• Businesses that only deliver goods purchased outside of the City by common carrier.
• Retail sales at events sponsored by the City or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that occur six (6) days or less and gross five thousand ($5,000) or less yearly within the City.
• Recreation instruction or performance service at events sponsored by the City or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that grosses five thousand ($5,000) or less per calendar year within the City.
• Businesses requiring a regulatory license.

• Nonprofit Businesses are required to register for a business license but do not pay a registration fee.
• Short-Term Rentals (fewer than 30 consecutive days) are required to hold a general business license if they will generate more than $4,000 in Shoreline based revenue annually OR if a listing company requires proof of licensing. Shoreline does not require any additional regulatory licenses for short-term rentals at this time. Short-term rental revenue is subject to the Shoreline B&O Tax. 
• Long-Term Rentals (30 days or more) are exempt from City business licensing.
• Mobile Food Vendors (food trucks) are required to hold a general business license if the business generates more than $4,000 in Shoreline based revenue annually. Food trucks that are an extension of a brick-and-mortar store can be operated under the same license as the brick-and-mortar and do not require separate licensing.
• Home-based Businesses - Please refer to SMC 20.40.400 for requirements on home-based businesses.
• City contractors must be licensed if they will generate more than $4,000 in Shoreline based revenue annually.

• New business license application fees are $40 for the calendar year.
• For applications with a starting date July 1 or later, license fees are prorated to $20 for the remainder of that calendar year.
• All license renewals are $40.
• Nonprofit license application and renewal fees are $0.

You will need your WA UBI-16 before applying for a City of Shoreline Business License.

Please contact the WA Department of Revenue (360-705-6741) to apply for a State license prior to applying for a Shoreline business license. Once you have your 16-digit UBI number, proceed with applying for a City license online or by mail.

Online with FileLocal

Contact FileLocal for technical support:
Phone: 225-215-0052
Toll-free: 877-693-4435
Phone hours: M-F 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Email: FileLocal@avenuinsights.com

By mail: Apply or renew by paper using the respective form.

• Business License Application
• 2026 Business License Renewal Packet
• 2026 Business License Renewal Packet – Nonprofit Only

Contact City of Shoreline with license related questions:
Phone: 206-801-2230
Email: clk@shorelinewa.gov

Business licenses expire December 31 annually. All taxpayers will be required to renew their business licenses by the following January 31 annually through FileLocal, via mail, or in person at City Hall.

Tips for registering and renewing an active license on the FileLocal portal:

• You will need to create a new business account on FileLocal. Please note, FileLocal only allows one account per UBI. If you have multiple Washington State business licenses, you will need to create multiple FileLocal accounts with unique usernames. A single email address is allowed for multiple accounts.
• You will be required to provide your 16-digit Unified Business Number (UBI) to register on FileLocal.
  • If your business is already registered with Washington State, you can look up your 16-digit UBI online through the Washington State Department of Revenue’s Business Lookup here or by calling 360-705-6741.
  • If the Department of Revenue does not list the additional 7-digits (business ID and location ID), please contact the DOR directly for your full WA State license number.
• If you would like assistance navigating the FileLocal system, please call FileLocal directly at: 225-215-0052 or 1-877-693-4435, or email FileLocal@avenuinsights.com.

When applying for a new City business license on FileLocal:

• Once registered, you can select the “Apply for GBL (General Business License)” option.
• Follow the prompts to apply for a new City license.

When renewing an active City business license on FileLocal:

• Once you are registered in FileLocal, you can link your current City business license with your City license/account number. Find your Shoreline license/account number with the Shoreline Licensed Business Directory. For help with your license/account number please email Clk@shorelinewa.gov or call, 206-801-2230.
• Once your account is successfully linked, license renewals take 24 -48 hours to become available to renew in your FileLocal account.
• Once the renewals are available, you will be able to renew your license through the FileLocal portal. 

Please note that applications and renewals may be referred to the Planning & Community Development Department, the Police Department, or other governmental agencies for their review. SMC 5.05.050 establishes that compliance with building, zoning and other laws is the business owner’s responsibility and issuance of a business license is not a guarantee of compliance or a waiver of future enforcement by the City or other agency with jurisdiction.

The following businesses require a regulatory business license and do NOT require a general business license from above:

Adult Cabarets
Adult Panoramas
Pawnbrokers
Public Dances
Regulated Massage Businesses
Secondhand Dealers
Solicitors - Registered Solicitors
Taxis

It is important to note that some activities require criminal background investigations, zoning/land use approval, and review by the Fire Marshal when a license is issued, transferred or renewed.

For more information and to obtain a license for a regulated business, contact the City Clerk's Office by email Clk@shorelinewa.gov or phone, 206-801-2230.

Written notification is required to cancel a business license. Failure to pay the renewal fee does not result in a license closure. Please note, we do not refund license fees once paid. If your business closes mid-year, we will not issue a prorated license fee refund.

Please contact City of Shoreline to cancel your business license using one of the following ways:

Email: BusinessOutreach@shorelinewa.gov. Include your Shoreline business license number or WA UBI, legal name of business, and last date of business in Shoreline. Please backdate accordingly, if needed.
Paper: Fill out the closure section of the Business License Renewal form and mail to City of Shoreline or drop off in the main City Hall lobby: 17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133.

Small Business Specialist
Through a partnership with the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce for outreach support, meetings with hundreds of businesses per year help us to better understand needs, challenges, and opportunities for growth. To meet with the City’s small business specialist, email shorelineoutreach@gmail.com.

Small Business Development Center
The City has contracted with the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) of Washington for the equivalent of a full-time business advisor dedicated to the Shoreline small business and entrepreneur community. An SBDC business advisor typically has about 100 active clients each year and spends an average of 10 hours with each client. To learn more about Washington SBDC and to request a free consultation for your business, email SBDC Shoreline Director Jennifer Shelton at jennifer.shelton@wsbdc.org or visit the SBDC Washington website for more information.

Shoreline Chamber of Commerce
The City of Shoreline is proud to be a member of the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce, an essential partner to the City in supporting our Shoreline business community. The Chamber hosts ribbon-cuttings for new businesses as well as monthly events including breakfast networking events, informative luncheon events, and after-hours networking opportunities. More information about the Chamber is available at www.shorelinechamber.com.