Municipal Code of Chicago § 4-5-010 Establishment of business license fees.
4-5-010 Establishment of business license fees.
This Article I shall establish fees for various licenses created by this title unless otherwise provided. The following fees shall apply for the specified licenses. The chapter in which each fee requirement is created is also provided. Unless otherwise stated, fees shall be assessed every two years. For every license application which includes fingerprinting of the applicant as part of the application process, a fingerprint fee sufficient to cover the cost of processing fingerprints will be assessed in addition to the below fees. The fingerprint fee will be assessed regardless of whether the license applied for is issued or denied. The amount of the fee will be set forth by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
Each license fee set in this section for all limited business licenses and regulated business licenses shall be adjusted upwards starting January 2027, and each January thereafter according to the permit’s term by applying to it the CPI adjustment, as defined in Section 1-4-090, up to 2.5 percent in any year, or in a lesser amount that the Commissioner determines is supported by the costs associated with administering such license. After the calculation of fee adjustment by any of these means, the amount shall be rounded to the nearest whole dollar. The Commissioner shall publish such fees on a publicly accessible website.
A non-refundable online license application fee in the amount of $25.00 must be paid to the City at the time of initial submission of any online application for a new business license under this chapter. A non-refundable credit equal to the online license application fee paid by the applicant will be applied towards the applicable license fee under this chapter. The balance of the license fee required by this section must be paid to the City before the applicable license may be issued. A license is not valid until all fees required by this chapter have been paid to the City. The Commissioner is authorized to establish rules based on operational requirements for license approval that limit the types of online license applications subject to the online license application fee established by this paragraph.
The fees for business licenses issued pursuant to Title 4, as of January 1, 2026, are as follows:
(1) | Limited Business License (4-4) | $500.00
(2) | Except as otherwise provided in this section, Regulated Business License (4-6) | $1,000.00
(3) | Regulated Business License (4-6) – Hotels | $1,000.00 plus $2.20 per room
(3.1) | Regulated Business License (4-6) – Booting of Motor Vehicles | $1,000.00
(4) | Ambulance (4-68) per year | $600.00
(5) | [Reserved] |
(6) | Public places of amusement (4-156) |
| Public place of amusement license (Article III or VI of Chapter 4-156) |
| The fee for each public place of amusement license shall be graded according to the licensed establishment's occupancy in accordance with the following schedule: |
| Maximum Occupancy | Fee
| 1 – 350 | $770.00
| 351 – 500 | $1,000.00
| 501 – 750 | $1,650.00
| 751 – 1,000 | $2,200.00
| 1,001 – 2,000 | $3,300.00
| 2,001 – 3,000 | $4,400.00
| 3,001 – 4,000 | $6,600.00
| over 4,000 | $13,200.00
| When computing the occupancy of a public place of amusement, other than a performing arts venue, the total occupancy of all rooms or other occupancy areas of the premises of the business operating the amusement shall be calculated. |
| Performing arts venue (Article V of Chapter 4-156) |
| 0 – 499 person occupancy | $110.00
| 500 plus person occupancy | $2.00/person
| Indoor special event (Article IV of Chapter 4-156) | | $100.00/day
(7) | Animal care (4-384) | $275.00
(8) | Animal Exhibition Permit (30 days or less) | $275.00
(9) | Bicycle messenger (4-168) per year | $70.00
(10) | Children's Services Facility (4-75) | $165.00
(11) | Emerging Business Permit (Section 4-4-022) | $250.00
(12) | [Reserved] |
(13) | [Reserved] |
(14) | Filling Station (4-108) |
| Per establishment | $220.00
| Per portable tank | $110.00
| Per gallon of capacity for containers or tanks | $0.12
| In determining the total capacity of containers or tanks under this section, any container or tank used exclusively for the storage of kerosene but not exceeding a total capacity of 100 gallons shall be excluded. |
