The Town Clerk's Office is responsible for issuing business licenses for the Town of Windham. Before you start your business, contact the Code Enforcement Office at 894-5960 ext. 1 to confirm that your location is properly zoned for the business operations.
State Licenses. You may be required to obtain certain licenses or permits from the State of Maine to operate your business.
Town Licenses. In addition to any State license requirements, you may need to obtain a license or permit from the Town of Windham to operate in our community. Included below are business license applications for those activities requiring a local license. Most licenses require the approval of Town Council, Code Enforcement, Police Department, Fire Department and Tax Collector.
We issue the following licenses:
Applications and Fees
Applications and Ordinances are also available in the Clerk's office. You may also request them in person, by phone or via email.
- All business licenses require an application fee
- All fees, application and license, must be paid on an annual basis
- Background check fees may apply so some licenses
For those licenses that need Town Council approval; the Council meets the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. At the very latest, the Clerk's Office needs the completed application, any supporting documents and fee by noon on the previous Tuesday before the meeting. If a public hearing is needed, then we need all documentation at least 2 to 3 weeks before the Council meeting to allow ample time for a Legal Notice to be placed in the newspaper. If advertising is required, the applicant is required to pay the advertising cost.
Registering a Business Name
As a Sole Proprietor/Partnership the State of Maine requires any business that is not registered on the State level to be registered with the Municipality that the business is located in. This is done either as a Sole Proprietor or as a Partnership. This is also referred to as a "Doing Business As". We will ask you to check with Code Enforcement before you fill out the paperwork with us.
The application needs to be notarized, which our office does as part of the registration, and there is a one-time $10 registration fee. Please bring a photo ID with you.
Fees may be paid by check, cash, and credit/debit card. The Town offers the convenience of accepting debit and credit cards for municipal payments. All major cards (MasterCard, Visa, American Express , and Discover) are accepted. A third-party convenience fee will apply if using a credit card. The fee will be 2.65% of the transaction amount, with a $3.00 minimum.
If your business is a "Home Occupation" we ask that you check with the Code Enforcement Department before seeing the Clerk, and if you plan to put up a sign, you will need to to see the Code Enforcement Department.
Many banks will require you to provide a copy of this form before allowing you to open a bank account for your business. Corporations are not required to file with our office due to having already filed their business name with the State.