Guide to Opening a Business in The City of Miami This is a checklist to guide you through the steps necessary for opening a business in The City. The overview covers the Certificate of Use and Business Tax Receipt procedures, allowing applicants to be informed of the ‘full picture’ from beginning to end.
Get a Certificate of Use (CU) Are you opening a new business, moving your existing business to a new location, or did you get sited for not having a proper CU?
Application to Register as a City Supplier (Vendor) Do you have services or products you think would be useful to the City of Miami?Registering as a supplier will keep you informed about goods and/or services that the City needs, and allow you to submit bids.
Get a Zoning Verification Letter (ZVL) Are you trying to find the zoning laws or regulations of a property?
Access Current Procurement Solicitations (Bids + Proposals) Do you want to view and/or reply to a procurement solicitation that was issued by The City of Miami? The City allows the public to see the list of all open solicitations, so they may consider applying.
Access Current City Procurement Contracts Do you want to see the current contracts for Goods & Services and/or for Architecture & Engineering and Construction that the City is using?
Apply for ACH/Direct Deposit with the City Are you a vendor and would like to be paid via direct deposit? Sign up here.
Make a Payment to the City of Miami Did you have an invoice or have a transaction ID that you need to make a payment on? The City of Miami offers online payment for items such as permits, alarms, code violations and more.
Request a Code Inspection for a Certificate of Use Are you starting a new business and need a code inspection in order to get your certificate of use? The City requires all businesses to attain a CU in order to help industries succeed and ensure safety.
Stop Payment from The City Were you sent a payment from the City of Miami that was lost/damaged/never received, and need to stop payment on the "old" check?
Get the City of Miami's W-9 Form Are you paying the City of Miami for a service and need our W-9 (W 9) Form?
Get a Permit for Sidewalk Cafe, Pay Phone, News Rack Are you opening/recently purchased a restaurant, and would like to offer outdoor seating on the public sidewalk OR are you installing a pay phone or news rack? These types of operations require a permit from the Department of Resilience and Public Works.
Miami Biz The online portal to apply for a Certificate of Use (CU), Accessory Use, Business Tax Receipt and other types of legal documents required for starting a business.
Guide to Getting a Permit Are you looking to kick-off a major development project or renovate the interior of your residence? Or maybe you would like to expand your restaurant? This page gives general guidelines to the City's permitting process.
Submit a W9 Form Are you a vendor/supplier to The City and would like to electronically submit your W9 form for payment?
Auctions & Sales of Surplus Goods Throughout the year, The City of Miami auctions off surplus goods including, but not limited to police vehicles, furniture, office supplies, art, etc.
Local Business Agencies A list of local agencies that help businesses with all of their operational needs.
Get a Business Tax Receipt (BTR) Are you opening a new business and have finished your Certificate of Use approval (or you didn't need one)? The City of Miami issues BTR's so you may legally do business in the City.
Bids & Proposals View procurement solicitations from The City, as well as bids and proposals submitted to The City from outside vendors.
Register as a Lobbyist A lobbyist is an activist who seeks to persuade members of the government to enact legislation that would benefit their person(s) or group. Anyone who plans to act as a lobbyist in or on behalf of someone in The City of Miami, must register to do so.
Lobbyist Information A lobbyist is an activist who seeks to persuade members of the government to enact legislation that would benefit their person(s) or group. Lobbyists need to register with the City of Miami and follow a set of regulations in order to do business here.
Get a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) on Vacant Land The City offers two types of TUPs. This one refers to a "Temporary Use on Vacant Land", which allows you to activate a vacant property for a temporary use such as a community garden, food hall, etc. This permit lasts up to three years and gets renewed every year.
Get a Temporary Banner Permit for a Private Event Do you need a temporary banner for an event on private property? These permits are overseen by the Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET) and regulated under Chapter 62 of the City's Code (Planning and Zoning, Art. XIII).