Business Licenses


Welcome and thank you for considering Tittabawassee Township as the site for your business.

Tittabawassee Township is a business-friendly community, but like everywhere, there are some rules which must be followed.

  1. Marihuana related businesses are not allowed in Tittabawassee Township.

*See Tittabawassee Township Code of Ordinance Chapter 7

  1. Home-based businesses are allowed but must comply with some requirements to be considered a home occupation. Please see the section “Is my business a Home Occupation” below. Home occupations are not required to obtain a business license.
  2. Freeland is not a village or city; it is part of Tittabawassee Township. There are no village or city boundaries.

Rules for all Businesses
Tittabawassee Township is a zoned community. This means that there is a place for everything and everything in its place. Zoning is designed to minimize conflicts between property owners and to maximize the use of available resources. Before committing to a location for your business, please contact the Township Zoning Administrator to ensure that your type of business is allowed at the location that you are considering.

Depending upon the location, the type of business that is being proposed and any planned changes to the site, a formal site plan review may be required. This may or may not require an appearance before the Township Planning Commission. The review process can take up to 60 days. Contact the Township Zoning Administrator for assistance and details on how this will apply to your business.

As a business owner, the safety of your employees and customers is your responsibility. To help ensure their safety, the Michigan Building Code requires that any changes to the plumbing systems, changes to the mechanical systems or changes to the electrical system at a commercial site must be performed by licensed contractors. The business owner cannot do this themselves. Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and/or Electrical permits, and inspections are required for any work performed at a commercial site. Contact the appropriate inspector prior to beginning any work.

Tittabawassee Township requires that every business obtain a business license prior to initiation of business. A safety inspection by the Fire Chief as well as an inspection by the Department of Public Works is required before the business license is issued. The license is valid for up to one year and must be renewed each May 1st.   Please apply for your license at least 30 days prior to your planned opening date.

Is my business a Home Occupation?
To be considered a home occupation, all the following must be true:

  1. The business is operated in its entirety within the principal dwelling.
  2. The business does not have a separate entrance from outside the building.
  3. The business does not involve alteration or construction not customarily found in dwellings.
  4. The business does not use any mechanical equipment except that which is used normally for purely domestic or household purposes or for agricultural purposes if the home occupation is located in the Agricultural zoning district.
  5. The business does not use more than twenty-five (25%) percent of the total actual floor area of the dwelling, with a maximum total area for the home occupation of five hundred (500) square feet.
  6. The business does not display or create outside the structure any external evidence of the operation of the home occupation, including additional traffic, except for one (1) unanimated, non-illuminated, wall sign having an area of not more than two (2) square feet.
  7. The business does not employ any persons other than family members residing on the premises.
  8. The business does not offer retail sales on the premises.
  9. The business does not involve automobile and/or vehicle repair, painting, sales, or salvage.
  10. The business does not involve an animal kennel or stable.

Contacts

Zoning Administrator Kim Reiss 989-695-9512
**Code Enforcement Officer Darrin Jerome 989-692-7936
Building Inspector John Stemple 989-737-5756
Plumbing & Mechanical Inspector Dell Bedford 989-737-9108
Electrical Inspector Barri Woods     989-233-7036
Fire Chief Phil Shaver 989-695-9768
DPW Ed Brown 989-695-6517
Township Office   989-695-9512

**Main point of contact for Business License Inspections

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have during this process. Again, thank you for choosing Tittabawassee Township!


At the October 10th 2017 Tittabawassee Township Board meeting, the board approved the Tittabawassee Township Business License Ordinance. The ordinance calls for the annual registration of all businesses operating in the township. Exceptions are made for legally operating home businesses, political and religious establishments, and agricultural operations. All other businesses will be required to obtain and display a business license if they conduct business within the township.