Business permit requirements for a new business

The national rules behind every checklist

RA 11032 requires a single or unified business application form for new business permits, and it requires cities to put the treasury, business permits office, zoning office and others together in a Business One-Stop Shop.^[1]

Joint Memorandum Circular 2021-01 of ARTA, DTI, DICT and DILG went further. As reported by Manila Bulletin in April 2021, it standardizes the documentary requirements for business registration. The Philippine Star reported that the same Unified Application Form also covers the fire safety inspection certificate, the locational clearance, and sanitary and environmental permits.^[2,3]

Cities still publish their own lists, and they cite the circular. General Trias, for example, names JMC 2021-01 as the basis for its requirements.^[4]

Documents almost every city asks for

The barangay clearance is not optional: the Local Government Code says no city or municipality may issue a business permit without it. Mandaluyong, as one example, asks for a current-year barangay clearance.^[5,6]

The fire safety certificate is also required by law. The Fire Code says no business permit or permit to operate may be issued without an FSIC from the Bureau of Fire Protection.^[7]

• Unified application form, filled in online or at the one-stop shop
• Proof of registration: DTI certificate for a sole proprietor, or SEC certificate and articles for a partnership or corporation
• Barangay business clearance from the barangay where the business is
• Proof of the right to use the address: lease, title, or the owner's written consent
• Fire safety inspection certificate or its application, handled with the BFP
• Valid ID of the owner or authorized representative

Proving you can use the address

This is where most applications get stuck. The City of Imus checklist (July 2025) is a good example of the detail cities want. Every new permit needs proof of the applicant's right to use the location as a business address.^[8]

Imus also lists what to bring in special cases: a notarized memorandum of agreement or the property owner's notarized written consent if you neither own nor rent the place, the notarized consent of the other title owners if you are only one of the owners, and a homeowners' association resolution if the business is inside a residential subdivision.^[8]

Example: you open a small online-order bakeshop in your parents' house in a subdivision. In a city with rules like Imus, you would bring your parents' notarized consent and an HOA resolution, on top of the usual papers.

Extra papers that depend on your business

Food businesses. The Code on Sanitation says no food establishment may operate for public patronage without a sanitary permit from the local health office, and no person may be employed in one without a health certificate. A carinderia, milk tea stall or bakery will need both. See sanitary permit and health certificate.^[9]

Location and building. Cities check zoning through a locational clearance. San Juan's zoning office, for example, issues a locational clearance for business permits. If you built or changed a building, the National Building Code requires a Certificate of Occupancy before it is used. General Trias asks new applicants for an FSIC for Occupancy valid in the last nine months.^[10,11,4]

New business permit checklist

Questions people ask

Do all cities ask for the same documents?

They are supposed to be close. JMC 2021-01 standardized documentary requirements for business registration, as Manila Bulletin reported. Cities still add items for their situation, so download your own city's list.

I run my business from home. What do I show as proof of address?

Your title if you own the house, your lease if you rent, or a notarized consent from the owner if it belongs to family. Imus, as an example, asks for exactly this, plus an HOA resolution inside a subdivision.

Is BIR registration a requirement for the mayor's permit?

City checklists differ, so ask your BPLO what it wants. The other direction is settled: BIR no longer needs your mayor's permit to register a new business, and its deadline is your first sale or 30 calendar days after your DTI certificate or mayor's permit is issued, whichever comes first. So register with BIR once you have your DTI certificate, and you will have the Certificate of Registration ready if your city asks. See BIR registration.

Do I file the fire and sanitary papers separately?

Under JMC 2021-01, one Unified Application Form covers the business permit, the FSIC, the locational clearance and sanitary permits, as reported by The Philippine Star. Inspections still happen separately.