What You Should Know About: Changes to the Business License Renewal Process

Both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have announced changes to their business license renewal processes beginning with the upcoming 2026 cycle. These updates are designed to streamline communication, reduce paperwork, and speed up approvals—important news for rental property owners.

Gulf Shores: Renewal Forms Moving to Email Only

Beginning December 2025, Gulf Shores will no longer mail business or rental license renewal forms. All renewal forms and notices will be delivered exclusively by email.

Key details:

• Renewal period opens January 1, 2026 and is due by January 31, 2026 (same deadline each year).

• Owners must ensure their email address on file is accurate, as email will now be the city’s only method of delivering forms and reminders.

• Late payments received after January 31 will incur penalties.

• The city recommends checking spam/junk folders and contacting the Revenue Department if expected emails are not received.

• Questions? Call 251-968-1120.

This shift is part of Gulf Shores’ broader effort to modernize city services, improve efficiency, and reduce paper waste.

Orange Beach: New Online Portal for Applications & Renewals

Orange Beach has launched a new business license portal powered by OpenGov Permitting & Licensing, which went live on December 5, 2025.

What’s changing:

• All business license applications and renewals will now be submitted online through the OpenGov portal.

• For the 2026 renewal cycle, every business license holder must create an online account before renewing.

• The new system is expected to speed up processing, cut paperwork, and make it easier for businesses to track application status.

• The Finance Department processes more than 13,000 applications annually, and this upgrade should help maintain reasonable review times.

Support & Resources:

• Step-by-step setup instructions are available on the Orange Beach OpenGov resource page.

• Questions? Contact the Orange Beach Finance Department at 251-981-6096.

City officials describe this as an investment in better IT systems designed to simplify doing business in Orange Beach and improve overall service efficiency.

NEXT STEPS: As always, when renewing your business license, you’ll be asked to provide your gross revenue. You DO NOT need to call us for this information; you can access it in your Owner’s Portal. Here’s how:

1. Go to your Owner’s Portal

2. Click on “Statements”

3. Go to “2025”

4. Go to “December 2025”

5. Under 2025, “Rental Charges” is the Gross Receipts that you will provide.