Once you know where you've triggered nexus, you have to register with that state before you collect its tax. Here's the agency, the online portal, the fee, and whether the state joins the Streamlined system — for every state that has a sales tax.
Compiled 10 July 2026 from state Departments of Revenue and the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board. Fees and portals change; verify against the linked primary source before registering — this is a reference, not tax or legal advice.
A permit isn't a formality you can back-fill. States expect you to hold a valid sales-tax registration before the first dollar of tax shows up on an invoice — collecting tax under an unregistered business name is its own compliance problem, on top of whatever you owed. If NexusRadar's free checker or the threshold guide just told you that you've crossed a state's line, this is the next step: register there, then turn on collection for that state's customers.
Timelines vary widely. Some portals (Ohio, Alabama, New Mexico, Colorado) issue an account number within a day or two of an online application. Others take two to three weeks, especially mail-in applications (Texas) or states with formal review periods. New York specifically requires registration at least 20 days before your first taxable sale in the state — don't wait until you've already crossed the threshold to start the paperwork.
The Streamlined Sales Tax Registration System (SSTRS) lets you register in all 24 Streamlined member states with a single free application, instead of visiting 24 separate portals. If most of the states in your nexus list carry the SST badge below, this is almost always the faster path. States outside the Streamlined program (including California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois) still have to be registered individually, no matter which route you take for the rest.
For a fuller walkthrough of the registration form itself, see how to register for a sales tax permit.
Agency, official online portal, registration fee, and Streamlined Sales Tax (SST) membership for every state that levies a sales tax, plus DC. Five states — Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Alaska (no state-level tax) — have nothing to register for at the state level and aren't listed.
| State | Agency | Portal | Fee | SST | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama AL | Alabama Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | — | source ↗ |
| Arizona AZ | Arizona Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | $12 per location (TPT license) | — | source ↗ |
| Arkansas AR | Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration | Register ↗ | $50 one-time, non-refundable | SST | source ↗ |
| California CA | California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) | Register ↗ | Free (security deposit may be required for some sellers) | — | source ↗ |
| Colorado CO | Colorado Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | $16 (+ $50 refundable deposit for a new physical-location license) | — | source ↗ |
| Connecticut CT | Department of Revenue Services (DRS) | Register ↗ | $100 (covers a 2-year period, auto-renews at no cost) | — | source ↗ |
| District of Columbia DC | DC Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) | Register ↗ | Free | — | source ↗ |
| Florida FL | Florida Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free online ($5 if registering by mail) | — | source ↗ |
| Georgia GA | Georgia Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Hawaii HI | Hawaii Department of Taxation | Register ↗ | $20 one-time (General Excise Tax license) | — | source ↗ |
| Idaho ID | Idaho State Tax Commission | Register ↗ | Free | — | source ↗ |
| Illinois IL | Illinois Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | — | source ↗ |
| Indiana IN | Indiana Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | $25 per place of business (Registered Retail Merchant Certificate) | SST | source ↗ |
| Iowa IA | Iowa Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Kansas KS | Kansas Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Kentucky KY | Kentucky Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Louisiana LA | Louisiana Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free at the state level (parish/local registration is separate) | — | source ↗ |
| Maine ME | Maine Revenue Services | Register ↗ | Free | — | source ↗ |
| Maryland MD | Comptroller of Maryland | Register ↗ | Free | — | source ↗ |
| Massachusetts MA | Massachusetts Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | — | source ↗ |
| Michigan MI | Michigan Department of Treasury | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Minnesota MN | Minnesota Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Mississippi MS | Mississippi Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free (a bond may be required for some applicants) | — | source ↗ |
| Missouri MO | Missouri Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free (bond generally no longer required) | — | source ↗ |
| Nebraska NE | Nebraska Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Nevada NV | Nevada Department of Taxation | Register ↗ | Free online (paper: $15/location); separate $200/yr State Business License also required for most businesses | SST | source ↗ |
| New Jersey NJ | NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| New Mexico NM | NM Taxation and Revenue Department | Register ↗ | Free (Gross Receipts Tax registration — NM's sales-tax equivalent) | — | source ↗ |
| New York NY | NY Department of Taxation and Finance | Register ↗ | Free (Certificate of Authority; register ≥20 days before your first sale) | — | source ↗ |
| North Carolina NC | North Carolina Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| North Dakota ND | ND Office of State Tax Commissioner | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Ohio OH | Ohio Department of Taxation | Register ↗ | Free for remote sellers (seller's use tax, Form UT-1000); $25–$50 vendor's license if you have physical presence | SST | source ↗ |
| Oklahoma OK | Oklahoma Tax Commission | Register ↗ | $20 for the primary permit, $10 per additional location | SST | source ↗ |
| Pennsylvania PA | Pennsylvania Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | — | source ↗ |
| Rhode Island RI | Rhode Island Division of Taxation | Register ↗ | Free (the $10 fee was eliminated for permits starting on/after 7/1/2022) | SST | source ↗ |
| South Carolina SC | South Carolina Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | $50 per retail location (one-time) | — | source ↗ |
| South Dakota SD | South Dakota Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Tennessee TN | Tennessee Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Texas TX | Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts | Register ↗ | Free (a security bond may be required in some cases) | — | source ↗ |
| Utah UT | Utah State Tax Commission | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Vermont VT | Vermont Department of Taxes | Register ↗ | Free | SST | source ↗ |
| Virginia VA | Virginia Department of Taxation | Register ↗ | Free | — | source ↗ |
| Washington WA | Washington Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | varies — verify (Business License Application processing fee, roughly $50 for a first location) | SST | source ↗ |
| West Virginia WV | West Virginia State Tax Department | Register ↗ | $30 one-time (Business Registration Certificate doubles as the sales tax permit) | SST | source ↗ |
| Wisconsin WI | Wisconsin Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | $20 (covers 2 years; $10 renewal every 2 years after) | SST | source ↗ |
| Wyoming WY | Wyoming Department of Revenue | Register ↗ | $60 one-time | SST | source ↗ |
Yes. States require you to hold a valid permit before you collect their sales tax — collecting tax under an unregistered name is itself a compliance problem, separate from whether you owed the tax at all. Register first, then start collecting on your next sale.
The Streamlined Sales Tax Registration System (SSTRS) lets you register in all Streamlined member states — 24 states as of 2026 — with a single free application instead of registering with each state separately. It's the fastest path to multi-state compliance if most of your nexus states are SST members.
Most states charge no fee at all — 34 of the 46 sales-tax jurisdictions in this list register for free. A handful charge a small one-time fee (Arkansas $50, Connecticut $100, Hawaii $20, South Carolina $50, West Virginia $30, Wyoming $60, and others); a few, like Colorado and Oklahoma, charge per physical location.
It varies by state and method. Many online portals (Ohio, Alabama, New Mexico) issue an account number within 24–48 hours or instantly; others (Texas, mail-in applications) can take two to three weeks. Register with enough lead time before you plan to start collecting — New York, for example, requires registration at least 20 days before your first taxable sale.
No. NexusRadar's free checker tells you which states you've triggered economic nexus in and need to register with — it does not submit registrations or file returns on your behalf. Use the links in this guide to register directly with each state's official portal.
Collecting sales tax without a valid permit is a separate violation from failing to collect at all in many states, and can complicate remitting what you've collected. Register first, even if it delays your first collection by a few days.