Marietta Business License: City License vs Cobb County, Search Tool and March 31 Renewal
If your business operates in Marietta, Georgia, the first question is who issues your local license. The answer depends on the address of the premises, not the mailing address. A business inside the Marietta city limits pays the City of Marietta. A business in unincorporated Cobb County pays Cobb County. This guide explains which issuer applies to you, the steps to get licensed, how the license search tool works, and how renewal dates work.
This article is informational, not legal or tax advice. Requirements change, and the details for your situation depend on your address, business activity and employees. Talk with a qualified attorney or CPA before making decisions about entity structure, taxes or compliance.
Who issues your Marietta business license
Georgia has no general state business license. The local license is an occupation tax certificate, which many people call a business license. Georgia's Title 48, chapter 13 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) lets cities and counties issue it. Each of Georgia's 159 counties and about 537 cities sets its own formula, deadlines and prerequisites. More than half of Georgians live outside any city, so for many businesses the county is the issuer.
In Cobb County, the issuer depends on where the business is located:
| Business location | Who issues the license |
|---|---|
| Inside the Marietta city limits | City of Marietta Business License Division |
| Unincorporated Cobb County | Cobb County Business License Division |
| Inside Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Austell, Powder Springs or Mableton | That city, which licenses its own territory |
A business inside Marietta pays Marietta, not Cobb County. If your mailing address says Marietta but your premises sit outside the city limits, the county or the other city may be your issuer. Confirm the boundary before you apply.
The City of Marietta Business License Division
The Business License Division administers the city's occupation tax and regulatory fees. It also administers alcohol excise taxes, hotel motel taxes and other city taxes. Contact details:
- Address: 205 Lawrence Street, Marietta, Georgia 30060
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 609, Marietta, Georgia 30061
- Phone: 770-794-5520
- Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The city does not publish a fee table for the business license. Your amount comes from your application and the city's tax schedule, so ask the division before you budget for it.
Steps to get a Marietta business license
The city's Starting a Business brochure lists the steps in this order:
- Confirm the address is inside the Marietta city limits. This decides your issuer.
- Verify the zoning district. Planning and Zoning reviews the application to confirm your business type fits the district.
- Obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and a fire safety inspection for the building. The brochure says this step is skipped for a home based business, a name change, or an ownership change without interruption of business.
- Apply for the city business license.
Plan the steps in order. The license application generally comes last, after the zoning and building steps are cleared.
Historic district, signs and awnings
If your business is in the historic district, exterior changes need approval from the Historic Board of Review. That includes signs and awnings. Sign permits are handled by the Building Department, so a sign approved by the board still requires a permit before installation. Ask about both approvals before you order signage.
Home based businesses in Marietta
A home based business skips the Certificate of Occupancy step under the city's brochure, but it still needs the city business license and must meet zoning rules. For food businesses, Georgia no longer requires a state license for cottage food since July 1, 2025 (HB 398). Local business licensing and zoning still apply, so the city license is still required.
Employer requirements: E-Verify and lawful presence
Private employers with more than 10 employees must file an E-Verify affidavit to receive the local certificate under O.C.G.A. 36-60-6. The employee count is measured on January 1, so a business that crosses the threshold on that date needs the affidavit. Your application also includes a lawful presence affidavit. Confirm with the Business License Division which affidavit forms apply to your business before you submit.
Renewal: December 31 expiration and the March 31 date
Marietta licenses expire December 31. The city's FAQ gives March 31 as the general renewal date. If you renew on or before the applicable due date, no penalty and no interest apply. A recent city notice listed March 1 for insurance licenses, so the dates are not identical for every license type.
The city's pages do not publish the exact notice for the current year. Follow the dates printed on your renewal notice, not a general date from this article or from another city. Also note that March 31 is a Marietta date. It is not a statewide Georgia rule, and other cities and the county set their own dates.
Using the Marietta business license search tool
Many people searching for a marietta ga business license search want to confirm whether a business is licensed. The city publishes a list of occupation taxes and business licenses it has received. That list shows that a business filed or appears in the city's records. It does not mean the city approved the application. If you need to confirm a license, contact the Business License Division at 770-794-5520.
Do not confuse this list with the Georgia Secretary of State business search at ecorp.sos.ga.gov/BusinessSearch. That tool confirms an entity's registration with the state. It does not show whether a city or county issued a local occupation tax certificate.
Paying and protecting your application
The city encourages paying online by e-check at no charge. It also warns about mail theft. If you mail a check, consider the risk, and confirm receipt with the division. Keep copies of every payment and confirmation.
State filings that come before the city license
The city license is one of several steps. Your business may also need the following:
- Entity registration. An LLC files Articles of Organization, and a corporation files Articles of Incorporation, with the Georgia Secretary of State at ecorp.sos.ga.gov. Each filing costs $110 total, online or on paper. A name reservation lasts 30 days and costs $35. Annual registration is covered in our separate annual registration guide.
- Sales tax and withholding registration. If you sell taxable goods or have employees, register with the Georgia Department of Revenue through the Georgia Tax Center at gtc.dor.ga.gov. This registration is free. It is not a business license.
- Trade names. A trade name (DBA) is filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business is chiefly carried on, not with the Secretary of State. Notice is published in the county legal organ once a week for two weeks, and clerk fees run about $165 plus the newspaper charge. Confirm the exact amount with your county clerk.
- Occupational licenses. Contractors, electricians, plumbers, cosmetology professionals, real estate agents and others need licenses from state boards, such as the Secretary of State Professional Licensing Boards Division. These are separate from the city or county license.
Georgia levies no franchise tax on a typical single-member or partnership LLC. Corporations, and LLCs taxed as corporations, pay a net worth tax of $0 to $5,000 depending on net worth. Confirm your tax treatment with a CPA.
Next steps
- Confirm your premises address is inside or outside the Marietta city limits.
- If inside, call the Business License Division at 770-794-5520 to confirm your zoning, Certificate of Occupancy and fire inspection requirements.
- If outside, contact Cobb County's Business License Division or the city that covers your address.
- Check your renewal notice for the exact due date, and calendar December 31 as the expiration date.
- Consult a qualified attorney or CPA for complex situations, such as multiple locations, regulated professions, or entity choice.
Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Verify all fees, dates and requirements with the issuing agency before you file or pay.