King County issues business licenses for businesses
engaged in a regulated activity within unincorporated King County, meaning the areas
outside the city limits of any city or town. Examples of such regulated activities are
amusement parks and places, amusement devices, bowling alleys, carnivals, go-cart tracks,
skating rinks, video games, pool tables, outdoor and indoor entertainment, dances, adult
entertainment establishments, massage and bathhouse businesses, process servers,
secondhand dealers, pawnshops, charitable organizations, taxicabs and drivers, pet shops,
grooming businesses, and theatres. Therefore, the business you wish to inquire about may
not be licensed by King County.
However, the State of Washington requires that all businesses operating in the State
obtain a State of Washington license. To inquire if a business is licensed by the State,
please call the State Department of Revenue at 1-800-647-7706.
Additionally, any business operating within the city limits of any city in King County
may be required to have a city business license. For businesses operating in Seattle (external link), call (206) 684-8484. For other cities, please consult your telephone directory.
If you have a complaint about a business, you can contact the Better Business Bureau (external) at (206) 431-2222 and also the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington State Attorney General's
Office (external) at (206) 464-6684 or 1-800-551-4636 (external).
