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New York Business Express

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Business Express

There are several ways you can use the NY Business Express to help you start your business.

Find What You Need.

Use the Business Wizard Custom Checklist to learn more about licenses, permits, certifications, taxes, and regulations.

The Business Wizard can help you identify:

-licenses, permits, and certifications you may be required to obtain;
-taxes you may be required to collect and remit to NYS;
-regulations and laws you must follow when setting up and operating your business; and
-other necessary steps to help you get your business started.
 
Your custom checklist will show a summary page with a list of required forms and transactions, estimated timeframes, total costs, and other helpful information.

Use the Business Index A-Z to browse the directory of NYS licenses, permits, and certifications.

Apply Online.

Certain applications for licenses, permits, and certifications can be completed and submitted online and will have direct links to the online service from the related description page. For some online processing you will need to register for an NY.Gov account. Visit NY.Gov for how-to obtain an NY.Gov account.

You can also use your NY.Gov account to check the status of applications you have submitted through the NYBE portal.

Get Incentives.

Use the Support and Incentives Wizard to learn more about financial incentives and support services offered by NYS.

NYS government policies and privacy laws protect your personal information from any unauthorized collection, disclosure, or access. Your information will only be shared with the NYS agencies that issue the licenses you have applied for.

Submitting an application through New York Business Express (NYBE) creates a profile for your business or organization.  You will be able to reuse the information contained in your business profile to submit future applications when using NYBE.  This will save you time from having to reenter common information about your business or organization, such as addresses, phone numbers and the people associated to your business or organization.


Once you have created a business profile for your business or organization, it will be associated to your NY.GOV login and only you will be able to submit applications for your business or organization.  Others using NYBE who try to start an application with your business identifiers, such as the Legal Name or federal EIN, will be prevented from completing the application.  If your business or organization is large we suggest identifying one individual to submit applications using NYBE.


If you are having trouble accessing the NY.GOV account you created your business profile under, click here to request your username or click here to reset your password.


If you are trying to complete an application for your business or organization and are prevented from completing the application because a business profile already exists, consult with those within your business or organization to check if they have started a profile using NYBE.  If you have a third-party representative or accountant, you may want to check with them as well.


If you do not have access to the NY.GOV account with your business profile or do not know who within your organization created the business profile, you can request to have your business profile linked to a different NY.GOV account.  If you are an owner or principal of the business or organization you can make the request by calling the NYBE Contact Center at (518)-485-5000, Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, with the exception of state observed holidays.  Once you have made a request, a representative from a New York State agency will contact you to verify your association to the business.  Please note, a third-party representative or accountant cannot make a request to have a business profile linked to another NY.GOV account. This type of request must be made by an owner or principal of the business or organization.


To create a New York Business Express account:

  1. Access the New York Business Express home page.
  2. Select Log In from the top navigation bar and select Register with NY.gov from the New Users section.
  3. Complete all required fields to activate your NY.gov ID
Please visit the New York Business Express Get Started page. From this page you can login, retrieve your username(s), or reset your password.
Yes. Your partially completed applications can be saved and returned to at a later date. The data for each application page is saved in the system after the 'Save and Continue' button at the bottom of the page is selected. Save and Exit.

NY Business Express provides estimates on application processing times in the Index description pages. These are best estimates and application processing can vary depending on:

  • the type of requirement;
  • the completeness of the application;
  • the agency issuing the requested license or permit; and
  • any additional factors, such as an inspection or a fingerprint check.

License and permit applications may be rejected for a variety of reasons, depending on each issuing agency or department's requirements.

You can find specific license information on the related Description Pages in our Business Index A to Z. You may need to follow the agency or department's specific instructions, or contact them for further assistance.

Once you have submitted your application, NYBE will forward it to the appropriate New York State agency for processing. After the agency has finished processing your application, you will receive your license/certificate/filing/permit.

To view your application status:

  1. Visit the NY Business Express home page.
  2. Login to your account using the Your Account selection.
  3. Once logged in, Visit Your Account under the Your Account selection.
  4. Applications that were selected from your Business Wizard checklist or the Index will display under your recent activity tab of your dashboard.

Expiration dates of different licenses, permits, and certifications vary, and it is important to know how long each is valid. Operating a business without the required licenses, permits, or certifications is illegal and is subject to penalties.

For expiration information for the items you applied for, go to:

  • Your license Description Page, in the Business Index A-Z. To view the Description Page, enter the name of the license, permit or certification in the Search window on the Business Index A - Z page and click on the appropriate link in the Search Results, or
  • the agency that issues license, permit or certification

Certain licenses, permits, and certifications are available for online application.

Access application description pages though the Business Index A-Z or walk through our Business Wizard to create a customized checklist to determine which are available online.

If you require additional information, please visit the issuing agency's website.

If you submitted your application through NY Business Express, you can check the status of your application by signing into your account. On the NY Business Express homepage top navigation bar you will see your name on the far right hand side. Click on your name and select 'Dashboard' from the drop down. You will then be in your 'Recent Activity' and will see the statuses of all your transactions. If you submitted your transaction outside of NY Business Express you can access the application Description Page in our Index and contact the appropriate agency directly.

If you did not submit your application through NY Business Express, contact the NYS Business Call Center. A representative will route your call to the appropriate agency.