Before beginning operations in Houston County, a business, profession, or occupation should apply for a business privilege license with the Houston County Probate Office, 462 North Oates Street, Dothan, Alabama. This includes operations located within the municipal limits of Ashford, Avon, Columbia, Cottonwood, Cowarts, Gordon, Dothan, Kinsey, Madrid, Rehobeth, Taylor, Webb.
The state and county business privilege licenses must be renewed during the month of October each year. The license expires September 30, and should be renewed prior to November 1 each year to avoid penalties and interest. License fees vary depending upon the type of license that is required; in some cases, deciding factors may be:
- the population of the area where the business is located, or
- the number of employees a business may have, or
- the gross amount of contracts (contractors), or
- the capital investment of a business (manufacturer)
The Code of Alabama 1975, Title 40, Chapter 12 provides the authority for Alabama's county business licenses, which total in number approximately 140.
Sample business license sections include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Retail Stores and Chain Stores
- Automobile Dealers | Section 40-12-51
- Auto Repair Shops | Section 40-12-54
- Contractors | Section 40-12-84
- Manufacturers | Section 40-12-87
- Restaurant, Cafes | Section 40-12-151
- Transient Dealers | Section 40-12-172
- Transient Vendors | Section 40-12-174
- Vending Machine Operators | Section 40-12-176
For a sample listing of required licenses and fees contact the Houston County Business License office at 334-677-4742 or the Alabama Department of Revenue, Business License Division at 334-353-7827.
A Quick Reference Guide is provided to determine the license sections that may apply to your business or occupation.
An educational brochure for Alabama taxpayers,'Starting A New Business' is also provided by the Alabama Department of Revenue.
Towns
Please note that a municipality within Houston County may have additional provisions for license fees and requirements for certain businesses and occupations. You may need to contact the respective City Clerk's office for the city or town where operations may be conducted.
- Town of Ashford | 334-899-3366
- Town of Avon | 334-899-3715
- Town of Columbia | 334-696-4417
- Town of Cottonwood | 334-691-2671
- Town of Cowarts | 334-792-8920
- Town of Gordon | 334-522-3113
- City of Dothan | 334-615-3165
- Town of Kinsey | 334-793-5409
- Town of Madrid | 334-677-3435
- Town of Rehobeth | 334-671-5829
- Town of Taylor | 334-677-5079
- Town of Webb | 334-792-0386
Sales Tax
For information related to the collection and remittance of sales tax the following agencies should be contacted.
State and Houston County Sales Tax
Alabama Department of Revenue
Sales and Use Tax Division
Montgomery, AL 36130
334-242-1490
RDS at 1-800-556-7274
Municipality Sales Tax
City of Dothan Clerk's office
334-615-3165
License Renewal
We accept Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Credit, and Debit Cards.
- Your Internet Handling fees for any shopping cart total are as follows: Credit / Debit the greater of 2.5%.
- The internet handling fee is not paid to the County but to Flat Rate Processing.
