Business Licenses

All businesses within the city limits of Pendleton must obtain a city business license. Even if your business office is located outside the city limits and you only do business occasionally in Pendleton, you still need a city business license. Businesses are required to reapply for business licenses annually. The city does provide certain types of business with an exemption to this requirement. Those exemptions can be found in Ordinance 3471, Section 4-C.

The type of application needed varies depending on the type of business (brick and mortar vs. food vending truck) and whether it is for a special event or a generic yearly license.

GENERAL BUSINESS LICENSE:

General License Required:

Those persons and entities who offer goods or services, both professional and nonprofessional, to the general public; examples include, a shoe store, attorney's office, doctor's office, public accountant, welding shop, or cannery, and apartment houses.
Persons and entities whose physical plants or facilities are located outside of the City, but use City streets or facilities to offer services or materials to the public within the City; for example, a bakery truck delivering wares originating from outside the City but delivered within the City to the public and other retailers.
- A business which operates in multiple locations must have a business license for each location. A warehouse or ancillary location which is not open to the public is not a separate location requiring a license.
- Two or more businesses which are conducted at the same premises by the same owner, may be covered by one license issued in the name of the business for which the premises is primarily used.
- Two separately owned businesses which are operated at the same location by different operators or owners must each be separately licensed. For example, both a subtenant operating its own business within the premises
Persons and entities furnishing retail goods and services by door-to-door, mailed, or other media solicitation.
Persons and entities furnishing retail goods and services to businesses within the City.
Persons and entities which are required to be licensed by the State Construction Contractors Board.

License Duration:

Regular and marijuana products licenses shall be valid from February 1, to January 31 of the following year, and shall be renewable annually as described in Section 12. Licenses for trade shows, special events (Round-Up, Whiskyfest and Bike Week), special event master licenses, and construction licenses are issued for particular periods of time as described in Ordinance 3471.

Apply and Pay for a General License Online

OR
Submit a Business License Application via Mail

General Business License Application (PDF)

SPECIAL EVENT BUSINESS LICENSE:

Special Event Business License Required:

During Round-Up, Whiskyfest, and Bike Week, every business, if not already licensed, or excepted in Ordinance 3471 Section 23C, shall be required to obtain either a general or a special event business license and may not operate under a trade show promoter’s license.

This specifically applies to require a special event business license for:
- Two separate businesses operating at a shared location must each have a business license.
- Non-profit entities and organizations, as defined in Section 4, which are organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, or similar purposes; and
- A business with a regular business license operating one or more temporary additional locations of the same business.

Special Event Business License Exceptions:
The following business activities are not required to have a business license during Round-Up, Whiskyfest, and Bike Week:

Children: Businesses operated by a child under the age of eighteen (18), as prescribed in Section 4.C(I) of this ordinance.
Arena Non-Profit Vendors: Non-profit vendors doing business in the Round-Up and Happy Canyon arenas and grounds and which are registered with and permitted to operate by the Round-Up Association. The purpose of this exception is to allow the non-profit corporations to earn money during Round-Up to support their organizations’ endeavors.
Main Street Cowboys Master License: Main Street Cowboys, an Oregon Non-profit Corporation may obtain a Main Street Show Master License effective from the Friday before Round-Up each year and ending the Sunday after Round-Up. Vendors and performers operating on Main Street as a part of the Main street area Cowboy Street Show are exempt from obtaining a license and must be listed in the master license.
Round-Up/Indian Village/Indian Crafts Master License: The Round-Up Association may obtain a Master License for the Round-Up grounds, Indian Village and Roy Raley Park, exempting vendors and businesses which are conducted by non-profit entities or persons who are determined by the Round-Up Association to be native American origin. Such businesses must be listed on the Round-Up Master License.

Special Event Business License Duration:

Round-Up begins the Wednesday before Round-Up each year and ending the Sunday after Round-Up.
- For information on obtaining a booth location during Round-Up, please see our Round-Up Packet.
Whiskyfest begins the Wednesday before Whiskyfest each year and ending the Sunday after Whiskyfest.
Bike Week begins the Wednesday before Bike Week each year and ending the Sunday after Bike Week.

Apply and Pay for a Special Event Business License Online

OR
Submit a Special Event Business License Application via Mail

Special Event Business License Application (PDF)

TRADE SHOW BUSINESS LICENSE:

A trade show is any profit or not-for-profit show within the City limits of the City of Pendleton which offers for sale or display merchandise of one (1) or more vendors at a location within the City. Trade shows include those shows located at the Pendleton Convention Center, Pendleton Airport and other public and private buildings. The purpose of the trade show license is to allow a number of vendors together under one (1) common area for a short period of time to display and sell their merchandise and to be properly licensed within the City of Pendleton. Trade shows for the purposes of this definition may not exceed:

one (1) week in duration in any one (1) calendar year; or
26 periods of not more than three consecutive days in a single week. No license shall continue beyond that period specified in Section 5 of this Ordinance,without securing a second license. A trade show does not include the merchandising of goods and/or services of an already licensed Pendleton business or businesses.