How to Get a Business License in Alpharetta, Georgia
Alpharetta’s Occupational Tax Certificate — What It Is
Alpharetta calls its business license an “Occupational Tax Certificate.” If you’ve been searching for an “Alpharetta business license,” this is the document you need.
The Occupational Tax Certificate is required for ALL businesses operating within Alpharetta city limits — and the requirement begins on your first day of business, not 30 days later. Operating without a current certificate subjects you to fines and penalties as allowed by law.
Contact: City of Alpharetta Phone: (678) 297-6086 Application: download from alpharetta.ga.us or apply in person
Certificate details:
- Required on the first day of business
- Based on calendar year
- Renewal notices issued to all licensed businesses annually
- Late penalties apply for missed renewal deadlines
Step 1: Determine Your Application Type
Alpharetta uses three different application forms depending on your business situation. Use the correct form — submitting the wrong one adds time to your process.
Commercial location — standard business license application For businesses operating out of a commercial space (office, retail, warehouse, etc.). Download from alpharetta.ga.us or obtain in person.
Home-based business — separate home-based business application Required if you operate from your residence. This form includes:
- A qualifications and conditions checklist
- An HOA/landlord/management company compliance acknowledgment
The HOA acknowledgment is not optional. In Alpharetta’s environment of planned communities and HOA-governed neighborhoods, you must verify that your homeowners association, landlord, or property management company permits the business activity. The city will ask you to confirm this. If your HOA prohibits home-based businesses, operating one anyway does not become legal simply because the city issued you a certificate — you would still face HOA enforcement separately.
Verify HOA compliance before submitting any paperwork. It is the most common point of failure for home-based business applications in Alpharetta.
Professional practitioner application For state-licensed professionals (attorneys, CPAs, physicians, architects, engineers, etc.). This form requires you to attach a copy of your current Georgia state professional license.
Step 2: Gather Required Documents
Have all of the following ready before you submit:
Completed application form (correct form for your business type — see Step 1)
SAVE Affidavit (notarized) Verifies your lawful presence in the United States per O.C.G.A. § 50-36-1. Must be:
- Notarized (signed in front of a notary public)
- Accompanied by a Secure and Verifiable Document: driver’s license or U.S. passport
E-Verify Affidavit Required under O.C.G.A. § 36-60-6. Must be signed by the business owner or a business employee — NOT by an outside bookkeeper or accountant.
- 11 or more employees: provide your E-Verify user number. The certificate will not be issued without it.
- Fewer than 11 employees: sign the exemption affidavit.
Government-issued photo ID Driver’s license or passport.
State professional license copy (if applicable) Required for professional practitioner applications. Must be on file before certificate can be issued.
DBA/trade name registration (if applicable) If operating under a trade name other than your legal entity name, provide documentation of the registered DBA.
Georgia Sales Tax ID (if collecting sales tax) Register at gtc.dor.ga.gov through the Georgia Tax Center before applying. If you sell taxable goods or services, you need this ID on file.
Federal EIN Obtain from the IRS for free at irs.gov/ein.
Step 3: Calculate Your Fee
Alpharetta’s occupation tax has a specific structure. Understand each component before you calculate your total.
$75.00 administrative fee — mandatory and non-prorated Every Alpharetta business pays the full $75 administrative fee regardless of when in the year the application is filed. A business that opens on December 1 pays the same $75 as a business that opens on January 2. This fee does not prorate. Budget for it as a fixed first-year cost.
Base occupation tax rate Calculated based on your employee count and business classification. The rate scales with headcount.
Employee rate A per-employee charge added to the base rate.
Total (full-year application): $75 administrative fee + base occupation tax + employee rate
The proration benefit — if you open after June 30:
Applications filed between July 1 and December 31 receive a proration on the base occupation tax and the employee rate. The tax reflects only the remaining portion of the calendar year rather than the full year.
The $75 administrative fee does not prorate — it remains $75.
This is a genuine financial benefit for mid-year startups. If you’re planning to open in July, August, September, October, November, or December, you’ll pay roughly half the base tax and employee rate compared to a January start. Account for this in your startup cost projections.
Professional practitioners — flat fee election: State-licensed professionals can elect to pay a flat $400 per licensed practitioner per O.C.G.A. § 48-13-9(c), in place of the base tax and employee rate calculation. The $75 administrative fee still applies. Run both calculations before choosing — for small professional firms, the flat $400 may be lower or higher than the calculated rate depending on your headcount and classification.
Insurance companies: Separate fee schedule applies.
Step 4: Submit and Pay
Submission method: In person or by mail to City of Alpharetta. Contact (678) 297-6086 for current submission address and office hours.
Payment accepted:
- Cash
- Check
- Credit card: American Express, MasterCard, and Visa only (no Discover). An online payment link is available upon request.
Completeness requirement: The application must be complete with all required documents attached. Incomplete applications will be rejected. The city will not process partial submissions. Before submitting, verify that you have:
- Correct application form for your business type
- Notarized SAVE Affidavit with ID copy
- E-Verify Affidavit signed by owner or employee
- State professional license copy (if applicable)
- All additional required documents
- Payment for the calculated fee
Denial and non-renewal: The City of Alpharetta reserves the right to deny a new certificate or decline to renew an existing one if there are documented violations of city codes, unpaid taxes, or if the business location fails to meet applicable requirements.
Renewal
Occupational Tax Certificates are based on the calendar year. The city issues renewal notices to all licensed businesses before the end of each year.
Renewal deadline: Contact the city at (678) 297-6086 for the current year’s specific renewal deadline. Late renewals are subject to penalties.
Both affidavits (SAVE and E-Verify) must be resubmitted fresh with each renewal. Prior-year affidavits are not accepted.
