OLYMPIA – Rep. Kristine Lytton (D—Anacortes) passed legislation this week that will simplify how businesses acquire licenses to operate in multiple cities. In an overwhelmingly bipartisan 96-2 vote, the Washington House of Representatives approved HB 2005. The bill, if passed by the State Senate, would require cities to partner with the Department of Revenue to administer general business licenses.
When businesses operate in more than one city, even when their only operation is making a single delivery in another jurisdiction, a business license is often required for each municipality. For some businesses, that can be excessive and require hours of paperwork. Under Lytton’s legislation, businesses would be able to receive a city’s license from the Department of Revenue, increasing compliance and saving time.
“We have got to make owning and operating a business in Washington simpler,” said Lytton after the bill’s passage. “The time business owners spend filling out paperwork and trying to stay in compliance is a waste, and could be better used focused on their business, their employees, and their customers. I’m grateful my colleagues agreed to move this forward and I hope the Senate will agree.”
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