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DUNEDIN GUIDE

Dunedin Chamber of Commerce
301 Main Street

Dunedin, FL 34698
727/733-3197

The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce welcomes you to Dunedin. Our Chamber is an excellent resource for entrepreneurs and business owners. Contact the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce at (727) 733-3197 or by visiting our website at www.dunedin-fl.com.

The following information is a guide for the city of Dunedin and does not supercede other County, State, or Federal regulations that may also apply. If your business requires that you work in other cities, you must check with each city regarding their licensing ordinances. Check with your attorney to make sure that you are complying with the laws at all levels.

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WHAT TYPE LICENSES DO I NEED FOR MY BUSINESS ?  Top

The City of Dunedin requires every business to have an Occupational License for every location. The license is issued by the City. The occupational license must be obtained before beginning the operation of the business or the applicant will be subject to a penalty of twenty-five percent (25%) of the required license fee, in addition to mandatory legal action.

 

If your business will sell any alcoholic beverages, regardless of whether its temporary or whether the alcohol will be consumed on or off the premises, you are required to obtain a liquor license from the State of Florida. The Clearwater office is located at 2189 Cleveland St., #266, phone 866-391-3527.

In addition to city licenses, many businesses require licenses from the state of Florida before doing business. Some such businesses are pest control and any health affecting product or service, public swimming pools, individual sewage disposal facilities, trailer parks, bottled water plants, food processing plants, food outlets and restaurants, health studios, dance studios, commercial telephone sellers, motor vehicle dealers, and contractors. This list is not exhaustive.

For more information, contact:

• Pinellas County Environmental Health, 2536 Countryside Blvd. #202, Clearwater, 727/724-1451.
• State of Florida Hotel & Restaurant,
1313 Tampa St. #106,
Tampa, 813/272-2200.
• State of Florida, Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services,
1-800-435-7352.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET AN OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE?  Top

An application along with the appropriate fees needs to be submitted and approved before an occupational license will be issued. Applications for a license can be obtained in the Community Services Dept. found on the 2nd floor of the Sheriff’s Office, 737 Louden Ave., 727/298-3201.

HOW MUCH IS THE FEE?  Top

The fee for the occupational license is based on such factors as square footage, size of inventory, and number of employees of the business. In addition, there is a one time administrative fee of $15.00 that applies to all new licenses. Telephone Mary Gouge at 727/298-3201 with any questions regarding the application fees, or any other certification requirements and forms.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET AN
OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE?  Top

The application review process generally takes 7 -10 working days, but may vary according to the review schedules of the various departments involved.

WHAT TYPE OF REVIEWS ARE DONE?  Top

In Dunedin, several reviews must be completed before an application for an occupational license will be approved, so it is best to address these issues before submitting your application. This may save you time and help you avoid costly mistakes or revisions down the road.

1. Zoning: Contact Zoning at 727/298-3194 to see if your particular business is permitted in your chosen location. If it isn’t, they will be able to advise you on any appeal procedure. This is an important step to tend to since most license rejections are due to improper zoning.

2. Off-street Parking and Engineering Requirements: If you intend to change the use of the business location or expand it structurally, you may be required to provide additional off-street parking, landscaping as well as determine drainage requirements. Contact Dave Schutz with the Engineering Dept. at 727/298-3178.

3. Concurrency review: Florida state law requires a Concurrency Review for commercial businesses in locations where there is any expansion or change in use. Concurrency simply requires that all needed services (water, sewer, roads, etc.) for that location’ s use be available.

4. Fire code requirements: Businesses in commercial locations are required to install a 2-A10BC Fire Extinguisher which must be serviced and tagged by a licensed Extinguishing Company. Contact Fire Administration at 727/298-3092 for a free inspection of the premises and advice on all requirements.

5. Building code regulations: If your business is in a commercial location and you plan to do any remodeling, you may need a building permit - even for minor projects. Check with Dennis Gullo, Building Official, 298-3193.

CAN I OPERATE MY BUSINESS FROM MY HOME?  Top

Home occupation is permitted in residential zones, but are subject to limitations designed to protect the residents of the neighborhood. No signage, customer traffic, or unusual deliveries is allowed. An additional questionnaire is required for the home occupational license.

CAN I TRANSFER MY OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE?  Top

Yes, a transfer can be person-to-person or location -to-location, unless prohibited by City Code.

HOW DO I DO A TRANSFER?  Top

If you want to do a person-to-person transfer then the following steps are necessary:

1. The seller of the business must present the license to the License Officer within thirty (30) days after the business has been sold, with the following endorsement, signed and dated by the seller, on the reverse side of the City license “I, (seller), wish to transfer this license to (buyer).

