Registering a handmade shop in California, in order

The registrations a California handmade seller may need

A California sole proprietor selling handmade goods may need up to three registrations: a fictitious business name, a seller's permit, and a local business license. None of them requires an LLC.

Which ones apply depends on how you trade. A seller using their own name, selling only through a registered marketplace, might need only the local license, or nothing at all. A seller with a brand name, a craft fair calendar and a home studio may need all three.

This guide takes them in the order that avoids rework. The name comes first because it has to match on everything after it. The business license is the one piece that is purely local, issued by the city or the county depending on where you live.

California's small business office says most local governments require a business license, issued by the city in an incorporated area or by the county in an unincorporated one. — California Office of the Small Business Advocate, retrieved 2026-09-27

Register the shop name as a fictitious business name

If your shop trades under a name that is not your own legal name, file a fictitious business name statement with your county clerk within 40 days of starting to sell.

A shop called Harbor Thread, run by someone named Dana Lee, is trading under a fictitious name. A shop called Dana Lee Ceramics generally is not, because it includes the owner's surname. When in doubt, the county clerk's office will tell you whether your name needs a filing.

After filing, California requires you to publish the statement in a newspaper of general circulation in that county within 45 days. Many local papers handle these notices routinely. The filing does not last forever: it expires five years after it was filed, so put the renewal in your calendar now. Fees are set by each county.

40 daysCalifornia requires a fictitious business name statement to be filed no later than 40 days after the registrant starts transacting business. — California Business and Professions Code section 17910, retrieved 2026-09-27

45 daysWithin 45 days after filing, the registrant must publish the statement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where it was filed. — California Business and Professions Code section 17917, retrieved 2026-09-27

5 yearsA California fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed with the county clerk. — California Business and Professions Code section 17920, retrieved 2026-09-27

Decide whether you need a seller's permit at all

You need a California seller's permit only for retail sales that a registered marketplace facilitator does not handle, such as craft fairs, your own website, or sales in person.

Start by listing every channel. If all of your sales go through a marketplace registered as a facilitator, California does not require you to hold a permit. If even one channel sits outside it, you need one. The detail is on the marketplace facilitator page.

The permit itself is free. CDTFA may ask for a security deposit depending on your business and expected sales, and it will set a filing schedule for your returns when it approves you.

CDTFA says you are not required to hold a seller's permit if all of your retail sales of merchandise will be facilitated by a marketplace facilitator. — California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, retrieved 2026-09-27

$0There is no charge for a California seller's permit, though CDTFA may require a security deposit. — California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, retrieved 2026-09-27

Temporary permits for a single craft fair or pop-up

A seller doing a one-off event, selling at one location for less than 90 days, can use a temporary seller's permit instead of a regular one.

The temporary permit fits the maker who does a single holiday market or a weekend pop-up and otherwise sells only through a marketplace. It is not built for a busy fair season. Once you sell at three or more events in a 12-month period, CDTFA expects you to hold a regular seller's permit.

Event operators in California collect information from the sellers at their events, so expect to be asked for your permit details when you book a booth. Having them ready saves a scramble on setup day.

90 daysCDTFA says a seller at a location for less than 90 days is a temporary seller and must hold a temporary seller's permit. — California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, retrieved 2026-09-27

CDTFA says sellers at swap meets, flea markets and special events must provide specific information to the operator of the event on Form CDTFA-410-D. — California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, retrieved 2026-09-27

The local business license and working from home

Check with your city, or your county if you live outside city limits, whether a business license is required, and ask the planning department whether home-based making is allowed where you live.

Local rules vary widely. Some cities license every home business, some exempt very small ones, and some care mainly about customer traffic, signs or deliveries. A candle maker who ships everything out has a different footprint from a potter selling from the driveway.

California's small business office points home-based sellers to the local planning department for exactly this. It takes one phone call or one visit to the city's website, and it is much easier than fixing a zoning complaint later.

California's small business office advises checking with the local planning department that business activities are permitted, whether the business is home-based or in commercial space. — California Office of the Small Business Advocate, retrieved 2026-09-27

An EIN is optional for a solo seller but free to get

A sole proprietor with no employees is not required to have an EIN, but getting one is free, takes minutes, and keeps your Social Security number off supplier and wholesale paperwork.

The IRS issues an EIN online at no charge, usually immediately. Sites that charge a fee for one are selling you something the IRS gives away. Apply directly, finish in one sitting, and save the confirmation.

If you later form an LLC, you will generally want an EIN for it anyway, since banks and state tax agencies expect one. The full sequence, including when an LLC enters it, is in the setup guide.

$0The IRS says you never have to pay a fee for an EIN and that approved online applications receive the EIN immediately. — Internal Revenue Service, retrieved 2026-09-27

Put every renewal and return date on one calendar

Once registered, the work is remembering dates: seller's permit returns on CDTFA's schedule, the fictitious name renewal at five years, and any local license renewal.

These are separate agencies with separate clocks, and none of them will remind you about the others. A single calendar with every date on it is the simplest control a small shop can have.

None of these registrations require or imply an LLC. If you are considering one, read whether you need an LLC yet before adding its annual tax and filings to the same calendar, and see the cost breakdown for what each registration costs.

5 yearsA fictitious business name statement in California expires five years from its filing date with the county clerk. — California Business and Professions Code section 17920, retrieved 2026-09-27

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