My plan

Starting a business in Goodyear, Arizona

Goodyear requires a $75-a-year business registration permit (January–December) for businesses that aren't on its exemption list; home occupations that never serve customers are exempt. Taxable businesses also register for Goodyear's 2.5% city sales tax through their ADOR TPT license. Food businesses are permitted by Maricopa County.

Every item checked November 5, 2026 against the linked official source. Fees are shown only where an official source documents them, and they’re paid directly to the agency listed — FirstBizGuide isn’t a government agency and doesn’t charge fees or file applications. Not legal advice.

About your business (choose all that apply)

  • Register your business

    • Articles of Organization for an LLC: $50 regular or $85 expedited. Reserving a name first is optional ($10, or $45 expedited). Unless your statutory agent's street address is in Maricopa or Pima County, a notice of the filing must be published in a newspaper after approval. [source]

      • LLC Articles of Organization (regular): $50 [source]

      Agency: Arizona Corporation Commission

    • Optional. It records a business name publicly but does not give exclusive rights to it. Lasts 5 years; renew within the 6 months before it expires. [source]

      Agency: Arizona Secretary of State

    • The IRS issues EINs free. Sites that charge for this are third parties. [source]

      Agency: Internal Revenue Service

  • State and city tax licenses

    • Apply on AZTaxes.gov; the license number is issued the same day and the certificate is mailed in about 7–10 business days. Your city's tax license is handled through the same ADOR application. Exempt handymen generally don't need one. [source]

      Agency: Arizona Department of Revenue

    • Goodyear's Transaction Privilege (Sales) Tax is in addition to state and county tax; taxable businesses must register with the City of Goodyear and be licensed by the State of Arizona (apply through ADOR). City rates on the Goodyear page: 2.5% general rate (most retail; 8.8% combined), 2.0% food for home consumption, 1.2% on the entire single item over $5,000, 3.5% construction contracting (excluding remediation), 2.5% real property rentals including commercial, an additional 2.5% transient lodging tax for stays under 30 consecutive days, and 4% restaurants and bars (10.3% combined). [source]

      Agency: Arizona Department of Revenue / City of Goodyear

  • If you hire employees

    • Also required: workers' compensation insurance (paid entirely by the employer), reporting each new or rehired employee within 20 days, and E-Verify for all new employees. [source]

      Agency: ADOR and Arizona DES

  • Industry licenses

    • Generally required for construction work of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, or whenever a building permit is needed. Work under the exemption must be advertised as "not a licensed contractor." Lawn, garden, shrub and tree maintenance only is exempt. [source]

      Agency: Arizona Registrar of Contractors

  • Food businesses

    • Created by HB 2371 (2018): valid statewide, a separate license for each unit, renewed yearly; employees need food handler cards. Confirm current statute text, which may have been amended. [source]

      Agency: County health department

    • Apply through the county's online Permit Center; new construction or remodels need plan review (layout, equipment, plumbing) and a construction/remodel inspection scheduled through the Permit Center. Maricopa County adopted new environmental health fees (case ES-2025-004, approved by the Board of Supervisors August 19, 2026; new-application fees apply immediately, renewals at next renewal). Under the adopted Chapter 1 schedule (Rev 08/19/2026): plan review $728 for an eating & drinking establishment with 0–9 seats, $885 for 10+ seats, $919 for all other food establishments. Annual operating permits depend on seating and risk class: 0–9 seats $373 (Class 2), $393 (Class 3), $539 (Class 4), $514 (Class 5); 10+ seats $400, $556, $1,015 and $808. [source] [source] [source]

      • Maricopa plan review — eating & drinking, 0–9 seats: $728 [source]
      • Maricopa annual permit — eating & drinking, 0–9 seats, Class 4: $539 per year [source]

      Agency: Maricopa County Environmental Services

    • Maricopa County annual mobile food permits (adopted Chapter 1 schedule, Rev 08/19/2026; ES-2025-004 approved August 19, 2026): Type I $290, Type II $341, Type III $610. Plan review: $306 for Type II; $300 listed for mobile food establishments. Apply through the county Permit Center. Units that already hold a State of Arizona mobile food permit apply in the county where their commissary is located with a menu, commissary agreement, toilet use agreement, unit photos, a route sheet or operating location and the permit fee, and need no county plan review. Goodyear's business license chapter excludes peddlers (City Code Ch. 8-1) and special events from the general business license; city mobile food licensing and operating-location rules were not verified (contact [email protected]). [source] [source] [source] [source]

