FAQ Topic: Business & Independent Contractors - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Yes. If your business is registered as “active” with the Secretary of State and is reporting on a business return to the FTB and IRS, it will need a business license. Maintaining a business entity within the City, whether it is transacting public business or not, is considered operating a business under the municipal code … Continued

As long as your business location and all business activity are conducted outside the City of Santa Ana, there is no need to obtain a City of Santa Ana Business License. However, if you are conducting business based from your residence, or your residence is your business location, you will need to obtain a City … Continued

Yes, engaging in business in association with, or performing services for, or in the name of a licensed Santa Ana business or nonprofit organization, or government agency does not relive separate business entities, independent contractors, consultants or other self-employed individuals from the requirement to obtain a City of Santa Ana Business License.

Yes, businesses both large and small are required to obtain a Santa Ana Business License to be in compliance with the Santa Ana Municipal Code. If the consulting work or other independent contractor work is done from a location within the City limits, such as your residence, you are required to obtain a City of … Continued

Yes, individuals that work as an independent contractor and are reported on a 1099 Form instead of a W-2 need to have a City of Santa Ana Business License.

Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 21-3 defines business as including “all activities engaged in or caused to be engaged in within the city, including any commercial or industrial enterprise, trade, profession, occupation, vocation, calling, or livelihood, including rental of residential or commercial real estate, and every other kind of activity whether or not carried on … Continued