Register a Business in Bend

Registering your business helps us tailor services and fund programs to promote the health and growth of the Bend business community. By collecting accurate information about local businesses, we can customize our services to meet our business community’s unique needs. The registration fees contribute to our Business Advocacy Program, ensuring that we can fund initiatives that directly benefit Bend’s entrepreneurs and enterprises.

Yes

You are required to register your business if it meets any of the following criteria:

• Any business that conducts business activities in the Bend city limits, whether or not the business operates from a physical location within the city limits.
• Electronic businesses, including internet businesses, with a physical location in Bend city limits.
• If more than one business is conducted on the same premises, each business must register separately.
• A single business operation that occupies more than one building may obtain a single registration. The application and registration shall list all buildings and activities carried on in each building.
• A business registration is not a license to do any particular kind of work. Depending on the type of work you do, you may need a specialty license (qualified contractor, sidewalk vendor, social gaming, marijuana, short term rental, vehicle for hire, etc).

No

You do not need to register your business if it meets any of the following criteria:

• Youth Businesses: If you’re under 18 and running a service business—for example, lawn mowing, newspaper delivery, or a lemonade stand.
• Contract Employees: If you are a contractor working for a registered business—for example, a barber, beautician, massage therapist or otherwise perform services as part of a registered business. Note: This exemption doesn’t apply if the overall business does not have a business registration.
• Special Event Sellers: If you’re exclusively selling goods or services during a permitted special event. Note: The event sponsor must have a special event permit and a business registration.
• Hobbyists and Property Investors: Activities that qualify as hobbies or passive property holding for investment purposes according to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Note: Consult a tax professional to see if your business qualifies.
• Minimal Business Activity: If your business activities—including the activities of all employees—total less than 32 hours per year or your gross annual revenue is less than $3,000. This applies to businesses based outside the city, as well as individuals based inside the city, that do minimal work in Bend.
• Goods Delivery Exception: Sending goods to a customer in the city doesn’t count as doing business here. Note: If a company—including the activities of its employees—is in the business of delivering goods within Bend and picks up or delivers goods within the City more than 32 hours per year, business registration is required.
• Insurance Agencies: State law exempts insurance agencies, agents, and producers from business registration requirements.
• Real Estate Agents: Under State law, real estate agents cannot be required to pay separately for business registration to operate. However, real estate agencies are required to pay business registration fees.

Violation of any provision of the Business Registration Ordinance shall be a Class A Civil Infraction, subject to a fine not to exceed $500 per violation.

Before you register a business with the City, you must first do the following:

• Identify your business’s classification code(s)
  • The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies to collect, analyze, and publish statistics related to the U.S. business economy.
• Fill out a Wastewater Discharge Report Form
  • The City of Bend is required by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to periodically gather information from facilities that discharge into the public sewer system.
  • As of May 1, 2024, this is required for all business registrations and renewals.
  • If you own a home business which does not put anything other than normal household waste down the drains or the business does not have a physical address in Bend, you do not need to fill out a Wastewater Discharge Report.

Renewal notifications are sent automatically from the Online Permit Center Portal 30 days prior to your registration expiration date. Business registrations expire at 12 a.m. (midnight) on the first of the month. For example, if your business registration expires at 12 a.m. on Jan. 1, you need to pay for your renewal by Dec. 31 to not incur a late fee. 

The notices are sent to all Business Owner/Responsible Party contacts on the registration record and are sent via email or mail, depending upon your communication preference, which is set up in your individual account.

If you received a renewal notice:

1. Under My Items click on My Business Registration, Licensing & Temporary Sign Applications to see your business registration.
2. Click Renew this License.

If you don’t have an Online Permit Center Portal account and need to renew a business registration:

1. Register for an Online Permit Center Portal account.
2. Email licensing@bendoregon.gov to request to add the business registration record to your Portal account.
3. We will add the registration to your account and notify you within 30 days via email.
4. As soon as the business registration record is added to your account, you can renew it. Follow the renewal instructions to do so.

If you need to update any details on your registration—like a business name change, address or phone number update—simply upload the Change of Information Form to your Business Registration account on our Online Permit Center Portal.

If you’re taking over a business, please email the form to businessregistration@bendoregon.gov.

For business registration questions, contact businessregistration@bendoregon.gov or 541-388-5580 ext.8.

For questions about the Wastewater Discharge Report, please contact the City of Bend Utilities staff at ipp@bendoregon.gov  or 541-388-5546.