Mississippi Business License Lookup: How to Verify a License for a Contractor, Salon or Business

If you are looking for a Mississippi business license search tool that returns every license a company holds, you will not find one. Mississippi has no single license database and no general statewide business license. Each license comes from a different state board, agency or city, so a Mississippi business license lookup means checking the right source for the type of license in question. This guide shows you where to check, what to look for, and what a lookup cannot prove.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. For a complex situation, such as a contractor with several classifications or a company with out-of-state owners, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA.

Why Mississippi Has No Single License Lookup

Mississippi does not issue a general business license at the state level. Three things that look like licenses are actually something else:

• Entity registration. Forming an LLC or corporation with the Secretary of State is a registration. It shows the company exists on state records. It does not authorize the company to perform any particular trade.
• Sales tax permit. The sales tax permit that the Department of Revenue (DOR) issues to businesses making retail sales is a tax registration.
• City privilege licenses. Every city, town and village issues its own privilege license under Miss. Code 27-17. Counties license only businesses located outside municipalities.

Occupational and industry licenses come from the state board that governs that trade. That is why the right lookup depends on what the business actually does.

Match the License Type to the Right Source

Start by asking what the business needs to be licensed for. The table below lists the source to check for each common type.

License or registration	Who issues it	Where to verify
Contractor (general or specialty)	Mississippi State Board of Contractors	"Check A License" search at msboc.us
Real estate agent or broker	Mississippi Real Estate Commission	Find Licensee page on the commission's website
Salon, barber or cosmetologist	Mississippi Board of Cosmetology and Barbering	Board roster
Alcohol permit	Department of Revenue, ABC	ABC Permit Search in TAP at tap.dor.ms.gov
Notary public	Secretary of State	Notary public search on the Secretary of State site
LLC, corporation or other entity	Secretary of State	Business entity search
City privilege license	City clerk or tax office	Ask the city for proof. There is no statewide search.
Sales tax permit	Department of Revenue	Ask for proof and confirm with DOR. This is a tax registration, not a license.

How to Read a License Status

Whatever the source, check three things before you rely on a result: the status, the expiration date and whether the identity matches.

• Status. A license can be active, inactive or expired. Active means the record shows the license in force. Inactive means the license is not in active use, and the rules for what it permits vary by board, so ask the board. Expired means the license has lapsed, and the holder should not be treated as licensed until it is renewed.
• Expiration date. Read the date, not just the word "active." A record can lag behind a renewal, so if the date is close or has passed, ask the holder for a renewal confirmation.
• Identity match. The name, license number and address on the record should match the person or company in front of you. A trade name that differs from the license holder's name is a question to ask, not automatically a problem, because a sole proprietor may operate under a business name.

Save a screenshot or printout with the date you checked. Licenses change, and a record from six months ago tells you nothing about today.

Verifying a Contractor

Contractor licensing is the lookup that homeowners and project managers need most. Use the State Board of Contractors' "Check A License" search at msboc.us, then work through these steps:

1. Get the license number from the contractor in writing. Do not rely on a business card or a verbal assurance.
2. Search the number and confirm the name on the record matches the name on your contract and that the status is active.
3. Check the classification. A license covers certain kinds of work, so confirm with the Board that the classification covers your project before you sign.
4. Check the expiration date and read any notes the record displays.
5. Confirm the licensing thresholds with the Board. The Board sets the rules for when a license is required, so do not rely on an older article or a forum post for those figures.

A passing lookup confirms the license exists. It does not confirm the quality of the work, the contractor's insurance, or whether the project needs a city permit. Those are separate checks.

Verifying a Salon, Barber or Cosmetologist

Use the Mississippi Board of Cosmetology and Barbering roster to check an individual. Confirm the person's name, the license type the Board lists for that person, and the status and expiration date.

A salon is also a business, and an individual's license does not automatically cover the shop. Ask the Board whether the salon location needs its own registration or establishment license. Then check the city privilege license for that address, and if the salon operates as an LLC or corporation, check the entity on the Secretary of State search.

