when such vehicle is lawfully parked at the right hand street curb. Sales shall not be made from the left hand side of the vehicle (Chapter 31, Section 135).
Mobile Food Vendor Licenses
Fees
Food and Beverage Tax
The City of Elmhurst will collect a 1% Food and Beverage Tax on the retail sale of food and beverage which includes all food, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages which are prepared for immediate consumption and which may be consumed either on and/or off the premise. Retail sales of packaged alcoholic liquor at any packaged liquor establishment are also included. Please contact the Finance Collections Office for more details at (630) 530-3117.
Each individual mobile food vending operator and vehicle must be licensed before they are allowed to operate within the Elmhurst City limits. Vehicles must pass inspections at approved locations within 30 days of application. An original certificate of insurance must also accompany the application. Mobile food vendor operators are subject to a background check prior to approval. Operators must submit a Driving Abstract from the Secretary of State’s Office within 30 days of application. Mobile food units shall move from place to place upon the public ways and shall not be operated at a fixed location except as otherwise provided herein. Stops shall be made only to service customers and shall not exceed a total of 30 minutes in any one block. No such unit shall traverse any such block more often than twice in any given day. It shall be unlawful for a person or corporation to operate a mobile food unit unless such person or corporation possesses a valid license issued by the City Clerk. No operator of such unit shall park or stand such vehicle within 500 feet of a school or school playground while school is in session or during any time school activities are taking place. No sale shall be made from any such unit except when such vehicle is lawfully parked at the right hand street curb. Sales shall not be made from the left hand side of the vehicle (Chapter 31, Section 135).
Mobile Food Vendor Licenses
Fees
| Type of Fee | Yearly Fee |
|---|---|
| Operator | $75 |
| Vehicle | $25 |
Food and Beverage Tax
The City of Elmhurst will collect a 1% Food and Beverage Tax on the retail sale of food and beverage which includes all food, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages which are prepared for immediate consumption and which may be consumed either on and/or off the premise. Retail sales of packaged alcoholic liquor at any packaged liquor establishment are also included. Please contact the Finance Collections Office for more details at (630) 530-3117.
Requirements
An application for a pushcart food vendor license shall include a business plan. Such business plan shall state if the business is a corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship, the identified vending location(s) sought, the hours during which business shall be conducted, the knowledge and experience of the applicant in operating a business such as or similar to that proposed, the provisions to be made for transporting and storing the pushcart and food items, a photograph and the dimensions of the type of pushcart to be used, accompanied by a statement signed by the applicant that he or she will operate the pushcart food vendor business in accordance with such plan and application.
Pushcart Food Dealer Application
Additional Requirements
Food and Beverage Tax
The City of Elmhurst will collect a 1% Food and Beverage Tax on the retail sale of food and beverage which includes all food, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages which are prepared for immediate consumption and which may be consumed either on and/or off the premise. Retail sales of packaged alcoholic liquor at any packed liquor establishment are also included. Please contact the Finance Collections Office for more details at (630) 530-3117.
An application for a pushcart food vendor license shall include a business plan. Such business plan shall state if the business is a corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship, the identified vending location(s) sought, the hours during which business shall be conducted, the knowledge and experience of the applicant in operating a business such as or similar to that proposed, the provisions to be made for transporting and storing the pushcart and food items, a photograph and the dimensions of the type of pushcart to be used, accompanied by a statement signed by the applicant that he or she will operate the pushcart food vendor business in accordance with such plan and application.
Pushcart Food Dealer Application
Additional Requirements
- The pushcart shall be attended by the operator at all times except in case of an emergency.
- Pushcart food vendors shall operate only between the hours of 6:00 am and 10:00 pm.
Food and Beverage Tax
The City of Elmhurst will collect a 1% Food and Beverage Tax on the retail sale of food and beverage which includes all food, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages which are prepared for immediate consumption and which may be consumed either on and/or off the premise. Retail sales of packaged alcoholic liquor at any packed liquor establishment are also included. Please contact the Finance Collections Office for more details at (630) 530-3117.
Requirements
It shall be unlawful to operate a flammable and hazardous materials dealer establishment or to use or store flammable or hazardous materials without having first obtained a license, provided that no license shall be required for the storage of less than 1,000 gallons of heating oil where the same is used for heating purposes (MCO Chapter 31, Section 121) .
