Business Licenses

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Blacksburg has more than 1,000 businesses. The Town of Blacksburg strives to assist businesses by providing quality services and a customer friendly environment. Businesses are assessed an annual Professional and Occupational License, (BPOL), tax based on annual gross receipts. Business licenses can be obtained in three to five business days.

Aside from issuing business licenses, the town does not regulate businesses nor intervene in consumer disputes. Consumer complaints are handled by the Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs, 1-800-552-9963, or the Better Business Bureau, 1-800-533-5501. For Blacksburg business license information contact the Finance Department at 540-443-1050. Businesses interested in bid and request for proposal listings should visit the purchasing section of the site for these resources and links to other useful sites.

New Businesses: When you apply for a business license bring an estimate of your gross receipts for the current year to the Department of Financial Services. You will also need a Certificate of Occupancy, or if your business is located in your home, a Home Occupation Permit. These can be obtained from the Planning and Building Department, 540-443-1300, at no charge.

Existing Businesses: Filing and payment deadline is March 1, (or the next business day if March 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday), on the previous year's gross receipts.

Finance Department
300 South Main Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-443-1050
businesslicensegroup@blacksburg.gov

For the fee schedule, please see our Tax Rates page

Solicitors, Itinerant Merchants and Peddlers

Door to door solicitors in the Town of Blacksburg must be registered with the Finance Department. Solicitor's permits are issued only upon the applicant passing a police background check. Solicitors not bearing a solicitor's permit with a photo attached should be reported to the Police Department at 540-961-1150. Please see Town code Chapter 19 for more information.

Food Truck/Mobile Food Vendor

Mobile food vendors or food trucks are allowed in some zoning districts on a temporary basis according to the parameters of the code, which can be found here. You will also need to coordinate with the Montgomery County Health Department to operate a food truck.

To apply to operate a food truck in the Town, use our online application portal OpenGov.

Food Truck Application

If this is your first time using OpenGov for an application, you can use these Help Guides to learn how to:

You can use the same OpenGov account for all your community development applications with Town including building permits, zoning permits, and development applications.

If you have any questions, call the Planning Division at 540-443-1300 for assistance.

Tax Information

In addition to the OpenGov online application, you will also need to complete the associated tax forms for the payment of meals taxes. These forms are found below:

Meals Tax Guidelines (PDF)
Meals Tax Registration Form (PDF)
Meals Tax Form (PDF)

If you have questions about taxes or business licenses, please contact the Finance Department at 540-443-1050 or email MLTax@blacksburg.gov.