Elkhart County Business License: Goshen Contractor Ordinance, Elkhart and the RV Industry

If you searched for an elkhart indiana business license, the short answer is that Indiana does not issue one comprehensive business license. Neither the state nor Elkhart County hands you a single permit that covers everything you will do. What you need depends on what you sell, what work you perform, and where that work happens. In practice, a business in Elkhart County usually needs a mix of state filings, county or city permits, and, for some trades, a local contractor registration. Goshen adopted a new one in June 2026.

This guide covers the pieces that matter most for a new business in Elkhart County: forming the entity, the Goshen contractor ordinance, county and city permits, the tax rates that show up on your paperwork, and the state dealer license that applies if you sell recreational vehicles.

Disclaimer: This is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Licensing and tax questions that affect real money or real liability should go to a qualified attorney or CPA.

Start with the state filing, not a local license

Most businesses in Elkhart start the same way as businesses anywhere in Indiana: with a filing at the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division. You file through INBiz at https://inbiz.in.gov/, and the state's business information lives at https://www.in.gov/sos/business/.

The formation documents and fees are:

• LLC: Articles of Organization, Domestic Limited Liability Company (State Form 49459), $95.
• Corporation: Articles of Incorporation, Domestic Corporation (State Form 4159), $95.

The LLC name must include the words Limited Liability Company or an abbreviation of them, and it must be distinguishable from names already in the Secretary of State's records. Adding Inc., LLC, or LLP, or changing capitalization or punctuation, does not make a name distinguishable. Before you file, search the name in the public business search at https://bsd.sos.in.gov/publicbusinesssearch. If you need time to file, you can reserve a name for 120 days for $10.

The state does not publish a processing time for formations, and it offers no expedited option for an LLC formation. Do not sign a lease or order inventory around a guaranteed approval date.

Ongoing requirements after you file

Every business entity must continuously maintain a registered agent and registered office in Indiana. The agent receives legal and tax documents for the business. The agent can be an Indiana resident whose business office matches the registered office, or a business entity authorized to do business in Indiana. The office must be a street address, since a P.O. Box is not enough unless it comes with a rural route reference. A business cannot serve as its own registered agent, and an entity may have only one.

The Business Entity Report costs $32 and is due every other year, by the end of the month in which the business was formed or registered. The first report is due two years after formation. Filing on paper costs $50.

Indiana has no franchise tax. An LLC's income passes through to its owners, who pay the individual adjusted gross income tax, currently 2.95% for 2026 and scheduled to fall to 2.90% in 2027, plus the county local income tax where they live. An LLC that elects corporate treatment instead pays the 4.9% corporate adjusted gross income tax. Whether to elect corporate treatment is a question for your CPA.

Assumed names (DBAs)

If you operate under a name other than your legal name, you need a Certificate of Assumed Business Name (State Form 30353). For a corporation, LLC, LP, or LLP already registered with the state, file it with the Secretary of State. Online through INBiz, the fee is $20 per name. Paper filing costs $30 per name for those entities. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not file with the state. They record the assumed name with the county recorder where the business is located, and each of Indiana's 92 counties sets its own fee, so confirm the Elkhart County Recorder's fee before you file.

Goshen Ordinance 5258: the new contractor rule

The Goshen Common Council adopted Ordinance 5258, and the mayor approved it, on June 22, 2026, according to a City of Goshen public notice. It covers three trades: Electrical Contractors, Class A Mechanical Contractors, and Class B Mechanical Contractors. Under the notice, these contractors must be licensed and registered with the Goshen Building Department before they work in the city. Registration renews every three years, and the ordinance carries enforcement penalties.

The public notice does not state fees, exam requirements, or insurance requirements. Those details are in the full text, which is available at the Goshen Clerk-Treasurer's Office, 202 S. Fifth St.

Two points remain unverified. First, this guide could not confirm whether Ordinance 5258 replaces Ordinance 5120, which dates to May 2022. Second, it could not confirm the current fees or requirements under the new rule. Confirm both with the Goshen Building Department before you bid a job in the city. Ask them for the effective date, the fee schedule, the exam and insurance requirements, and whether 5120 still applies to any part of your work.

If you are an electrical or mechanical contractor, do not assume that a license from another Indiana city carries over to Goshen. Get the answer in writing before you sign a contract.

Permits in Elkhart County: county versus city

Permits in the county follow a simple rule of thumb: the Elkhart County Building Department handles county permits, and cities run their own building departments for work inside their limits. For a project inside Goshen, the Goshen Building Department is the office that issues the building permit, so start there. Ask about the building permit itself, any zoning approval, and the registration described above if your trade is covered.

For projects inside other cities, such as Elkhart, contact that city's building or planning office directly. This guide did not verify those offices' permit fees, forms, or timelines, so do not budget from a number you found in an old forum post.

