Business Licenses

First Steps

The first step in starting a new business or moving your business to Westbrook is to contact the Planning, Assessing & Code Enforcement Office to confirm that your location is properly zoned for the business operations that you intend to conduct there.

State Licenses. You may be required to obtain certain licenses or permits from the State of Maine to operate your business. Click here for information on State business licenses. 

City Licenses. In addition to any State license requirements, you may need to obtain a license or permit from the City of Westbrook to operate in our community. 

The City of Westbrook currently issues municipal licenses for the following business establishments: 

  • Food Service Establishments (FSE's)
  • Food Trucks
  • Pushcart/Portable Vending Unit(s)
  • Tobacco  Vendors
  • Tattoo
  • Massage
  • Indoor/Outdoor Movie Theatres
  • Towing
  • Commercial Hauling
  • Secondhand Dealers/Pawn Shops 

Fees. There is a $25 application fee per business, along with a $35 background investigation fee for each new applicant.  Applications requiring a public hearing through City Council will be responsible for advertising costs at a flat rate of $135.

Applying for a Business License 

New applicants. Please apply online using MyGov. This system will require an account to be made for application submission & tracking. Directions to creating your MyGov account can be accessed here.

Renewals. Please contact the City Clerk's Office to obtain your MyGov login credentials prior to renewing. 

If you need assistance in applying or have questions in general, please reach out to Erica Mercier, Licensing Administrator


Registering Your Business

In accordance with State law, all businesses in Westbrook operating as sole proprietor or partnership using a name other than the owner's personal name must register their business with the City Clerk's Office. This form is commonly known as a DBA ("doing business as"). There is a one-time fee of $10 to file this form. Many banks will require you to provide a copy of this form before allowing you to open a bank account for your business. Before you may file a DBA, our Planning & Code Enforcement Office must conduct a review to ensure that the business is an allowable use in accordance with local zoning ordinances. Follow the link below for more information


Business Resources Page