2. The buyer must then file an application for the transfer of a license, and meet all requirements stated by law and City ordinances, as if he had applied for the original license himself.

3. A transfer fee ($3.00-$25.00) based on a percentage of the tax is required.

4. The buyer must provide proper legal document showing the transfer of stock of goods and of the lease or deed to the property.

5. If the conditions listed above are not complied with, the full license fee according to the Uniform Development Code will be due.

For a location-to-location transfer an owner will need to provide a written request for relocation and present the original occupational license to the License Officer. A transfer fee ($3.00-$25.00) based on a percentage of the tax will be due. The new location must meet zoning and all other criteria established under City codes and Florida Statutes. Building and fire inspections will be necessary as well.

I WANT A SIGN, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?  Top

To install any sign, or to change the face of an existing one, a sign permit is required and must be issued before the sign is put up within the City of Dunedin. If the sign has displays on both sides, to be seen from opposite directions, each side will be counted in the calculation for total square footage. The sign permit base fee is $15.00 plus 4 cents per square foot of total sign area. An electrical permit is also required if there is anything electrical involved with the installation or connection of this sign. Failure to obtain the necessary permits is a violation that will result in a penalty fee that is four times the rate of the entire permit.

CAN I HAVE A GRAND OPENING AND DISTRIBUTE HANDBILLS?  Top

New businesses are allowed to display a grand opening sign within the first three (3) weeks of business for a period of thirty (30) days. A temporary sign permit application must be completed and submitted for approval. The application takes approximately five (5) working days to process. No fees are required. The temporary sign can be no larger than 64 square feet in size and must be confined to private property. The distribution of Commercial Handbills requires a Handbill Permit which you can obtain from the City Clerk’s office at 727/298-3039.

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO CONSIDER?  Top

1. Fictitious Name Act: If your business will use any name other than your own, you must register it with the State of Florida, Division of Corporations, Tallahassee (850) 487-6058. The fictitious name must be advertised in a county newspaper where the applicant’s primary place of business will be located. Fictitious Name forms are available by calling the above number or by visiting the web site at www.sunbiz.org.
2. Corporations: The filing of corporations is handled through the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Corporations, P.O. Box 6327, Tallahassee, FL 32314, phone 850/ 488-9000 or by visiting the web site at www.sunbiz.org.
3. State Sales Tax: The State of Florida, in conjunction with Pinellas County, collects a seven percent (7%) retail sales tax on certain items. You must register with the State of Florida to collect this tax. For further information, contact the Florida Dept. of Revenue, State Sales Tax Division, 19337 US 19, #230 (Arbor Shoreline Office Park), Clearwater 33764, 727/538-7400.

4. Small Business Administration (SCORE): The Small Business Administration and the Service Corp. of Retired Executives (SCORE) offers assistance and free counseling in your business. They also offer information on forms for State and Federal filing, Contact one of the counselors located at the Airport Business Center, .4707 140th Ave. N., #311, Clearwater, 34622 727/ 532-6800.

5. Payroll Taxes: Employers are responsible for the collection of Federal Payroll Taxes and their payment to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These include Income Taxes (withheld from employee Social Security Taxes), FICA (Employer and employee Social Security Taxes), and FUCA, (Federal Unemployment Taxes.) Employers are required to obtain a Federal Employer’s Identification Number (FEIN) and have every employee fill out an Employee Withholding Certificate.

6. Business Income Taxes: All partnerships, proprietorships and corporations must file Federal Income Tax Reports and make payments to the IRS. Tax forms can be obtained by calling IRS Tax & Distribution Center 1-800-829-3676 or in person at IRS Office, 9600 Koger Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL 33702. To receive free copies of Employers Tax Guide and Tax Guide For Small Business, call the IRS at the number above. For other tax information or if you are interested in attending a free one-day workshop for tax planning and compliance, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
7. COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act): Businesses that have 20 or more full or part-time employees during 50% of the business days in the previous calendar year and maintain a group health insurance plan must comply with these requirements. For information regarding reporting procedures, call (305) 651-6464.
8. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration): For information regarding specific requirements and reporting procedures, call OSHA at 727/626-1177.
9. EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission): For information regarding specific requirements and reporting procedures, call EEOC at 1-800-669-4000.
Dunedin Chamber of Commerce - Membership: To get your business connected to customers, suppliers, promotions and activities that promote business growth, joining the Chamber is a wise investment in your business. Contact the Chamber at 727/733-3197. Our offices are located at 301 Main St., Dunedin, FL 34698. www.dunedin-fl.com.   Top