Verifying a Real Estate Agent or an Alcohol Permit

Real estate

Use the Find Licensee page on the Mississippi Real Estate Commission website. Check whether the person is licensed as an agent or a broker, the status and the expiration date. Confirm that the brokerage shown on the record is the company you are dealing with, since a mismatch is a common reason for a second look.

Alcohol permits

Alcohol permits are issued through the Department of Revenue's ABC division. Search the ABC Permit Search in TAP at tap.dor.ms.gov. Match the business name and address on the record to the location you are checking. Confirm with DOR whether a permit covers the address in question before you assume it does.

Notaries and Business Entities

Notaries are searched through the Secretary of State's notary public search. Confirm the name and that the commission is current.

Business entities are searched by name on the Secretary of State's business entity search at corp.sos.ms.gov. The record shows whether the entity is on the state's books and its current status. A few facts help you read it:

• Name rules. An LLC name must contain "limited liability company," "L.L.C." or "LLC." The name must also be distinguishable from other entities and reserved names on the Secretary of State's records.
• Formation cost. The LLC Certificate of Formation (Form F0100) costs $50. Articles of Incorporation for a corporation also cost $50.
• Annual reports. An LLC annual report is due April 15 each year, may be filed on or after January 1, has no fee and must be filed online. Profit corporations also file by April 15 and pay $25. Nonprofit corporations file by May 15. Failure to file an LLC annual report can lead to administrative dissolution, so a dissolved status is the first thing to look for.
• Franchise tax. The franchise tax applies to corporations. It does not apply to an LLC taxed as a partnership. An LLC that is taxed as a corporation pays both Mississippi corporate income tax and the franchise tax. The franchise tax is scheduled for repeal effective January 1, 2028, so confirm the current treatment with DOR or a CPA.

If a company does business under a name other than its legal name, that name is a fictitious (assumed) business name. It is registered with the Secretary of State, not the county, on the Fictitious Business Name Registration (Form F0070), which costs $25. Search the Secretary of State records for the trade name as well as the legal name.

City Privilege Licenses and Sales Tax Permits

The city privilege license is the license most businesses overlook, because there is no state search for it. Every city, town and village issues its own, and the license is held by that city's clerk or tax office. To verify one, contact the city, ask for a copy or written confirmation, and give the business name and address you are checking.

Do not assume one city's rules or fees apply to another. Jackson, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Tupelo and every other municipality set their own process, so confirm each with that city.

The sales tax permit works differently. The DOR describes it as a permit for the privilege of operating a business in Mississippi, and it is a tax registration, not a license. There is no fee for the permit, but a bond may be required for an applicant with no permanent Mississippi location. The state sales tax rate is 7%, and there is no county add-on. City levies apply only in Jackson and Tupelo, so confirm the local rate for your address with DOR. Ask any business for proof of its permit, and confirm the details at the DOR sales and use tax registration page.

What a Lookup Does Not Tell You

• Wage compliance. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum wage applies. A license search says nothing about wages, hours or payroll practices.
• Quality and insurance. A record confirms that a credential exists. It does not confirm the work is competent, insured or bonded. Ask for those documents directly.
• Full standing. A business can have a valid state license and still be missing a city privilege license, a sales tax permit or a current annual report. Check each piece separately.

Quick Verification Checklist

1. Identify the license type and the agency that issues it.
2. Search that agency's source and save a dated copy of the result.
3. Confirm the status is active and the expiration date has not passed.
4. Match the name, license number and address to the person or business in front of you.
5. Ask the city for proof of its privilege license, and ask DOR for proof of any sales tax permit.
6. Confirm the entity is active on the Secretary of State search and that its annual report is current.

If you are the one applying for these credentials, the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network can help you sort out which agency handles each one. Its lead center is at mississippisbdc.org.

Disclaimer: This guide is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Licensing rules, fees and deadlines change. Confirm current requirements with the agency named in each section, and talk with a qualified attorney or CPA about your specific situation.