Name and Register a Business in California
Official California business links and the industries with the most locations in the state.
Official California business registration links
- Permits and licenses
- Secretary of State
- Franchise Tax Board
- Employment Development Department
- California state website
- Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development
- California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation
- Board of Equalization
- Department of Industrial Relations
- New Hire Registry
- Small Business Administration - California
- State Agency Index
- California Code of Regulations
- Department of General Services
- Small Business Assistance Center
- Department of General Services - Procurement Division
- County websites
Official state agency links as listed by the IRS on its California state links page. Filing fees and steps change, so confirm current requirements with the agency before you file.
Industries with the most locations in California
- Limited-Service Restaurants (34,075)
- Full-Service Restaurants (31,374)
- Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (28,447)
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (23,362)
- Offices of Lawyers (22,763)
- Offices of Dentists (22,642)
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (18,678)
- Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (16,628)
- Residential Remodelers (16,504)
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (14,205)
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (12,600)
- Religious Organizations (12,362)
- Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (11,334)
- Custom Computer Programming Services (11,059)
- Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (9,949)
- Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (9,913)
- General Automotive Repair (9,705)
- Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses (9,522)
- General Freight Trucking, Local (9,427)
- Residential Property Managers (9,362)
- Landscaping Services (9,325)
- Child Day Care Services (9,301)
- Marketing Consulting Services (9,224)
- Engineering Services (8,886)
- Beauty Salons (8,400)
- Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores (8,033)
- Computer Systems Design Services (7,853)
- Offices of Certified Public Accountants (7,576)
- Commercial Banking (7,259)
- New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (7,130)
- Motion Picture and Video Production (7,114)
- General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (6,938)
- Janitorial Services (6,727)
- Nail Salons (6,716)
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (6,702)
- Other Accounting Services (6,266)
- Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (6,033)
- Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (5,791)
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (5,240)
- Home Health Care Services (5,118)
- Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (5,061)
- Office Administrative Services (5,011)
- Painting and Wall Covering Contractors (4,864)
- Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses) (4,858)
- Other Individual and Family Services (4,672)
- Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (4,520)
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (4,505)
- Portfolio Management (4,440)
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores (4,372)
- Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (4,334)
- Pharmacies and Drug Stores (4,328)
- Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices (4,256)
- Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners (4,254)
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (4,225)
- Offices of Chiropractors (4,222)
- Temporary Help Services (4,104)
- Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance (4,058)
- Other Activities Related to Real Estate (4,038)
- Tax Preparation Services (3,991)
- Software Publishers (3,767)
Location counts: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
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