How to Obtain a Business Certificate in the City of Hawthorne (YouTube Video)

The Hawthorne Municipal Code (HMC) requires all businesses operating within the City to be properly licensed, as well as to be in accordance with the standards for Planning (zoning), Building and Fire safety, and Public Health. Accordingly, prior to issuance of a Business Tax Certificate, inspections by the Building and Fire Departments are required, in addition to approvals by the Planning Department, Chief of Police, City Attorney and City Manager.

Approval Process

All completed Business License/Tax Certificate applications are submitted to the Licensing Department along with the appropriate fees. Upon review, the application is forwarded to the Planning Department. Based upon the type of business and zoning requirements, the Planning Department either approves or denies the application. If the application is approved, it is directed to the Department of Building and Safety for an on-site inspection of the building and determination of conformance with the Building regulations of the City. Upon receipt of the Building Department approval, the application is then forwarded to the Fire Department for a Fire Prevention inspection and determination of conformance to Fire Code requirements. The applicant shall immediately correct any and all violations identified by any of the above departments. If the building you intend to occupy is vacant, the Inspectors will attempt to gain admittance for purposes of conducting the inspection a minimum of three(3) times. If no contact is made, the application is then denied. The Licensing Department will notify the applicant and request that a new application be completed. There will be an additional inspection fee of $223.00.

Upon receipt of the approvals from the above departments, the application is then forwarded to The Police Department, City Attorney and City Manager for review.

The process outlined above applies to most businesses desiring to operate in the City, however, certain types of business will require additional inspections and/or investigation.

Depending upon the type of business that is to be conducted, and assuming complete compliance with all codes, the entire Business License approval process should be completed within 6-8 weeks.