236,760
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024 (co-est2024-alldata.csv), July 1, 2024 estimate
Green Cove Springs
Green Cove Springs · Orange Park · Keystone Heights · Penney Farms
No county BTR (Clay County Planning & Zoning confirms); municipalities may require one
Clay County business license: do you need a business tax receipt?
Clay County has about 237,000 residents southwest of Jacksonville. Green Cove Springs is the county seat, and Orange Park, Keystone Heights and Penney Farms are its towns, alongside large unincorporated areas like Fleming Island and Middleburg. Whether you form an LLC, a corporation or a PLLC, Clay County doesn't currently require a county business tax receipt or occupational license, and Planning and Zoning can give you that in writing. Zoning still matters. Give Planning and Zoning your address or parcel and your intended use to confirm it's allowed under the zoning and future land use designation. Some changes need a change-of-use application or development review. If you're inside one of the incorporated towns, check whether that town requires its own business tax receipt before you open.
Occupational license vs. business tax receipt in Clay County
Clay County has an estimated 236,760 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024), making it Florida's 25th most populous of 67 counties, and it has grown about 8.5% since the 2020 Census base. The county seat is Green Cove Springs, and its largest incorporated communities include Green Cove Springs, Orange Park, Keystone Heights. Wherever you are in the county, your LLC or corporation is formed at the state level, so the entity itself is the same as one formed in Miami or Tallahassee.
How to start a business in Clay County: LLC, corporation or PLLC
Florida's Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) charges $125 to file Articles of Organization for an LLC ($100 filing plus $25 registered agent designation) and $70 for Articles of Incorporation ($35 plus $35). Florida requires every entity to keep a registered agent with a physical Florida street address, and an annual report is due to Sunbiz between January 1 and May 1 each year ($138.75 for an LLC, $150 for a corporation, with a $400 late fee). Corp USA can file your Articles, serve as your registered agent and remind you of the annual report deadline. Your registered agent's address appears in the public Sunbiz record, so many owners who work from home use a registered agent service to keep their home address off that filing.
After the state filing, check local requirements. Florida counties and cities may levy a Local Business Tax under Chapter 205, Florida Statutes; in Clay County, start with the Clay County Tax Collector (https://www.claycountytax.com/), and if your business is inside a city such as Green Cove Springs, check that city's business tax office too. Add any state professional license and confirm zoning before you open.
Clay County business license FAQs
Do I need a Clay County business license (business tax receipt)?
No county receipt. Clay County doesn't currently require a county business tax receipt, but Green Cove Springs, Keystone Heights, Orange Park or Penney Farms may require a city one.
Is a Clay County occupational license the same as a business tax receipt?
Yes. Florida law renamed the old occupational license the local business tax in 2006, so a business tax receipt, an occupational license and a local business license all mean the same thing in Florida (Chapter 205, Florida Statutes).
Can I form a Florida LLC if my business is based in Green Cove Springs?
Yes. Florida LLCs are formed statewide through Sunbiz for $125; your Green Cove Springs address can be the principal office, and you need a Florida registered agent.
Where is the Clay County Tax Collector?
Its official site is https://www.claycountytax.com/.
Should my Clay County business be an LLC, a corporation or a PLLC?
Most small businesses choose an LLC for its simple management and pass-through taxes. A corporation suits owners who plan to issue stock or bring in investors. A PLLC is for state-licensed professionals such as doctors, lawyers and CPAs. All three file with Sunbiz: $125 for an LLC or PLLC and $70 for a corporation.