Cherokee County Business License: Unincorporated Cherokee, Canton and Woodstock Are Separate Issuers

Before you apply for anything in Cherokee County, answer one question: where is the business physically located? Georgia has no general state business license. The Secretary of State issues none, and Department of Revenue sales tax registration is not a business license. The local license is an occupation tax certificate, often called a business license, and it comes from a city or, for unincorporated areas, from the county. Georgia has 159 counties and about 537 cities and towns, and each sets its own formula, deadlines and prerequisites. In Cherokee County, three issuers matter: unincorporated Cherokee County, the City of Canton and the City of Woodstock.

This guide shows you which issuer applies, then walks through the county process in detail. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice.

Step 1: Match your premises to the right issuer

The issuer is set by where the business premises sit, not by your mailing address. A Canton mailing address does not put a business inside Canton, and a county mailing address does not keep a business out of a city.

Where the premises sit	Who issues the certificate	What you do
Inside the City of Canton	City of Canton	Apply to Canton. A Canton certificate means you do not need a Cherokee County certificate for that location.
Inside the City of Woodstock	City of Woodstock	Apply to the Woodstock licensing office.
Unincorporated Cherokee County	Cherokee County	Apply through the Development Service Center, 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton, 770-721-7810. You need one certificate for each location.

A business inside a city pays the city, not the county. More than half of Georgians live outside any city, so many Cherokee County businesses fall under the county, but the test is where the premises sit. If you are unsure whether a site is inside city limits, ask the issuer before you sign a lease or pay a fee.

The county process for unincorporated Cherokee

County fees

County fees are based on headcount. The owner counts as one full-time employee. That includes a sole proprietor, anyone paid by salary, commission or profit, and any paid family member working for the business.

Who is counted	Fee
Owner, and each full-time employee	$30 each
Each part-time employee	$15 each
Cap on the total	200 employees or $6,000

For example, an owner with two full-time employees and one part-time employee would pay $105 under this schedule: $30 for the owner, $60 for two full-time employees and $15 for one part-time employee. Confirm the current total with the Development Service Center before you pay.

Renewal deadlines and penalties

County certificates renew every year, and renewals are due January 1. The payment is past due after January 31. Beginning February 1, a 10% penalty is added to the total tax due. If the tax stays unpaid, the business is deemed closed and the account is turned over to the Marshal's Office. A citation can carry fines of up to $1,000.

The county emails a courtesy notice, but not receiving it does not excuse a missed deadline. Put January 1 on your calendar. You can renew online through the county's CityView portal or by mail.

New certificate checklist

Gather these items before you visit or submit online:

1. The completed application.
2. A notarized SAVE affidavit. Everyone signs it (O.C.G.A. 50-36-1), and the county notarizes it free of charge.
3. The private employer affidavit, if you have more than 10 employees. Private employers with more than 10 employees must file an E-Verify affidavit to get the local certificate (O.C.G.A. 36-60-6).
4. A copy of the entity's formation document, such as Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation. For a trade name, bring its Deeds and Records registration instead.
5. Any professional state license your work requires.
6. Health inspections, where applicable.
7. Your sales tax ID and federal EIN, where applicable.
8. Government-issued photo ID.
9. A certificate of occupancy if you remodel or build out the space.

Space used by another business

If the space was previously used by another business, you need a tenant occupancy inspection after planning and zoning approval. The inspection fee is $50. Ask about this step before you sign a lease, because it can delay your opening.

Home-based businesses

A home occupation is allowed in unincorporated Cherokee County if it meets the zoning criteria and the county's Home Occupation Standards. Planning and Zoning approval comes first. No fees are due until the zoning review is complete. You will need two proofs of residential address.

Cottage food businesses need no state license since July 1, 2025 (HB 398), but local business licensing and zoning still apply. A home bakery or kitchen business in the county still needs the county certificate and zoning approval.

Canton: a separate license

The City of Canton licenses businesses inside its limits separately from the county. Do not apply to the county for a location inside Canton. Older City of Canton documents describe a license year and renewal date that differ from the county's January 1 renewal, and they list fees. Those dates and fees could not be confirmed, so this guide does not state them. Confirm the current license year, deadlines, penalties and fees directly with the City of Canton before you apply or renew.

Woodstock: its own licensing office

The City of Woodstock requires a business license from its own licensing office. Review takes about 15 business days. The application requires two notarized documents and E-Verify affidavits. We have not confirmed Woodstock's fee or renewal date, so do not assume they match the county's. Ask the City of Woodstock for its current fee schedule and renewal date before you apply.

Professional occupations

Some professions can be taxed under a separate provision. O.C.G.A. 48-13-9(c) lists the qualifying professions, which include lawyers, physicians, dentists, veterinarians, engineers, architects, public accountants and similar professions. Cosmetologists are not on that list. Under the election in O.C.G.A. 48-13-10(g), a locality may set a ceiling of $400 for listed professions. That $400 is a ceiling, not a flat fee, and it is not a flat $400 per licensed professional. Whether the professional tax replaces the administrative fee differs by place, so confirm with the issuer that will license you.

Occupational licenses for trades such as contractors, electricians, plumbers, cosmetology and real estate come from state boards, not the county. Check the Secretary of State's Professional Licensing Boards Division for the license your work requires.

Other county licenses and payment

• Alcoholic beverage license: apply through the state's centralized portal first, then through the county.
• Short-term rental certificate: $50 fee under Chapter 18 of the county code, which was passed September 7, 2021.

Effective January 1, 2026, the Development Service Center no longer accepts cash. Bring a non-cash payment method and confirm which ones the center accepts before you visit.

State steps that come first

The local certificate follows your state setup. Articles of Organization for an LLC or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation cost $110 in total, which is the $100 fee plus a $10 service charge. You can file online through the eCorp portal at https://ecorp.sos.ga.gov/ or on paper. Register with the Georgia Department of Revenue through the Georgia Tax Center at https://gtc.dor.ga.gov/ if you sell taxable goods or have employees. Sales tax registration there is free, and Georgia issues no separate resale permit. Buyers who purchase for resale give you Form ST-5, the certificate of exemption. The state sales tax rate is 4%, and local add-ons vary by county and city, so check the rate that applies to your location.

A trade name (DBA) is filed with the Clerk of Superior Court of the county where the business is chiefly carried on, not with the Secretary of State. Clerk fees are about $165 plus the cost of publishing notice once a week for two weeks in the county legal organ. Check the exact amounts with the county clerk.

Annual registration and state tax details are covered in our Georgia business taxes guide and our annual registration page. Workers' compensation is required once you have three or more workers, including part-time workers.

Common mistakes

• Applying to the county for a location inside Canton or Woodstock.
• Using a mailing address to decide which issuer applies.
• Missing the January 1 renewal, assuming the courtesy email will arrive, or assuming a city deadline matches the county's.
• Bringing cash to the Development Service Center. Cash has not been accepted since January 1, 2026.
• Paying for a home occupation before Planning and Zoning approval. Zoning comes first.

Confirm before you apply

• Cherokee County Development Service Center: 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton, 770-721-7810
• Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division: https://sos.ga.gov/corporations-division
• Georgia Department of Revenue: https://dor.georgia.gov/
• Georgia Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia: https://www.georgiasbdc.org/
• SBA Georgia district: https://www.sba.gov/district/georgia

Disclaimer: This guide is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, deadlines and procedures change, so confirm current requirements with the issuing office before you apply. For complex situations, such as multiple locations, a professional license or a choice of entity structure, consult a qualified attorney or CPA.