80,908
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024 (co-est2024-alldata.csv), July 1, 2024 estimate
Key West
Key West · Marathon · Islamorada, Village of Islands · Key Colony Beach
Monroe County business license: do you need a business tax receipt?
Monroe County covers the Florida Keys and has about 81,000 residents. Key West is the county seat, and Marathon, Islamorada, Key Colony Beach and Layton are its other cities. Whether you form an LLC, a corporation or a PLLC, you need a Monroe County Local Business Tax Receipt from the Tax Collector. Inside Key West, you also need a City of Key West Business Tax Receipt, because the county receipt doesn't cover the city. Key West requires one from anyone doing business in the city, or advertising as if they do, home businesses included. You apply on the city's online portal, then pay and print your license. Both receipts expire September 30. The county renews from July to September. If you're in Marathon or Islamorada, check those cities' requirements too.
Occupational license vs. business tax receipt in Monroe County
Monroe County has an estimated 80,908 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024), making it Florida's 39th most populous of 67 counties, and it has changed about 2.4% since the 2020 Census base. The county seat is Key West, and its largest incorporated communities include Key West, Marathon, Islamorada, Village of Islands. 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 Monroe 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 Monroe County, start with the Monroe County Tax Collector (https://www.monroetaxcollector.com/), and if your business is inside a city such as Key West, check that city's business tax office too. Add any state professional license and confirm zoning before you open.
Monroe County business license FAQs
Do I need a Monroe County business license (business tax receipt)?
Yes. Monroe County requires a county Local Business Tax Receipt. In Key West and the other Keys cities you also need the city receipt, because the county receipt doesn't cover the city.
Is a Monroe 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 Key West?
Yes. Florida LLCs are formed statewide through Sunbiz for $125; your Key West address can be the principal office, and you need a Florida registered agent.
Where is the Monroe County Tax Collector?
Its official site is https://www.monroetaxcollector.com/.
Should my Monroe 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.