What permits do I need?
You will need a certificate of occupancy for the place of business. Contact the city's Building Inspection Division, 206 W. Church St., for details, 972-237-8230.
If you are working out of your home, you may also need to obtain a certificate of occupancy. If you are building a new building, you will need to contact the Development Center.
City of Grand Prairie does not issue or require business licenses.
City of Grand Prairie Resources
Building E-Permits
With the Building Inspection Division's E-Permits, you can track the status of your permit application, obtain plan review comments & fee information, schedule or cancel an inspection and get inspection results.
Certificate of Occupancy
Grand Prairie Building Inspection Division
206 W. Church St.
972-237-8230
Site Location Search
Try a search for real estate properties that meet your requirements or contact Economic Development at 972-237-8160 or 972-237-8327.
Grants/Loans
The city of Grand Prairie does not offer grants or loans to businesses. City Council-approved incentives may be available, depending on added taxable investment and added jobs. Visit our Incentives Web page to learn about incentive programs offered by the city.
Grand Prairie Economic Development Department
972-237-8160
Water Service
Grand Prairie Water Utilities
972-237-8200
Local ResourcesBusiness Centers and Libraries These following are business support organizations that supply free guidance to individuals who are starting a business or trying to make their business more competitive.
Bill J. Priest Institute
402 Corinth St.
Dallas 75215
Phone: 214-860-5900
Best Southwest Small Business Development Center
Obie Greenleaf, Jr., Director
207 Cannady Dr.
Cedar Hill, TX 75104
Phone: 972-860-7893
Fort Worth Business Assistance Center
1150 South Freeway
Fort Worth, TX 76104 Phone: 817-871-6001
Assumed Name / Doing Business As (DBA)
Register your business name in the county or counties in which you will do business.
Arlington branch, Tarrant County Clerk
724 E. Border St.
Arlington 76010
817-548-3928
Dallas County Clerk, Assumed Name Section
509 Main St.
Dallas 75202
214-653-7177
Tarrant County Clerk's Locations for Obtaining an Assumed Name (DBA)
100 W. Weatherford St.
Fort Worth 76196
817-884-1195
Electricity, Gas Service
866-797-4839, Power To Choose
Small Business Administration
Information about various management, procurement and loan programs to assist small businesses may be obtained by contacting the Small Business Administration.
Small Business Administration
4300 Amon Carter Blvd. Suite 114
Fort Worth, Texas 76155
817-684-5500
Small Business Administration Counseling
6260 E Mockingbird Lane Amon Carter Blvd. Suite 114
Dallas, Texas 75214
214-828-2471
WorkSource for Dallas County
WorkSource for Dallas County: Kessler Hills
Grand Prairie, Texas 75051
972-333-0667
State Resources
For corporate certificates and all information pertaining to filing of articles of incorporation or authority of foreign corporations to do business in Texas, contact the Secretary of State.
Incorporation of business
Secretary of State
512-463-5555
www.sos.state.tx.us/index.html
Assumed Business Name Certificate
A domestic or foreign corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, or other foreign filing entity that regularly conducts business or renders a professional service in this state under a name other than its legal name (the name stated in its certificate of formation or comparable document) must file an assumed name certificate with the secretary of state and with the county clerk in the appropriate county.
Form 503 (revised 01/06): http://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms/503_boc.pdf
Filing Fee: $25.00
Secretary of State Contact Information:
P.O. Box 13697, Austin, Texas 78711-3697
Office: 512-463-5555
Fax: 512-463-5709
Business Owners or managers of a new business in Grand Prairie, Texas, might find it beneficial to contact the Comptroller Office of the State of Texas for information on Sales Taxes, Store Taxes and other laws administered by this office.
Texas State Comptroller's Office
P.O. Box 13528, Capitol Station
Austin, TX 78711-3528
www.window.state.tx.us/comptroller.help@cpa.state.tx.us
800-252-5555
Check with the State to determine if any statewide permits or licenses are required:
Office of the Governor
Economic Development and Tourism Division
800-843-5789
Grants/Loans
The Texas Office of the Governor Grants Team lists sources of grant funds, links to federal, state and general databases, information on foundations, among other things.
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Information about licenses and fees pertaining to the sale, transporation or storage of alcoholic beverages can be obtained from the Liquor Control Board.
Dallas Enforcement District 6 (North Region Main Office)
8700 N Stemmons Freeway, Suite 460
Dallas, TX 75247
214-678-4000
Fax: 214-678-4001
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday
Obtain information from the Texas Employment Commission regarding the collection of unemployment insurance, tax, and benefits to qualifying employees.
Texas Workforce Commission
Tax Department
East Central Region
101 E. 15th St., Room 330
Austin, Texas 78701
512-463-3642
Obtain information from Bureau of Labor Statistics on laws that relate to employers and safety.
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations
920 Colorado
Austin, Texas 78701
http://www.tdlr.state.tx.us/
800-803-9202
Information concerning requirements to be complied with on the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 can be obtained from the Texas Department of State Health Services or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Texas Department of State Health Services
P.O. Box 149347
Austin, Texas 78714-9347
512-458-7111
U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration – Austin Office
1033 La Posada Dr., Suite 375
Austin, Texas 78752-3832
512-374-0271
Federal Resources
The Internal Revenue Service Website has a small business section that offers guidelines on choosing a business type (sole proprietorship, S Corporation, partnership, etc.) and evaluating tax implications. The site includes lecture and question-and-answer style seminars presented in multimedia.
IRS Small-Business Guide
The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to maintain records on wages, hours and other items. Employers having workers subject to minimum wage provisions must display certain posters where employees can readily see them.
U.S. Department of Labor
Wage and Hour Division
San Antonio District Office
Northchase 1 Office Building
10127 Morocco, Suite 140
San Antonio, Texas 78216
Information concerning import and export procedures can be obtained form the International Trade Division of the Department of Commerce or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
International Trade Administration – Austin Office
221 E. 11th St., 4th Floor
Austin, TX 78701
http://www.trade.gov
512-916-5939
Area Wage Survey Information is available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Bureau of Labor Statistics – Southwest Office
EA&I, Room 221 525 Griffin St.
Dallas, TX 75202
http://www.bls.gov/ro6/home.htm
214-767-6974
Information concerning environmental control requirements can be obtained from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
TCEQ Region 11 - Austin
2800 S IH 35, Suite 100
Austin, TX 78704-5712
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/
512-239-1000
EPA Region 61445 Ross Ave., Suite 1200
Dallas, Texas 75202
http://www.epa.gov/region6/
214-665-6444
Grants/Loans
Federal grant opportunites can be found at Grants.gov.
County Appraisal District Info
Property Tax on Business Personal Property
File your Business Personal Property (BPP) rendition (April 15th deadline each year) to county appraisal district.
Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD)
2500 Handley-Ederville Road
Fort Worth, TX 76118-6982
817-284-0024
E-mail: webmaster@tad.org
Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD)
2949 North Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75247
Customer Service: 214-631-0910
Main Switchboard: 214-631-0520
E-mail (inquiries for Business Personal Property): bppcs@dcad.org