Chesterfield County Business License: $10 Fee and a $550,000 Deduction for 2026
Chesterfield County does not use a license cutoff at $500,000. It uses a deduction. For the 2026 license year, a business with less than $10,000 in gross receipts owes no license fee on the county's table. A business with $10,000 to $549,999.99 pays a flat $10 fee per classification. A business with $550,000 or more pays tax on its receipts above a $550,000 exclusion, with a $10 minimum tax.
This guide covers the chesterfield county va business license fee, the 2026 chesterfield county va business tax rates, deadlines for chesterfield va business license renewal, and how to apply. This is informational content, not legal or tax advice. For complex situations, such as multiple locations, several classifications or a manufacturing operation, talk with the Commissioner of the Revenue, a CPA or an attorney before you file.
Start with the state: the SCC forms your entity
Virginia has no general statewide business license. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) forms entities and issues no business license. Your county license comes second, so register your entity first. Here are the state costs you will see:
- Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) for an LLC: $100
- Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC619) for a corporation: $75
- Annual registration fee for a Virginia LLC: $50, with no annual report
- Assumed name (DBA) certificate, filed with the SCC: $10
- Name reservation: $10 for 120 days
File online through the SCC Clerk's Information System at cis.scc.virginia.gov. General SCC business information is at scc.virginia.gov/businesses. A DBA is filed with the SCC, not the circuit court.
What BPOL is and who owes it
The Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) is a local license tax under Va. Code 58.1-3700 et seq. Each locality sets its own rates and filing deadlines. Chesterfield's figures do not apply in any other Virginia locality, and not every locality levies a general license. Va. Code 58.1-3704 lets a locality levy none. Chesterfield's table says that a business with a Chesterfield location needs a license.
Some businesses assume an exemption that does not exist. Manufacturers are a common example. Va. Code 58.1-3703(C) exempts only a manufacturer selling at wholesale at the place of manufacture. A manufacturer's other receipts are licensable, so do not assume a plant owes nothing.
If your business is very small, the table sets no fee for gross receipts under $10,000. The county still says a business with a Chesterfield location needs a license, so ask the Commissioner how to register before you assume you are exempt.
How the 2026 deduction works
| 2026 gross receipts | License fee |
|---|---|
| Under $10,000 | No fee on the county table. Ask the Commissioner how to register. |
| $10,000 to $549,999.99 | Flat $10 per classification |
| $550,000 and over | Rate times (receipts minus $550,000), with a $10 minimum tax |
Three worked examples show how this works:
- Professional services with $800,000 in receipts: ($800,000 minus $550,000) is $250,000. At 0.20 percent, the tax is $500. It is not $0.
- Retail with $750,000 in receipts: ($750,000 minus $550,000) is $200,000. At 0.19 percent, the tax is about $380.
- Any business with $400,000 in receipts: the fee is $10.
The 2026 form includes a line for reconciling 2025 receipts, and that line still shows the older $500,000 figure. Your 2026 calculation uses $550,000. If you are unsure how the 2025 line applies to you, ask the Commissioner's office before you file.
2026 rates per $100 of gross receipts
Your classification determines your rate, and the classification matters more than most owners expect. Confirm the right class with the Commissioner before you file.
| Classification | Rate per $100 |
|---|---|
| Professional, financial, real estate, personal and business service, commission merchant, merchandise broker (on gross profit), amusement machine operator, repair service | 0.20 |
| Retail merchant, direct seller (retail), vending machine placer, amusement or admissions | 0.19 |
| Contractor | 0.14 |
| Computer service | 0.03 |
| Utility | 0.50 |
| Wholesale merchant (0.10 on purchases, maximum tax $20,000) | 0.10 |
| Direct seller (wholesale) | 0.05 |
The county's table also lists flat fees for specific classifications:
- Beer and wine: $20
- Mixed beverage: $200 for 1 to 100 units, $350 for 101 to 150, $500 for more than 150
- Fortune teller: $300
- Night club owner: $100
- Itinerant merchant: $50 for edible perishables, $250 for goods
- Peddler: $25 for up to 30 minutes in one place, $250 for up to 8 hours
- Vendor event: $25
Deadlines for new and renewing businesses
Deadlines are set by the locality, so use Chesterfield's dates, not a state calendar.
- New businesses: register and pay within 30 days of starting. A late penalty of up to 10 percent, plus interest, applies to late filings.
- Renewals: file between January 1 and March 1. The 2026 forms said March 2 because March 1 fell on a Sunday. The county counts the USPS postmark date. A meter stamp from a private mailing system, such as a Pitney Bowes meter, does not count as the postmark.
- Late filing penalty: 10 percent of the tax, with a $2 minimum.
- Interest: 10 percent a year, accruing monthly from April 1.
Mail a renewal early enough that the USPS postmark falls on or before March 1 (or the deadline printed on your current form). If you are close to the line, use the Citizen Portal instead.
How to apply and where to get help
You have two ways to file:
- Online: use the Citizen Portal for new applications, renewals and payments at chesterfield.virginiainteractive.org. You can reach it from the county's business license page on chesterfield.gov.
- By mail: send your completed application and Business License Classification Affidavit to P.O. Box 124, Chesterfield, VA 23832. Make your check payable to Treasurer, Chesterfield County.
Questions go to the Commissioner of the Revenue, 9901 Lori Road, Building 38, Room 165, 804-748-1281. Zoning confirmation is your responsibility. For home occupations, call Planning at 804-748-1050 before you apply.
Contractors
Contractors attach a workers' compensation certification and either a DPOR license or the county's Contractor Affidavit. You also list subcontractors and any deductions for work done in other localities. Virginia contractor license classes changed on July 1, 2025: Class C covers over $1,000 to under $30,000, Class B covers $30,000 to under $150,000, and Class A covers $150,000 or more. Confirm your class with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
Businesses that need separate county permits
Massage businesses and vape shops need separate county permits. A BPOL license does not replace them.
Other county taxes to plan for
The business license is only one of several county obligations. The business personal property return is due March 1, with an extension to May 1, and the tax is due June 5. The county page lists these rates:
- Computer equipment and furniture and fixtures: $3.25 per $100 (confirm with the Commissioner)
- Machinery and tools: $1.00
- Data centers: $0.24
- Transient occupancy: 8 percent
- Equipment rental: 1.5 percent for heavy equipment, 1 percent for regular equipment
The equipment rental tax applies to renting equipment. It does not apply to short-term home rentals such as Airbnb. Chesterfield's list of excise taxes shows only transient occupancy and equipment rental. The county lists no meals tax, so do not register for one.
Sales tax in the Central Virginia regional group is 6.0 percent. To register for a sales tax permit, go to tax.virginia.gov/sales-and-use-tax, which is maintained by Virginia Tax.
Incentives to ask about
Chesterfield has Technology Zone and manufacturer incentives. This guide does not list their terms, so ask Chesterfield Economic Development directly before you assume you qualify.
Your 2026 checklist
- Register your entity with the SCC, and file any DBA.
- Estimate gross receipts for the year, and identify which band you fall into.
- Confirm your classification and rate with the Commissioner of the Revenue.
- Confirm zoning, and check whether you need a separate county permit.
- File within 30 days of opening, or by March 1 for renewals, and keep the postmark or portal receipt.
- Calendar the June 5 business personal property payment and the March 1 return.
This is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Verify all figures with the Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue before you file, and consult a qualified CPA or attorney for complex situations.