Need help finding Zoneing/Buisness laws

[lizarddrew]

Hey guys, I live in cook county which is a county outside of chicago. I cant seem to find any zoneing laws for it. I am trying to start a small computer repair shop out of my home but I dont know if I need a license.

 

[ijunkie]

If you live in a rural area ask at the county clerks office, if you live in a town/city look at the city clerks office/city hall.

 

[RegEdit]

I am trying to start a small computer repair shop out of my home but I dont know if I need a license.

I can only speak for California. In California the STATE requires that anyone who represents themselves as someone who repairs computers must be licensed with the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair. All they do is make sure that you're not a felon. They charge $160 a year (because California government gauges all of its residents!).
There are local ordinances in unincorporated cities of Los Angeles that allow for people to run certain types of businesses out of the home under certain conditions. For example you are allowed no more than 2 customers per hour, no signs outside, people can only show up from like 8 until 8 PM, etc. There is no "license" that they issue to run a home business. You just have to fall within LA's rules.
I can tell you that some areas across the US do not allow you to run a computer repair business out of the home. Hopefully yours is not one of them.
LA's Office of Finance also issues a "sales and use tax" permit. This is just of way of the city saying "We know you're running a business. You'd better pay your taxes." There's no fee to get this Office of Finance sales & use tax permit. BTW they found ME. I never even knew about this permit. I just got a letter in the mail one day asking me to fill it out and identify my business.

 

[TopLevelComp]

Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair

I searched that site for MONTHS and couldn't find that it was for computer repair, I came to the conclusion they took computer repair off the list, then one day I randomly check it and it has computer repair listed

It's now $165 a year., and you need to pay a separate $75 a year to do service contracts

It is such a joke of a government agency. No certifications or education needed, they just want the money.

 

[RegEdit]

need to pay a separate $75 a year to do service contracts

A sales invoice that they sign off on?

Yeah the state of California is doing its best to scare off businesses. It's a two-way street though. Carl's Junior is the latest company, headquartered in Cali that is looking to move. Film companies have been fleeing to shoot elsewhere for years.