Local government also controls zoning and land use. Before you sign a lease for a shop, warehouse, or retail space, confirm that the intended use is allowed at that address. The state's own business guidance says Indiana has no single comprehensive business license, and that businesses may still need local permits or zoning approval from the city or county. That is the step most often missed by first-time owners who think the state filing covers everything.

Tax rates you will see on Elkhart County paperwork

Elkhart County's local income tax rate is 2.00% effective January 1, 2026, according to Indiana Department of Revenue Departmental Notice #1. The county income tax depends on where the owner lives, not where the business operates. An Elkhart County resident who owns a pass-through LLC pays the state individual rate plus this county rate on their share of the income.

The Department of Revenue's tax table also lists a 2% food and beverage tax in Shipshewana, effective January 1, 2026. Shipshewana is in LaGrange County rather than Elkhart County, so confirm with the Department of Revenue whether the tax applies to your location before you price a food or beverage operation.

If you sell taxable goods, you need to register for sales tax. Indiana's state sales tax rate is 7%. The Registered Retail Merchant Certificate costs $25. Register through the Department of Revenue at https://www.in.gov/dor/i-am-a/business-corp/business-education/register-business/, and find general tax guidance at https://www.in.gov/dor/.

RV dealers: a state license, not a county one

The Elkhart area is closely tied to the recreational vehicle industry, and RV dealers are licensed by the state, not the county. The Secretary of State's Auto Dealer Services Division requires a new motor vehicle dealer license from anyone who sells or advertises at least 12 new vehicles in a 12-month period. The count includes recreational vehicles, so a business that sells or advertises 12 or more new RVs in 12 months needs that license.

The word advertises matters. A business that markets new RVs without selling them can still hit the threshold. Count your advertised inventory when you plan a launch, not just your completed sales.

This guide did not find an RV-specific local licensing regime in Elkhart or Elkhart County. That is not the same as confirming that none exists. Before you open a lot or showroom, ask the city or county directly whether any local license, permit, or zoning approval applies to RV sales at the address you plan to use. Contact the Secretary of State's Auto Dealer Services Division to confirm the state license requirements, since this guide did not verify the division's web page or application steps.

Step-by-step: how to start a business in Elkhart

1. Choose the entity. Decide between an LLC, a corporation, or a sole proprietorship. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships have no state formation filing, but they still face the county and city rules above.
2. Search and reserve the name. Run the name through the business search. Reserve it for $10 if you need up to 120 days.
3. File the formation document. File the Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation through INBiz for $95.
4. Appoint a registered agent. Name an agent with an Indiana street address who meets the requirements above.
5. Get a federal employer identification number from the IRS if you will have employees or a business bank account that requires one.
6. File a DBA if needed. Use the $20 online filing for a registered entity, or the county recorder for a sole proprietorship or general partnership.
7. Register for sales tax if you sell taxable goods. The Registered Retail Merchant Certificate costs $25.
8. Check local permits and trade rules. Confirm zoning and building permits with the city or county. Contractors working in Goshen should confirm Ordinance 5258 requirements with the Goshen Building Department.
9. Check profession-specific licenses. Some occupations need a license from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Confirm whether your work falls under one.
10. Calendar the Business Entity Report. The first report is due two years after formation, and then every other year.

Fees at a glance

Item	Cost	Where to file or confirm
LLC Articles of Organization (State Form 49459)	$95	INBiz, https://inbiz.in.gov/
Corporation Articles of Incorporation (State Form 4159)	$95	INBiz, https://inbiz.in.gov/
Name reservation (120 days)	$10	INBiz
Business Entity Report (every other year)	$32 online, $50 on paper	Secretary of State
Assumed name (DBA), online	$20 per name	Secretary of State
Registered Retail Merchant Certificate	$25	Department of Revenue
Goshen contractor registration (Ordinance 5258)	Not verified	Goshen Building Department
County or city building permits	Not verified	Elkhart County Building Department or the city's building department

Where to get help

The Indiana Small Business Development Center offers free and low-cost advising at https://isbdc.org/. The U.S. Small Business Administration's Indiana district page, https://www.sba.gov/district/indiana, lists regional resources and counseling options.

Questions to confirm before you open

• Does Ordinance 5258 replace Ordinance 5120, and what are the current fees and requirements? Ask the Goshen Building Department.
• Does your RV or other vehicle sales plan require a state new motor vehicle dealer license? Ask the Secretary of State's Auto Dealer Services Division.
• Is there any local RV-specific license, permit, or zoning requirement at your address? Ask the city or county.
• Does the Shipshewana food and beverage tax apply to your location? Ask the Department of Revenue.

A business with contractor work, employees, or multiple locations should have a qualified attorney review the entity choice and a CPA review the tax treatment before launch. The rules above are a starting point, not a substitute for that advice.