8 licenses, permits and registrations, in the order to get them, each with the agency, the fee and the official page, and what the Census counts of pet stores and groomers in Delaware say.
8 licenses, permits and registrations, in the order to get them
Every row checked against its agency’s page; the latest on Oct 21, 2026.
Step 1 of 5Set up the business. Now: Certificate of formation (LLC) and the annual LLC tax
0 of 8 items done. Each step opens when the one before it is complete. Progress stays on this device. Members keep a dated, noted plan for each saved location in the workspace.
1Set up the business0 of 3
File online or through a registered agent; every Delaware LLC names a registered agent with a Delaware street address. The $300 payment due June 1, 2026 covered 2025 and the first $400 payment falls due June 1, 2027. A late payment adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest a month, and three unpaid years cancel the certificate.
Fee
Members
Renewal
Members
Official page
Members
Checked Oct 21, 2026
Since February 2, 2026 trade names are filed once, statewide, in the Delaware Trade Name Registry on One Stop rather than with each county’s Prothonotary, with no notarization. Needed whenever the business trades under any name other than the owner’s legal name or the LLC’s registered name; a state business license is required to register.
Fee
Members
Renewal
Members
Official page
Members
Checked Oct 21, 2026
Needed to hire, to open a business bank account and for the One Stop registration. Issued at once online.
Fee
Members
Renewal
Members
Official page
Members
Checked Oct 21, 2026
Register for taxOpens after step 1
Every business operating in Delaware holds a Division of Revenue business license before opening; One Stop issues it and, with one application, registers the business for gross receipts tax, employer withholding, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation reporting. A separate license is needed for each distinct activity. Nothing is collected from customers; there is no sales tax to charge.
Fee
Members
Renewal
Members
Official page
Members
Checked Oct 21, 2026
Wilmington, Dover, Newark and most incorporated towns license businesses inside their limits in addition to the state license, and ask for a copy of the state license with the application. Ask the town before signing the lease; outside town limits only the state license applies.
Fee
Members
Renewal
Members
Official page
Members
Checked Oct 21, 2026
Approve the spaceOpens after step 2
Confirm the zoning allows your use before signing. Any change of use or tenant fit-out is reviewed by the State Fire Marshal before the county or town issues building permits, and the final fire inspection comes before the certificate of occupancy. New Castle County issues a certificate of use that the liquor, food and child care licenses all ask for; parcels inside a town need the town’s approval first.
Fee
Members
Renewal
Members
Official page
Members
Checked Oct 21, 2026
Get the permits for your kind of businessOpens after step 3
Grooming alone needs no animal license; boarding more than four dogs needs the kennel license and an Office inspection. House Bill 131, signed in 2026, bans retail pet stores from selling dogs and cats from January 23, 2027, except stores licensed as retail dog outlets for at least a year before then that meet the law’s sourcing rules, so a new shop should plan on adoption events with shelters and rescues rather than puppy sales. Every dog kept or sold must also carry the state dog license.
Fee
Members
Renewal
Members
Official page
Members
Checked Oct 21, 2026
Before the first hireOpens after step 4
Workers’ compensation insurance is required for every employer with one or more employees, and the policy must be in force before work begins. Report each new hire to the State Directory of New Hires within 20 days. Businesses under 10 employees are outside Paid Leave.
The free location checkWho lives and works around an address, the pet stores and groomers already there and the traffic on its road, from public records.
The full reportWhether the rules allow a pet store or groomer at that address, the rent it supports, what has opened and closed nearby, and the questions to settle before signing.
No account. The pet store or groomer check reads public records at the address itself.
Sources and dates
Division of Corporations fee schedule and LLC tax pages; 6 Del. C. 18-1107 as amended by House Bill 400 (85 Del. Laws c. 273); One Stop trade name pages and FAQ; 6 Del. C. chapter 31 as amended by House Bill 40 and Senate Bill 291; IRS EIN page; Division of Revenue tax tips for general retailers and restaurant retailers; 30 Del. C. chapters 23 and 29; One Stop registration pages; City of Wilmington business license application and 2023 fee ordinance; municipal codes; State Fire Marshal tenant fit-out, renovation and occupancy change application; New Castle County certificate of use requirements; county and municipal codes; Office of Animal Welfare retail dog outlet and kennel license pages; House Bill 131 (2026) on pet store sales of dogs and cats; Department of Labor employer services pages (2026 taxable wage base and merit rate table); Delaware Paid Leave FAQ; Office of Workers’ Compensation employer knowledge base (19 Del. C. 2306); Division of Child Support Services employer pages; U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023; U.S. Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics. Fees are as published by each agency on the date checked; cities add their own.
Questions about opening here.
8 items, in order: certificate of formation (llc) and the annual llc tax, trade name (dba) registration, employer identification number (ein), state business license, gross receipts tax and withholding registration, city or town business license and zoning approval, state fire marshal plan review and certificate of occupancy, and 2 more.
Delaware Division of Corporations, Delaware Division of Revenue, Internal Revenue Service, Your municipality, Your county or municipal land use and building office and Delaware Office of Animal Welfare, and 1 more.
With certificate of formation (llc) and the annual llc tax (Delaware Division of Corporations), then trade name (dba) registration. The steps run structure, tax, space, permits and employer, in that order.
Each item's fee, renewal cycle and official page are shown to members, as the agency published them on the date checked. Cities and counties add their own fees.
How to open a pet store or groomer in Delaware (2026) | DoorWorthy