(15) | Food – Retail Food Establishment (4-8) |
| 0 – 1,000 square feet | $660.00
| 1,001 – 2,500 square feet | $940.00
| 2,501 – 4,500 square feet | $1,110.00
| 4,501 – 10,000 square feet | $1,320.00
| Over 10,000 square feet | $1,650.00
| Food – Seasonal Lakefront Food Establishment | $125.00/season
| Food – Special Event Food Licenses |
| 5-day single special event food license | $75.00
| 10-day multiple special events food license | $125.00
| 180-day multiple special events food license | $250.00
| 1-year multiple special events food license | $500.00
| Food – Wholesale Food Establishment | $1,320.00
| Food – Shared Kitchen | $660.00
| Food – Shared Kitchen-Supplemental | $330.00
| Food – Shared Kitchen Long-Term User | $330.00
| Food – Shared Kitchen Short-Term User | $75.00
| Food – Tier I Pop-Up Food Establishment User |
| 5-day license | $25.00
| 30-day license | $50.00
| 90-day license | $75.00
| 180-day license | $100.00
| 1-year license | $150.00
| Food – Tier II and Tier III Pop-Up Food Establishment User |
| 5-day license | $50.00
| 30-day license | $100.00
| 90-day license | $150.00
| Food – Tier II Pop-Up Establishment Host per year | $150.00
| Food – Tier III Pop-Up Establishment Host per year | $330.00
| Food – Mobile Food Vendor – Produce Merchant (4-8) | $125.00
| Food – Mobile Food Vendor – Mobile Desserts Vendor | $275.00
| Food – Mobile Food Vendor – Mobile Food Dispenser | $700.00
| Food – Mobile Food Vendor – Mobile Food Preparer | $1,000.00
| Food – Mobile Food Vendor – Mobile Prepared Food VendorProvided, however, that the fee shall be $50.00 if the licensee is: 65 or more years of age at the time of application; or a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, whose discharge from military or naval service was other than dishonorable; or a person with a physical or mental disability, as certified by a medical doctor. | $100.00
(16) | Explosives | $500.00
(17) | Certificate of Fitness – Explosives | $100.00/per person
(18) | Commercial Garage (4-232) | $19.80/300 sq. ft.
(19) | [Reserved] |
(20) | Pop-Up Retail User (4-212) |
| Per participating user, payable at the time of application: |
| For a 5-day license | $25.00
| For a 30-day license | $50.00
| For a 90-day license | $75.00
| For a 180-day license | $100.00
| For a 1-year license | $150.00
(21) | Special Club (4-388) | $4,400.00
(22) | Liquor – Retail (4-60) |
| Fees for the whole or any portion of the license period for which the application is made shall be as set forth below: |
| Expanded Establishment Amended Liquor License: additional fee for the remaining portion of the license period to be charged during the first year of operation only | $1,000.00
| Liquor – Tavern | $4,400.00
| Liquor – Special | $150.00
| Liquor – Music and Dancing | $1,100.00
| Liquor – Package Goods | $4,400.00
| Liquor – Consumption on premises – incidental activity (within the meaning of item (1) of the definition of a "consumption on premises – incidental activity license" in Section 4-60-010) | $4,400.00
| Liquor – Caterer's Liquor License | $4,400.00
| Liquor – Caterer's Liquor License, with incidental activity | $2,200.00
| Liquor – Caterer's Liquor License, outside caterer | $6,600.00
| Liquor – Not-for-Profit Club | $1,100.00
| Liquor – Lakefront Venue | $4,400.00
| Liquor – Outdoor Patio, Sports Plaza Venue, or Outdoor Entertainment Venue | $1,760.00
| Liquor – Late Hour | $6,000.00
| Liquor – Special Event | $150.00/event
| Liquor – Navy Pier Mobile | $4,400.00
| Liquor – Wrigley Field | $600.00
| Liquor – Riverwalk Venue | $4,400.00
| Liquor – Airport Pushcart (including temporary Airport Pushcart) | $600.00
(23) | Manufacturing establishment (4-224) | $275.00
(24) | Regulated Business License (4-6) – Massage establishment | $550.00
(25) | Motor vehicle repair shop (4-228) | $240.00
(26) | Pawnbroker (4-240) per year | $5,280.00
| Per year | $5,280.00
(27) | Street Peddler and Street Performers | $100.00
| Provided, however, that the fee shall be $50.00 if the licensee is: 65 or more years of age at the time of application; or a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, whose discharge from military or naval service was other than dishonorable; or a person with a physical or mental disability, as certified by a medical doctor. |
(28) | Raffles (4-156) per year | $100.00
(29) | Secondhand dealer (4-264) | $1,100.00
(30) | Tobacco per year |
