The City of Cheney requires that most businesses operating within the city limits obtain a City of Cheney business license.

Partnership with BLS

We are pleased to announce that the City of Cheney has partnered with the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service (BLS). 

Fees

The annual cost of a business license is just $30.

Applications

Applications are processed within 10 business days. To apply for a business license, please visit the State of Washington Licensing Service website. You can pay by E-check (no additional fee) or with an American Express, Discover, Master Card, or Visa credit card (there is a third-party processing fee of 2.5%).

Apply by Mail

Applications by mail are processed within six weeks. Complete the Business License Application and mail with payment to the address on the form. To find out which supplemental forms you'll need, see the Business Licensing Wizard.

License Renewal

Six weeks before your current license's expiration date, the Business Licensing Service will send you a license renewal form to renew your City of Cheney business license. Follow the instructions on the renewal notice.

If you are eligible to file your renewal online, the form will provide you with a web address and password. You can use a credit card or E-check to make payment for online transactions. If you prefer to mail the paper renewal form, please do so in plenty of time to reach BLS before the expiration date, and include a check for the appropriate amount. If the renewal is received after the expiration date, a late filing fee will be assessed.

Processing Fees

A non-refundable Business License Application processing fee is required for each application received in addition to applicable endorsement or trade name fees.  An annual renewal processing fee is required for each location that has renewable endorsements.  See below to determine the processing fee.

Open/Reopen a Business - $50.00 (non-refundable)
If you are opening the first location of a new business or re-opening a business that has no active locations.

Adding an Additional Location - $0
If you are adding an additional location to your current business.

Adding a City Non-Resident Business Endorsement to an Existing Location - $0
If your business is not physically located inside city limits, but is travelling inside city limits to conduct business, a city Non-Resident Business endorsement may be required.

Any Other Purpose - $10.00 (non-refundable)
If your business is filing for any purpose other than those listed above.
Examples:  Registering a trade name, adding additional endorsements to an existing location, etc.

Annual Renewal Processing Fee - $5.00 (non-refundable)

Processing fee to renew a location for any number of license endorsements.

Exempt Businesses

A few categories of businesses are exempt from the business license requirement. These include:

• All governmental entities including public and private elementary, secondary, high schools, and universities
• Deliverers of newspapers and periodicals
• Deliverers to and persons soliciting orders from retail establishments for the delivery and sale of goods, wares, and merchandise to retailers for resale unless located within the City
• Any person or organization conducting a nonprofit enterprise when the enterprise is operated without private profit, for a public, charitable, educational, literary, fraternal, or religious purpose
• Minors engaged in babysitting
• Sales by farmers/gardeners of their own produce
• Temporary craft booths
• Any person, firm, or corporation that the City is forbidden to tax by law
• Any person engaged in the casual sale of items of personal property where the person conducting such sale is not regularly engaged in the business of selling items of personal property (for example, garage sales and bake sales)
• Any landlord who owns five or fewer units

Helpful Resources

For questions or help with your business license application, go to the Department of Revenue's frequently asked questions page, or contact Maile Snider at (509) 498-9203.

For questions on zoning-related issues, please contact Brett Lucas, (509) 498-9240.