Proration does not apply to renewals — proration only applies to first-year applications filed between July 1 and December 31. Renewal applications cover a full calendar year.
What the Proration Actually Saves You
To illustrate the proration benefit concretely: assume your base occupation tax is $200 and your employee rate is $100, for a total calculated tax of $300 plus the $75 admin fee ($375 total for a full year).
If you file on August 1:
- Administrative fee: $75 (full, non-prorated)
- Prorated base + employee rate: approximately $150 (half-year)
- Total first-year payment: approximately $225
Compared to a January start, you save approximately $150 on your first certificate. That’s real money for a startup, and it’s a reason to file promptly when you open in the second half of the year rather than delaying.
Zoning and Home-Based Business Rules
Commercial locations: Before applying for an Occupational Tax Certificate, verify zoning compliance through the City of Alpharetta Community Development Department. Your intended business use must be permitted under the zoning designation for your location. This is a separate step from the business license application itself — do it first. Even if a prior business operated at the same address, your specific use may require fresh verification. New commercial occupants may also need a Certificate of Occupancy (C.O.) from Community Development before the business license can be issued.
Home-based businesses: Two parallel compliance requirements apply:
First: HOA/landlord/property management approval. As described in Step 1, the home-based business application form requires written acknowledgment of compliance. Resolve this before submitting anything to the city. Many Alpharetta HOAs restrict or prohibit home-based business activity — the city will not override that restriction.
Second: City zoning restrictions. Typical Alpharetta home occupation restrictions include no customer foot traffic beyond what residential zoning allows, no exterior commercial signage, and restrictions on employees working at the residence. Verify the current specific restrictions with Alpharetta Community Development — rules can be updated.
State Requirements to Complete First
Before you apply for your Alpharetta Occupational Tax Certificate, these state-level steps should already be complete:
Georgia Secretary of State — Entity Formation: File Articles of Organization (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation (corporation) at ecorp.sos.ga.gov. LLC: $100 online, $110 by mail. Annual registration: $60/year ($50 fee + $10 mandatory service fee, effective September 6, 2025), due January 1 through April 1. Late penalty after April 1: $25. Administrative dissolution approximately 60 days after the deadline.
Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division: 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 313, West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334. Phone: (478) 207-2440.
Georgia Tax Center: Register for sales tax at gtc.dor.ga.gov if your business sells taxable goods or services. Alpharetta total sales tax rate: 7.75% (4% state + 3% Fulton County + 0.75% special district). For technology businesses: Georgia taxes canned (off-the-shelf) software as taxable but generally exempts custom software development services. SaaS classification is unsettled — consult a CPA familiar with Georgia sales tax before assuming your product is exempt.
EIN: Get your Federal Employer Identification Number from irs.gov/ein. Free and typically issued instantly online. Required on the business license application.
E-Verify registration (if 11+ employees): Register at e-verify.uscis.gov before applying. Free to register. You’ll need your E-Verify company user number (4–6 digits, numerical only) for the required affidavit.
Additional Permits You May Need
Your Occupational Tax Certificate satisfies the city’s occupation tax requirement. Other approvals may be needed depending on your business type:
Food service: Fulton County Board of Health permit required for any business preparing or handling food for sale. This is a county-level requirement separate from the city license — contact Fulton County Environmental Health.
Alcohol: Selling alcohol in Alpharetta requires both an Alpharetta alcohol license (city-issued) and a Georgia DOR alcohol license through the Georgia Tax Center (gtc.dor.ga.gov). Both must be in place before you sell.
Building permits and C.O.: Contact Alpharetta Community Development for building permit requirements if you’re modifying a commercial space, installing new signage, or making structural changes. A Certificate of Occupancy may be required for new commercial occupants.
State professional licenses: Many regulated professions in Georgia require a state license before the city will issue an Occupational Tax Certificate. If your field is regulated — healthcare, law, financial services, real estate, engineering, contracting — verify requirements with the Georgia Secretary of State’s professional licensing division at sos.ga.gov/professional-licensing. Get the state license first.
Business Resources in Alpharetta
Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce: Networking, advocacy, and business development resources for the North Fulton corridor, including Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, and Milton.
Alpharetta Technology Commission: City-backed initiative supporting the growth of Alpharetta’s tech ecosystem — relevant for software companies, fintech, cybersecurity, and IT services firms.
Connected Alpharetta (connectedalpharetta.com): The city’s economic development portal. Tax information, incentive programs, site selection resources, and business registration guidance.
SCORE Atlanta: Free mentoring from experienced business owners and executives. Covers the full metro area including Alpharetta.
Georgia SBDC at Kennesaw State University: Free business consulting, business plan review, and workshops through the Small Business Development Center at KSU’s Marietta campus.
Alpharetta Innovation Center: Coworking and incubator space for early-stage businesses — networking and shared resources in the heart of Alpharetta’s tech corridor.
Quick Reference
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Certificate name | Occupational Tax Certificate |
| Contact | City of Alpharetta, (678) 297-6086 |
| Application source | alpharetta.ga.us or in person |
| Required on | First day of business |
| Admin fee | $75.00 (non-prorated, mandatory) |
| Tax method | Base rate + employee rate (by headcount) |
| Proration | July 1–Dec 31 filings: base + employee rate prorated. Admin fee full. |
| Professional option | $400 flat per licensed practitioner + $75 admin fee |
| Payment accepted | Cash, check, AmEx/MasterCard/Visa |
| Home-based | Separate form + HOA compliance acknowledgment required |
| E-Verify signer | Owner or employee only — not outside accountant |
| Certificate term | Calendar year |
| Late penalty | Applies to missed renewal deadline |