Business License / Registration Application
Fees
Fees
| Type of Underground Tank | Fee Per Year |
|---|---|
| Heating oil storage tank only | $50 |
| 5,000 square feet or less | $50 |
| 5,001 through 20,000 square feet | $100 |
| Over 20,000 square feet | $250 |
Requirements
No person shall establish, conduct or maintain a lumber yard in the city without first obtaining a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 181) .
Business License / Registration Application
Fees
Lumber yards and lumber storehouse fees are $100 per year.
No person shall establish, conduct or maintain a lumber yard in the city without first obtaining a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 181) .
Business License / Registration Application
Fees
Lumber yards and lumber storehouse fees are $100 per year.
Requirements
It shall be unlawful for any scavenger to engage in scavenging in the City of Elmhurst without first having obtained a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 221) .
Business License / Registration Application
Residential
Residential scavenger's license which shall permit the collection of garbage, rubbish, brush, any other refuse, or recyclable materials from single, two, three and four family residence dwellings (residential locations). There shall be no more than one such license in force in the city at any time.
Commercial
Commercial scavenger's license which shall permit the collection of garbage, rubbish, brush, any other refuse, or recyclable materials from all but residential locations. The number of such licenses shall be unlimited.
The following items must accompany the application:
Commercial scavenger fees are $500 per year.
It shall be unlawful for any scavenger to engage in scavenging in the City of Elmhurst without first having obtained a license (MCO Chapter 31, Section 221) .
Business License / Registration Application
Residential
Residential scavenger's license which shall permit the collection of garbage, rubbish, brush, any other refuse, or recyclable materials from single, two, three and four family residence dwellings (residential locations). There shall be no more than one such license in force in the city at any time.
Commercial
Commercial scavenger's license which shall permit the collection of garbage, rubbish, brush, any other refuse, or recyclable materials from all but residential locations. The number of such licenses shall be unlimited.
The following items must accompany the application:
- Original Certificate of Insurance
- Surety Bond in the amount of $10,000
Commercial scavenger fees are $500 per year.
Requirements
No taxicabs shall be operated upon the streets of the municipality unless there shall first have been obtained a taxicab license from the City Clerk. Such taxicab licenses shall be issued for a year term, or such part thereof as remains at the time a license is applied for, and shall be effective for such period of time unless sooner suspended or revoked. An original Certificate of Insurance must accompany application (MCO Chapter 31, Section 254) .
Each individual taxicab operator and vehicle must also be licensed before they are allowed to operate within the City limits of Elmhurst. Vehicles must pass inspections at approved locations within 30 days of application. Taxicab operators are subject to a background check prior to approval. Operators must submit a Driving Abstract from the Secretary of State’s Office within 30 days of application.
Applications
No taxicabs shall be operated upon the streets of the municipality unless there shall first have been obtained a taxicab license from the City Clerk. Such taxicab licenses shall be issued for a year term, or such part thereof as remains at the time a license is applied for, and shall be effective for such period of time unless sooner suspended or revoked. An original Certificate of Insurance must accompany application (MCO Chapter 31, Section 254) .
Each individual taxicab operator and vehicle must also be licensed before they are allowed to operate within the City limits of Elmhurst. Vehicles must pass inspections at approved locations within 30 days of application. Taxicab operators are subject to a background check prior to approval. Operators must submit a Driving Abstract from the Secretary of State’s Office within 30 days of application.
Applications
- Business License / Registration Application
- Taxicab License Application – Operator
- Taxicab License Application – Vehicle
| Type | Yearly Fee |
|---|---|
| Taxicab service | $200 |
| Operator permit | $75 |
| Vehicle License | $25 |
Application
Business License / Registration Application(PDF)
Fees
Theater (motion picture, dramatic or cabaret) are $100 per year.
Business License / Registration Application(PDF)
Fees
Theater (motion picture, dramatic or cabaret) are $100 per year.
Requirements
For the purposes of this Article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them:
Fees
Tobacco dealer fees are $50 per year.
For the purposes of this Article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them:
- Tobacco products - any substance containing tobacco leaf, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco or dipping tobacco
- Vending machine - any mechanical, electric or electronic, self service device which, upon insertion of money, tokens or any other form of payment, dispenses tobacco products
Fees
Tobacco dealer fees are $50 per year.