      • Maricopa mobile food Type III annual permit: $610 per year [source]
      • Maricopa mobile food establishment plan review: $300 [source]

      Agency: Maricopa County Environmental Services and City of Goodyear

  • City licenses

    • Goodyear's business license code (City Code Chapter 8-7) was rewritten by Ordinance 24-1608 (passed May 20, 2024; effective June 21, 2024). Businesses not on the City Code 8-7-5 exemption list need a business registration permit. Exempt: casual activities or sales (isolated transactions, such as selling a personal item, or a garage-sale-type event of 14 days or less a year); home occupations that never serve customers, clients or patrons; government; places of worship; 501(c) nonprofits; public schools; students fundraising for school activities; employees of a licensed or exempt business; independent contractors/sales representatives selling only for a parent organization; individual lessons or tutoring from a residence; real estate licensees whose brokerage is licensed; caregiving, childcare or babysitting not requiring state licensing under A.R.S. Title 36; special event vendors, workers and promoters; residential landlords exempt under A.R.S. § 9-1304; businesses owing state tax only because they exceed the A.R.S. § 42-5043 threshold; captive insurers; city franchise or telecommunications license holders; and anyone exempted by state law. The FAQ states: "The annual fee for a new business registration permit or renewal is $75.00." Permits run January 1 through December 31; renewal invoices go out in early December and are due by December 31; late fees apply after the due date. Apply online, then pay the emailed invoice online (2.65% convenience fee) or by mail to Business Registration, 1900 N Civic Square, Goodyear, AZ 85395. Permits can't be transferred to a new owner. The Finance Department routes applications to other departments, including Community Development and Fire, and issues permits within 30 days of a complete application; a permit doesn't legalize a zoning or other violation. Questions: [email protected]. [source] [source] [source] [source] [source]

      • Goodyear business registration permit (new or renewal): $75 per year [source]

      Agency: City of Goodyear Finance Department (Business Registration)

    • Goodyear's business license chapter excludes peddlers (City Code Ch. 8-1), special events and park and swap operations (Ch. 8-3), which are regulated separately. Events may need a Special Event Permit from the City Clerk's Office. Liquor licenses are issued by the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control; applications are forwarded to the City Clerk for Council action, and businesses pay the City a $635.00 administration fee and renew annually with a $100.00 renewal fee due each January. [source] [source]

      Agency: City of Goodyear City Clerk's Office

  • Zoning and home businesses

    • City Code 8-7-5 exempts home occupations that never serve customers, clients or patrons; a home occupation that receives clients needs the $75 business registration permit. Individual lessons or tutoring from a residence are separately exempt. Under City Code 8-7-1 a home occupation is a business in a residential zoning district that doesn't interfere with the peace, quiet and dignity of neighbors and: is incidental and subordinate to the residence; has no nonresident employees working on site; has no commercial storage; isn't used for long-term parking of nonresident or client vehicles; keeps client parking on the property or directly in front of it; has no outside sign or exterior indication of business use; receives patrons or clients only 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; and creates no offensive noise, vibration, smoke, dust, odors, heat or other nuisance beyond the property lines. The definition excludes on-site exchange of sold or bartered goods (other than casual sales), on-site commercial vehicle repair, commercial warehousing or storage, lodging uses, and manufacturing with hazardous materials. [source] [source]

      Agency: City of Goodyear Finance Department

Not yet verified for Goodyear: ADOR's Goodyear city profile (city code GY) license and renewal fee — the ADOR profile page could not be opened this session; Whether businesses located outside Goodyear that work in the city need the Goodyear permit (the exemption list does not say); Amount of the Goodyear late renewal fee; Goodyear mobile food vendor / food truck city license, fees and operating-location rules (City Code Ch. 8-1 peddlers not reviewed); Peddler, park and swap and special event permit fees; Goodyear zoning ordinance home occupation rules beyond the City Code 8-7-1 definition, and any home occupation zoning permit; Building permit, certificate of occupancy and fire inspection requirements and fees for commercial spaces; The Goodyear sales tax page was last updated 12/31/2024; confirm current rates with ADOR.
See progress in My plan

Sources