| Retail tobacco dealer |
| Per location | $500.00
| Plus, per cash register | $330.00
| Wholesale tobacco dealer | $550.00
(31) | Weapons dealer (4-144) (unless otherwise specified) | $1,100.00
| Firearms Dealers | $3,800.00
| Professional Theatrical Armorers | $2,350.00
| Professional Firearm Curators | $2,350.00
(32) | Shooting range facility (4-151) | $2.000.00
(33) | Valet Parking Operator (4-232) per year | $600.00
(34) | Heliport (4-83) | $400.00
(35) | Navy Pier Kiosk (4-360) per year | $125.00
(36) | Short Term Residential Rental Intermediary (4-13) | If the intermediary has 1,000 or more short term residential rentals listed on its platform: $10,000.00 license fee, plus a $60.00 per unit fee for each short term residential rental listed on its platform; If the intermediary has 500 to 999 short term residential rentals listed on its platform: $7,500.00 license fee, plus a $60.00 per unit fee for each short term residential rental listed on its platform; and If the intermediary has 100 to 499 short term residential rentals listed on its platform: $5,000.00 license fee, plus a $60.00 per unit fee for each short term residential rental listed on its platform. If the intermediary has 50 to 99 short term residential rentals listed on its platform: $1,000.00 license fee, plus a $60.00 per unit fee for each short term residential rental listed on its platform; If the intermediary has 25 to 49 short term residential rentals listed on its platform: $500.00 license fee, plus a $60.00 per unit fee for each short term residential rental listed on its platform; If the intermediary has 10 to 24 short term residential rentals listed on its platform: $350.00 license fee, plus a $60.00 per unit fee for each short term residential rental listed on its platform; and If the intermediary has 1 to 9 short term residential rentals listed on its platform: $250.00 license fee, plus a $60.00 per unit fee for each short term residential rental listed on its platform.
(37) | [Reserved] |
(38) | Shared Housing Unit Operator (4-16) | $500.00
(39) | Industrial Private Event Venue (4-156) maximum occupancy of the area licensed for industrial venue events | Fee
| 1 – 350 | $770.00
| 351 – 500 | $1,000.00
| 501 – 750 | $1,650.00
| 751 – 1,000 | $2,200.00
| 1,001 – 2,000 | $3,300.00
| 2,001 – 3,000 | $4,400.00
| 3,001 – 4,000 | $6,600.00
| over 4,000 | $13,200.00
(40) | Regulated Business License (4-6) – Pharmaceutical representative per year | $750.00
(41) | Mobile Merchants | $250.00
(42) | Shared Housing Unit Registration (4-14) | $250.00
(43) | Towing (4-227) |
| Per tow truck | $250.00
| Tow Storage Lot | $250.00 per licensed storage lot
(44) | Sports Wagering (Article VII of Chapter 4-156) |
| For a primary sports license: |
| Initial year | $50,000.00
| Per year (after initial year) | $25,000.00
| For a secondary sports license: |
| Initial year | $10,000.00
| Per year (after initial year) | $5,000.00
(45) | Video Gaming (4-155) |
| Location License | $500.00, plus $1,000.00 per video gaming terminal
| Terminal License | $500.00, plus $1,000.00 per video gaming terminal
(Added Coun. J. 12-9-92, p. 25465; Amend Coun. J. 1-12-93, p. 27813; 2-10-93, p. 28497; Amend Coun. J. 11-17-93, p. 42192; Amend Coun. J. 3-2-94, p. 96537; Amend Coun. J. 4-13-94, p. 48587; Amend Coun. J. 5-4-94, p. 49750; Amend Coun. J. 9-14-94, p. 56835; Amend Coun. J. 11-10-94, p. 59125; Corrected. 11-30-94, p. 63101; Amend Coun. J. 5-2-95, p. 459; Amend Coun. J. 7-13-95, p. 4596; Amend Coun. J. 2-7-96, p. 15616; Amend Coun. J. 6-10-96, p. 23652; Amend Coun. J. 2-26-97, p. 40141; Amend Coun. J. 4-16-97, p. 42588; Amend Coun. J. 7-2-97, p. 48017; Amend Coun. J. 7-30-97, p. 50612; Amend Coun. J. 6-9-99, p. 5362; Amend Coun. J. 6-9-99, p. 5366; Amend Coun. J. 10-7-98, p. 78812; Amend Coun. J. 12-15-99, p. 21529, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 3-15-00, p. 27687, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-28-00, p. 36752, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-13-00, p. 48188, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 3-28-01, p. 55769, § 8; Amend Coun. J. 7-25-01, p. 64897, § 10; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-01, p. 76426, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 5-1-02, p. 84247, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 10-2-02, p. 94559, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99931, § 