Business licensing in the US is local, not federal
There is no federal business license and no federal processing deadline. General business licenses, seller's permits, retail food establishment permits and trade licenses are issued by states, counties and cities, each under its own code. Some jurisdictions publish a firm review period and a few have shot-clock statutes that treat an application as approved if no decision issues in time; many publish only a target. This tool works from whichever period your agency publishes.
How the timeline is counted. Counting starts the day after the application is filed, and the deadline, the elapsed days and the days remaining all use that same starting point. The business-day option skips Saturdays and Sundays but not public holidays. Days your file sat incomplete while the agency waited on you are added at the end, because most agencies toll the review clock for the applicant's own delay.
Where the substantive rules come from. Retail food permits are generally issued under a state adoption of the FDA Food Code, a model that becomes law only when a state enacts it; alcohol licenses run through the state ABC agency; professional trades run through state boards. Federal law touches only specific industries such as firearms, alcohol production and broadcasting. This page is current as of September 2026.
This tool produces a planning estimate from the period you enter. It does not decide whether your application is complete or whether the license will be granted; zoning, inspection and fitness requirements are judged by the issuing agency. This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney or your local licensing office about your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only where a state or local shot-clock statute says so. Most jurisdictions treat a published period as a target, so check the ordinance or statute that governs your permit.
Agencies commonly stop the review clock while they wait for missing documents from the applicant, then restart it once the file is complete.