Business License to Sell Insurance?

EB34

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I've got a question for all the veteran independents on here. My buddy who works for the city of Atlanta told me that in order to sell life insurance, I need to have a business license from the city to do so. I researched this, and sure enough, they state this on their website but are very unclear as to how the business license tax is computed. I'm licensed for life and health in the state of Georgia, and this is news to me. Upon further research, I discovered that legally, I must have a business license for each and every city and county I intend to sell insurance. This is completely impractical. I pay my taxes to the fed and state every year, but if I had a business license for every county and city I sold in, I wouldn't have time to sell as I would be filing papers all day. Any thoughts?
 
Are you going to have a business location in every city in your state?

If your office is in your home (and you do NOT have clients coming to your home for appointments), then no business license is necessary.

If your office is in your home AND you plan to have client meetings in your home, you MAY need a business license.

If your office is outside your home, you may need a business license for that particular city.

If you need a city solicitors permit (to door knock residential areas), you'll need a business license for each city you want a solicitors permit for.

Clear as mud?
 
I think a city solicitors permit is to what he was referring. However, I make insurance appointments all over the state. It just doesn't seem practical to have that many business licenses. How enforceable are these local ordinances anyway?
 
Are you going to door-knock in multiple cities? Then you would need the appropriate licenses & permits.

If you are going to people's homes that you called on the phone, or asked you to come by... then you don't need it.
 
I think the only ones that can answer those questions are people who have experience selling in GA. Every state is different. In Tennessee, a business license or solicitors license is not required. Supposedly the state license is all sufficient.
 
I think this is a city ordinance. I've doorknocked many times, but now that I know this, I will stick to preset appointments I guess. However, unless a city official catches you in the act, what can they do?
 
Most door-knocking solicitors DON'T have a permit. As long as you are respectful (and leave the property if/when asked), you shouldn't have any problems.

But, if a squad car is called, you may be cited... or you may be arrested depending on the city &/or the cop.
 
Good point. On most of these city business licenses, they want you to report back the following year with papers showing the amount of income generated in a particular city or county. This is impractical and most likely illegal (HIPPA laws would prohibit disclosure of clients information to a city official).
 
No Hippa problems, they don't want to know who your clients are, they just want their cut of their income.

Okay, this question can really only be answered by your local municipality, since every place is different. I'll give you the answer for my town, not that it really matters.

Doesn't matter if you work out of your home or not, independent agents need a business license (captives do not, don't ask me to explain).

If you work out of your home, and use this as your physical business address (PO box doesn't get you off the hook here), whether or not you see clients in the home office, you need a home occupation permit. Its a one time fee, but its just a way to get money from you.

If you live on the other side of the "Welcome to My Town" sign, you don't need to do anything, state license is sufficient.

Call the local city business office. They will tell you what you need to do. I like having my business license, not sure why, but it feels more legit for some strange reason.

Dan
 
I owned a landscape company in Dekalb county for years and paid the county for a license. I lived in unincorporated Dekalb county Not sure if this helps. I ran that company out of a home office. I am certain that when I researched it that it was only needed for the county that I lived in. It was not a big expense.
 
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