3.2; Amend Coun. J. 6-4-03, p. 2443, § 13; Amend Coun. J. 9-4-03, p. 7118, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 10-1-03, p. 9163, § 2.2; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-03, p. 14216, § 4.1; Amend Coun. J. 5-5-04, p. 22743, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 9-29-04, p. 32144, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39840, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 10-6-05, p. 58166, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 11-30-05, p. 62481, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 2-8-06, p. 70052, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 7-26-06, p. 81829, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-15-06, p. 92532, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-7-07, p. 98109, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 5-9-07, p. 105047, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-27-07, p. 9539, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-27-07, p. 9546, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 7-30-08, p. 34713, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 10-8-08, p. 40084, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 48243, Art. I, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-13-09, p. 54685, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-13-10, p. 83191, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-12-10, p. 91343, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-30-10, p. 96060, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 7-28-10, p. 97923, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-3-11, p. 104527; Amend Coun. J. 5-4-11, p. 117699, § 7; Amend Coun. J. 7-6-11, p. 3073, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 9-8-11, p. 7262, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 14596, Art. IV, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-18-12, p. 19185, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-9-12, p. 27485, § 15; Amend Coun. J. 7-25-12, p. 31326, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-14, p. 83727, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 4-15-15, p. 106578, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-24-15, p. 6984, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 2-10-16, p. 18766, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 6-22-16, p. 26612, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28718, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 6-22-16, p. 27712, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-16, p. 37901, Art. VII, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-22-17, p. 43916, Art. VII, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 4-19-17, p. 48180, Art. I, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-28-17, p. 51336, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. VI, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61858, Art. V, § 1 and Art. VI, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61913, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 1-17-18, p. 65175, § 22; Amend Coun. J. 4-18-18, p. 76348, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-20-18, p. 84293, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-14-18, p. 90376, Art. I, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-20-19, p. 9510, Art. IV, § 10; Amend Coun. J. 1-15-20, p. 13000, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-9-20, p. 20269, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 3-24-21, p. 28843, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-26-21, p. 30457, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 10-27-21, p. 39543, Art. V, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-15-21, p. 42922, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-26-22, p. 43395, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-23-22, p. 47798, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-7-22, p. 54948, Art. V, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-7-22, p. 55595, Art. II, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-16-24, p. 23004, Part 1, Art. IV, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 12-19-25, p. 38125, Art. II, § 3, Art. XII, § 1, Art. XIII, § 1, and Art. XV, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 4-15-26, p. 42638, § 1)