Business licenses are still good all around the Coulee towns

Business owners may be finding that they need to renew their business licenses with the Washington State Department of Revenue’s Business License Services department rather than with their city. 

 Licenses purchased for one town are still honored in the other three local Coulee community cities, with Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee D

am, and Elmer City all having codes that state as much. 

 In Electric City, for example, the code refers to businesses serving one or more of the four towns as “reciprocal businesses,” and states that those businesses’ licenses “shall be mutually and reciprocally honored in the city of Electric City.’ 

 “If someone is doing work in Electric City and carries a current Grand Coulee license, we would not require them to also purchase an Electric City license,” City Clerk Peggy Nevsimal explained. 

 Communications Consultant Beverly Crichfield of the DOR explained in an email to The Star how the change in licensing came about, and it’s purported benefits. 

 “In 2017,” she wrote, “the state Legislature passed legislation that required Washington’s 239 cities and towns that issue a general business license to join the Department of Revenue’s Business Licensing Service or FileLocal, another city registration and local [business and occupation] filing system, by Dec. 31, 2022. The goal is to enhance the business climate in Washington and streamline business licensing across the state.”

 “BLS is a ‘one-stop-shop,’ a single point where business owners in cities that have partnered with BLS can register for and renew their business licenses, and receive up to 400 state and city license endorsements. For business owners, this means not having to go to multiple locations to register and renew their business license endorsements. For city partners, the benefits can reduce overhead costs and increase revenues.”

 “During the past few years,” she continued, “Revenue has ramped up its efforts to help more cities become partners. The agency’s work to streamline the city ‘onboarding’ process has helped 194 cities across the state connect to the BLS.”