“A year after the passage of a law allowing Pennsylvania taverns to host small games of chance took effect, only a fraction of the expected number of establishments have sought licenses.”

When the game of chance licenses first became available, they projected 2,000 businesses would apply for it. In actuality, only 47 applications have been filed and 37 have been granted licenses. Why? The expensive FBI background check and 65 percent tax rate could have something to do with the low application rate.

As of December 31, 2014, durable medical equipment suppliers will need a license to operate in Colorado. To learn more about what a durable medical equipment (DME) supplier is and what kind of licensing is involved you can check out the recording from our Healthcare Webinar in which we reviewed DME licensing.

As marijuana is legalized in more and more states, the licensing involved with this industry has proven to be pricey and competitive. If you’d like to either be one of the lucky five to manufacture medical marijuana, then you should be prepared to shell out “a $10,000 nonrefundable fee to apply for a license to manufacture medical marijuana in New York” and an additional $200,000 if you actually receive a license.

In Adams County, CO, the ability to own a marijuana business, will be determined by whether you are lucky enough to win the lottery for a license. Even once you get a license, there are many regulations that come into play.

“All industry businesses must be at least 100 feet from churches, youth centers, alcohol or drug rehabilitation facilities, group homes for the developmentally disabled and halfway houses or correctional facilities.”

We get the feeling that these rules (which admittedly make some sense) are only the tip of the iceberg. This is precisely why research, especially on a national scale, is so challenging. When you’re trying to open up locations, who knows which rules embedded in the official law will give you trouble.

In recent news, Boston announced that they are moving the licensing and permitting process to manage the 86,000 permits they receive annually to an online cloud platform. Could this be the future? It should certainly make it easier for Boston to manage the many licenses and permits it issues annually, but will it be better for the people who need to apply? We debated this very point in a 2014 webinar on emerging trends in business license compliance. The answer is like it is in many situations — it depends.

In recent news, Tacoma, WA, has decided it will be closing all unlicensed shops selling marijuana to close by the summer. There are at least 56 shops and unfortunately the “council members picked the toughest approach” when dealing with unlicensed stores. As with any business you open, it is important to be properly licensed or you could face serious consequences including forced closure of your business.

If you’re a brewer, cider producer or winery, you’re about to see change to legislation that could help you grow your business without previous prohibitive licenses standing in your way. As a result of the “the 2014 Craft New York Act, which Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently signed into law…small, locally owned manufacturers of beer, wine, spirits and cider [will be able] to grow their business.”

“The new law revises statutes affecting these license holders: brewers, farm brewers, cider producers, Class A-1, B-1 and farm distilleries, wineries and farm wineries. Minimum production thresholds were implemented across each of these categories, and the maximum production thresholds will increase. This will allow license holders to grow their business without the need to apply for a different type of license, a requirement that could have been cost-prohibitive.”