LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeBusiness and Professions CodeDiv. 7Pt. 1Ch. 2§ 16100 County Business Licensing Authority

§ 16100 County Business Licensing Authority

Business and Professions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 16100 County Business Licensing Authority

Key Takeaways

  • •The county can make rules for businesses and charge them a fee to operate.
  • •Nonprofit groups and religious leaders don’t have to pay the fee if they’re tax-exempt.
  • •If you want a business license as a contractor, the county must check that you’re officially licensed by the state first.

Example

A local church wants to sell food at a fair to raise money.

The church doesn’t have to pay a business license fee because it’s a nonprofit and tax-exempt.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 16100 County Business Licensing Authority

(a) The board of supervisors may in the exercise of its police powers, and for the purpose of regulation, as herein provided, and not otherwise, license any kind of business not prohibited by law, transacted and carried on within the limits of its jurisdiction, including all shows, exhibitions, and lawful games, and may fix the rate of the license fee and provide for its collection by suit or otherwise. (b) No license fee levied pursuant to subdivision (a) that is measured by the licensee’s income or gross receipts, whether levied by a charter or general law county, shall apply to any nonprofit organization that is exempted from taxes by Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 23701) of Part 11 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or Subchapter F (commencing with Section 501) of Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the successor of either, or to any minister, clergyman, Christian Science practitioner, rabbi, or priest of any religious organization that has been granted an exemption from federal income tax by the United States Commissioner of Internal Revenue as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a successor to that section. (c) Before a county issues a business license to a person to conduct business as a contractor, as defined by Section 7026, the county shall verify that the person is licensed by the Contractors State License Board. (Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 312, Sec. 96. (SB 1474) Effective January 1, 2021.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

regulationcommissioncontractlicensefineinternal revenue codeorganizationtaxation code

Related Statutes

  • § 16000 City Business Licensing Authority
  • § 18888.2 Mma Fighter Retirement Fund
  • § 19878 Prohibited Transactions With Unlicensed Persons
  • § 4202 Pharmacy Technician Licensing Requirements
  • § 5116.2 Licensee Violation Penalties

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Business and Professions Code. Section 16100.
View Official Source