Since Oct. 1, every new Fort Lauderdale business needs a $238.50 Certificate of Use before its business tax receipt. Who is exempt, what triggers one and how to apply.

Anyone opening a business in Fort Lauderdale now needs a new city permit before they can get a business tax receipt. The Certificate of Use program started Oct. 1 and costs $238.50 to apply.

Updated Oct. 23: the city’s application checklist is now readable, and what it asks for is below. The city still does not publish a processing time.

The certificate confirms that a business can operate at a specific location and meets city requirements, according to the city’s announcement. The business tax receipt is the city’s annual license to do business.

Who needs one

Every new business must get a Certificate of Use before it applies for a business tax receipt, the city’s Certificate of Use page says.

An existing business also needs one if it:

  • changes ownership
  • moves to a new location
  • substantially changes how it operates
  • changes or expands its building space
  • has a code violation

Who is exempt

Businesses already open are mostly left alone. The city exempts:

  • businesses with a valid business tax receipt issued before Oct. 1, 2026
  • businesses that applied for a receipt before Oct. 1, 2026, and whose application was found complete

Either exemption ends if one of the triggers above applies, such as a sale or a move.

How to apply

Applications go through the city’s LauderBuild online portal. The fee is $238.50.

The city says the documents needed can vary by business type. Its list includes:

  • a site plan or legal survey of the property
  • floor plans showing seating, dining and lobby areas, where they apply
  • a letter of intent for the certificate
  • a letter of approval from the property owner, or a signed lease, where it applies

Each application goes through a completeness review and a technical review. The city’s zoning administrator then makes a determination before the certificate is issued. The city does not publish a processing time.

What the checklist asks for

The city’s application submittal checklist says the applicant must be the property owner, or the business owner with the property owner’s approval, or an agent with an authorization letter. Every application needs:

  • the name and address of the business owner and of the property owner
  • the business location, use and a description
  • proof of ownership or the property owner’s approval, such as a deed, lease or letter
  • a floor plan and a site plan or parcel layout showing parking
  • the current business tax receipt, if the business is relocating

Some uses need more. A home-based business must be owned by the homeowner, and no more than two employees may live outside the home. A restaurant with outdoor dining must give its tables and seats and confirm it has a dumpster enclosure with a drain. The checklist also asks, where available, for opening hours, staff numbers, square footage and parking spaces.

A certificate confirms only that the use is allowed on the property, the checklist says. It does not cover construction, signs or other work that needs separate permits, and it does not replace county, state or federal licenses.

What it means for you

  • Opening a business: budget the $238.50 fee and the review time before you apply for the business tax receipt. Check the zoning of the address first with the city’s GIS Property Reporter.
  • Buying or moving a business: a sale or a move now needs a Certificate of Use, even if the business has had a receipt for years.
  • Already open and not changing anything: you do not need one.
  • Questions: the Development Services Department’s Urban Design and Planning Division answers at 954-828-4295 or 954-828-6721. The city also posted a prerecorded webinar on the program.

Our pages on building permits and zoning and new businesses in Fort Lauderdale cover the rest of the process.