Get your mayor's permit (business permit)

RA 11032 processing time limits

Who needs a mayor's permit?

DTI says businesses are required to secure a mayor's permit or municipal license from the city or municipality where they are located. It is separate from your DTI certificate and your BIR registration. DTI registers the name, BIR handles taxes, and the city gives you permission to operate at that address.^[1]

Before you apply, you need your barangay business clearance, because the Local Government Code bars the city from issuing a permit without it. Many cities now take the barangay clearance at the same one-stop shop.^[3,2]

One form, one window: the unified form and the BOSS

RA 11032 Section 11 requires a single or unified business application form for new business permits. It also requires cities to co-locate the treasury, the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO), the zoning office and other offices in one place, which is the Business One-Stop Shop.^[2]

Joint Memorandum Circular 2021-01, signed by ARTA, DTI, DICT and DILG officials, made one Unified Application Form cover the business permit, the fire safety inspection certificate, the locational clearance, and sanitary and environmental permits, as reported by The Philippine Star in April 2021. It encouraged cities to cut business permit processing to fewer than four steps.^[4]

Manila Bulletin reported that the same circular gave all LGUs until 17 June 2021 to put up an electronic BOSS (eBOSS), standardized the documentary requirements, and set business registration processing at up to three days.^[5]

How long does a new mayor's permit take?

RA 11032 sets the maximum time a government office may take: 3 working days for simple transactions, 7 working days for complex ones, and no more than 20 working days for applications that need highly technical evaluation. Your city's Citizen's Charter says which category a new business permit falls under.^[2]

Some cities are much faster. General Trias, Cavite classifies its new LGU Integrated Permit (mayor's permit, barangay business clearance and sanitary permit together) as Simple, and its 2025 charter gives a total processing time of 45 minutes for online applications.^[6]

Example: you file a complete application at your BOSS on a Thursday, and your city's charter lists a new permit as a simple transaction. The three-working-day limit runs to the following Tuesday. If you have heard nothing, follow up at the BPLO window with your receiving copy.

How to apply, step by step

These steps follow the flow most cities publish in their Citizen's Charter. The exact order and number of windows differ, and some cities send the permit digitally.

1. Fill in the unified formUse your city's eBOSS portal or get the form at the Business One-Stop Shop. Enter your DTI or SEC details, address, floor area and line of business.
2. Submit your documentsAttach your barangay clearance, DTI or SEC certificate, proof of the right to use the place, and anything your city's checklist adds. See the full requirements list.
3. Get your assessmentThe BPLO checks the papers and computes your taxes, fees and charges. It issues an order of payment.
4. Pay at the treasuryPay at the treasurer's window in the BOSS or through the city's online payment channel. Keep the official receipt.
5. InspectionsDepending on your business, the fire, sanitation and zoning offices may inspect before or after release.
6. Claim and post your permitGet the permit and plate or sticker, and display them at your place of business.

How much does a mayor's permit cost?

There is no national price. Each city sets its own business tax and regulatory fees, and the BPLO assesses what you owe when you file. Ask the BPLO what goes into your assessment before you sign the lease, so the yearly cost does not surprise you. Treat any single peso figure you see online as true only for that city and that year.

Separately, the Bureau of Fire Protection collects the fire safety inspection fee. In Quezon City, the BFP charter sets it at 15% of all fees charged by the LGU, which shows how one fee can depend on the others.^[7]

One year, then renew

RA 11032 says business permits are valid for one year. The city may choose to renew permits within the first month of the year or on the anniversary of the permit.^[2]

The Local Government Code makes local taxes, fees and charges payable within the first 20 days of January, or of each quarter if your city allows quarterly payment. If your city renews in January, a permit you get in August is renewed the following January, not a full year later.^[3]

Questions people ask

Is a mayor's permit the same as a business permit?

Yes. Cities use both names, along with municipal license. DTI describes it as the mayor's permit or municipal license from the city or municipality where the business is located.

Can I apply for a mayor's permit online?

Many cities have an eBOSS. Under JMC 2021-01, all LGUs were given until 17 June 2021 to set one up, as reported by Manila Bulletin. Check your city's website for its portal.

Do I need a fire safety inspection certificate before the permit?

The Fire Code says no business permit may be issued without an FSIC from the BFP. Under the unified form, the fire safety application is filed together with your business permit. Some cities, such as General Trias, ask for an FSIC for Occupancy valid in the last nine months.

What if the city goes past the processing time?

RA 11032 sets the maximum times, so ask the BPLO in writing for the status and cite your city's Citizen's Charter. Keep your receiving copy as proof of when you filed a complete application.

Do I need to finish the mayor's permit before I register with BIR?

No. BIR removed the mayor's permit as one of the mandatory requirements for registering a new business, so you can register with BIR once you have your DTI certificate. BIR's deadline is your first sale or 30 calendar days after your DTI certificate or mayor's permit is issued, whichever comes first, so do not wait for the city.