Resident guide
Specialty Business Licenses and Development Tools
Separate annual registration from activity-specific licenses and find current TIF, site-selection and business-help sources.
Registration is not every license
Annual business registration does not replace licenses for regulated activities. Before opening, identify every activity the business will conduct and ask the Finance Department which specialty licenses apply. A specialty license may be required for the business, each professional, each vehicle or each machine. Zoning approval, building permits, inspections, occupancy approval and State or County licenses are separate requirements and may still apply. Do not begin a regulated activity until all required approvals are issued. Confirm current applications, supporting documents, background checks, insurance, renewal dates and fees with the responsible office.
Route questions to the right task
Use the startup, registration, property, utility and permit guides instead of an old FAQ with frozen rates and forms. Those guides explain the next local step and preserve current authoritative handoffs.
TIF and development areas
TIF boundaries, plans, expiration dates and opportunities can change. Use current City maps, ordinances, annual reports and economic-development staff. A TIF district does not guarantee an incentive.
Site-selection data
Do not rely on the old 2015 estimates and 2017 market PDFs. Use Census QuickFacts, Choose DuPage and current City property/economic-development sources.
Frquently Asked Questions
- Is City funding available to help a new or existing business?The City may offer incentive programs for qualifying businesses in the Downtown TIF District. Program availability, eligibility and funding change; review the current business-assistance and TIF resources before making plans.
- How do I start electric and gas service?Contact ComEd at 800-334-7661 for electric service and Nicor Gas at 888-642-6748 for gas service. Confirm service areas, account requirements and current procedures with each utility.
- How do I start commercial waste pickup?The City does not designate one commercial waste hauler. Contact a local or regional waste and recycling company and confirm that it serves the property and can meet the business’s needs.
- How do I start City water service?Contact the City Finance Department at City Hall, 475 Main Street, before occupancy. Use the local utilities guide for current billing and contact information.
Specialty Licenses for Business
- Coin-operated amusement or vending games
- Auctions and auctioneers
- Currency exchanges and money changers
- Day and temporary labor agencies
- Hotels and motels with sleeping accommodations for more than 20 people
- Landscape-waste transfer stations
- Liquor sales and service
- Massage establishments and therapists
- Peddlers, scavengers, solicitors and tag-day activity
- Tattoo and body-piercing establishments
- Taxicab businesses and individual vehicles
- Tobacco vending machines and over-the-counter tobacco sales
TIF Districts
- How TIF worksTax Increment Financing allocates future property-tax revenue generated within a defined district to eligible improvements in that district.
- How long a district lastsIllinois TIF districts generally have a 23-year term and may receive a 12-year extension only with state legislative approval.
- West Chicago districtsThe official City page provides current district boundaries, plans, reports and a map. The original Downtown TIF District ended December 31, 2021; use current records to distinguish it from Downtown TIF District No. 2.
- Business opportunitiesA location inside a TIF district does not guarantee assistance. Contact current City economic-development staff to discuss eligibility, available programs and required approvals.
Site Selection Data
- Use current demographic dataThe source page cites a 2015 population estimate of 27,447. Use U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for current population, demographic and household information.
- Use current regional business dataChoose DuPage and current City economic-development resources provide regional statistics and site-selection assistance.
- Treat the supporting reports as historicalThe source directory includes business, demographic, income, market, retail and traffic reports. Confirm each report publication date before relying on it.
- Verify properties and infrastructureUse current property listings, zoning, utilities, transportation and GIS sources when evaluating a location. Old market PDFs do not establish present conditions.