What does "routinely" mean? What if I only do business in that city once a month or once a year? Only at the Wine and Cheese Festival or Farmers' Market?

What does "do business" mean? Some cities have stated in writing that as insignificant act as handing out business cards within the city limits constitutes "doing business" in the city and therefore requires a business license.

Wow, even more troubling is the question asked by many businesses about doing business in a whole bunch of nearby cities - Do I need a business license in each and every city? Again the answer is not simple. If you have customers who come from those cities, but come to your place of business, then the answer may be no you don't need a license in all of those other cities, only the city where your business is located. But if you go to those cities to provide your product or service then the answer may be yes.

Hmmm, and what if my business is NOT in any city? That typically means you are located in an Unincorporated area of the County. If your customers come to you or you sell on the Internet, then the answer is likely to be that you don't need a business license. But see above if you do go to cities to do your business even though your business is located in an unincorporated area. You will likely need a business license in the cities where you do a significant amount of business.

On the bright side there are a few cities that do not require a business license except under special conditions.