Start a Business in Salt Lake City
EIN, Utah LLC registration, Salt Lake City business license, DBA, sales tax, and permits, the practical checklist for launching on the Wasatch Front.
Not legal advice. Fees and requirements change. Verify current rules with Utah Division of Corporations, the Salt Lake City Finance Department, and a qualified attorney or CPA before filing.
Free startup checklist
- Choose a business structure (sole prop, LLC, or corporation)
- Register your business name and file with Utah
- Obtain an EIN from the IRS (free)
- Apply for a Salt Lake City business license
- Register for Utah sales tax if you sell taxable goods or services
- File a DBA if operating under a trade name
- Check zoning and industry-specific permits
- Open a dedicated business bank account
- Get business insurance appropriate to your industry
- Launch an agent-ready website customers and AI systems can find
1. Choose your business structure
Most small businesses on the Wasatch Front start as a sole proprietorship (simplest, no state filing) or a Utah LLC (liability protection, flexible taxes). LLCs are the most common choice for restaurants, contractors, retail, and professional services in Salt Lake City.
Corporations make sense when you're raising outside investment or planning complex equity structures. When in doubt, talk to a CPA before filing.
2. Register a Utah LLC
File a Certificate of Organization with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. You'll need:
- A unique business name (check availability on the Utah business search)
- A registered agent with a Utah street address
- Principal office address
State filing fees are typically in the low hundreds of dollars and change periodically. Utah also requires an annual renewal report.
3. Get an EIN
An Employer Identification Number from the IRS is free and takes minutes online. You need one to open a business bank account, hire employees, and file most business tax returns, even if you're a single-member LLC.
4. Salt Lake City business license
Businesses operating within Salt Lake City limits need a municipal business license through the Salt Lake City Finance Department. Requirements vary by business type, home-based businesses, food service, and contractors each have different rules.
If you're in Provo, Ogden, Park City, St. George, or Tooele, apply with that city's business licensing office instead. Unincorporated Salt Lake County has its own process.
5. DBA (doing business as)
If your public-facing name differs from your legal entity name, file a DBA (assumed name) with Utah. Example: your LLC is "J. Smith Holdings LLC" but customers know you as "Smith's Coffee."
6. Utah sales tax
If you sell taxable products or certain services, register with the Utah State Tax Commission for a sales tax license. Combined state and local rates in Salt Lake City are among the highest in Utah, factor this into pricing from day one.
7. Permits and zoning
Restaurants, bars, tattoo shops, childcare, and home-based businesses often need additional permits. Check Salt Lake City's zoning map before signing a lease, some residential zones restrict commercial activity.
8. Launch a website that works in 2026
Once the legal foundation is in place, customers need to find you. A modern small business website should be mobile-first, ADA WCAG 2.1 AA compliant, and agent-ready, with LLMs.txt, schema markup, and structured data so Google AI Mode and other discovery tools can cite your business accurately.
VIBE89 builds custom sites for Wasatch Front businesses starting at $789, with everything included: copywriting, SEO, agent-ready architecture, and free Cloudflare hosting for static sites.
What's next
Book a free 30-minute discovery call when you're ready for a website. We'll talk through your business, recommend the right build tier, and give you a clear quote, no pitch, no pressure.