How to Look Up a State Sales Tax Number
A state sales tax number is the registration number a state tax agency issues to your business when you register to collect sales tax. If you have misplaced yours, inherited a business, or need to confirm that a customer’s resale claim is genuine, this guide explains where the number lives, how to retrieve it, and who to contact in each state.
If you have not registered yet, there is nothing to look up. Start a sales tax application instead and your number will be issued by the state once your registration is processed.
What Is a State Sales Tax Number?
A state sales tax number identifies your business to a state revenue department for sales and use tax purposes. It authorises you to collect tax from customers and, in most states, to buy inventory tax-free for resale. Every state names it differently, which is the single biggest reason people struggle to find theirs:
- Sales tax permit number – the most common term, used in Texas, Florida, Georgia and many others
- Seller’s permit number – California and several western states
- Certificate of Authority number – New York
- Vendor’s license number – Ohio
- Sales tax license number – Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania
- TPT license number – Arizona, where the tax is called transaction privilege tax
- Sales and use tax registration number – North Carolina, Virginia and others
They all serve the same function. If a form asks for your “resale number,” “sales tax ID” or “state tax ID for sales tax,” it is asking for this number.
A Sales Tax Number Is Not an EIN
This trips up a lot of new business owners. Your EIN is a nine-digit federal number issued by the IRS and used for income tax and payroll. Your state sales tax number is issued separately by a state revenue agency and is used only for sales and use tax in that state. They are different numbers from different governments, and one is never a substitute for the other. You will usually need your EIN in hand before you can complete a state sales tax application.
Three Reasons to Look Up a Sales Tax Number
- You need your own number. Filing a return, onboarding with a wholesaler, or completing a marketplace seller profile all require it.
- You need to check a customer’s number. When a buyer hands you a resale certificate, the number on it is what exempts you from charging tax. If it is invalid and you are audited, the unpaid tax is generally yours to cover.
- You need to confirm a registration is still active. Permits lapse. Some states require periodic renewal, and a number that worked last year may not be current.
How to Look Up Your Own State Sales Tax Number
Work through these in order – most people find the number in the first two steps.
- Check the permit itself. States issue a physical or downloadable certificate when they approve a registration. The number is printed on it, usually near the top. Many businesses are required to display this certificate at their place of business, so it may already be on your wall.
- Search your email. If you registered online, the confirmation message from the state agency almost always contains the number. Search your inbox for the agency name, “sales tax,” “permit” or “certificate,” and check spam and archived folders.
- Log in to the state’s online tax portal. Nearly every state now runs a business tax account system. Once you are logged in, the number appears on your account dashboard and on any previously filed return.
- Look at a filed return. Past sales tax returns, whether filed by you or by an accountant, carry the registration number on the first page.
- Call the state revenue agency. If none of the above works, the agency can look up your account. Have your legal business name, EIN, business address and the approximate registration date ready before you call – they will use these to verify you are authorised to receive the number.
How to Look Up Another Business’s Sales Tax Number
This is harder, and deliberately so. Some states publish an online verification tool that lets you enter a permit number and confirm it is valid and active. Others treat registration details as confidential taxpayer information and publish nothing at all.
Where no public tool exists, the practical approach is to require a properly completed resale or exemption certificate from the buyer and keep it on file. The certificate is what documents the exemption, and a signed certificate accepted in good faith is generally what protects you in an audit. If you want the number itself checked, our state sales tax number verification service handles the lookup for you.
State Sales Tax Number Lookup – Agency Contacts by State
The fastest route to a number that is not written down anywhere is usually a direct call to the state agency. Our state guides carry current phone numbers, department names, mailing addresses and office hours for the agency that administers sales tax in each state:
- Arizona Department of Revenue contact information
- California CDTFA contact information
- Colorado Department of Revenue contact information
- Florida Department of Revenue contact information
- Georgia Department of Revenue contact information
- Illinois Department of Revenue contact information
- Indiana Department of Revenue contact information
- Comptroller of Maryland contact information
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue contact information
- Michigan Department of Treasury contact information
- New Jersey Division of Taxation contact information
- New York Tax Department contact information
- North Carolina Department of Revenue contact information
- Ohio Department of Taxation contact information
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue contact information
- Tennessee Department of Revenue contact information
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts contact information
- Virginia Tax contact information
- Washington Department of Revenue contact information
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue contact information
Working in a state not listed above? Our full library of state sales tax guides covers registration requirements, rates and agency details state by state.
Lookup, Verification and Registration Are Three Different Things
- Lookup means retrieving a number that already exists – usually your own.
- Verification means confirming that a number belongs to a real, active registration. Use our sales tax number verification page.
- Registration means applying for a number you do not yet have. That is a sales tax application.
No Number to Look Up? Apply for One
If a search turns up nothing, the most likely explanation is that the business was never registered in that state. Sales tax registration is state by state: selling into five states with nexus in each means five separate registrations and five separate numbers.
We handle state sales tax applications in all 50 states. You complete one form, we prepare and submit the registration to the correct agency, and the state issues your number. Start with our online sales tax application, or read how to register for a sales tax number first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I look up my sales tax number online for free?
Usually yes, if you have access to the state’s online business tax account. Logging in and reading the number off your dashboard costs nothing. What is not always free or possible is looking up a number for a business you do not control.
Is my sales tax number the same in every state?
No. Each state issues its own number under its own format. There is no national sales tax number, and a Texas permit number means nothing to California.
What documents do I need before calling the state?
Have your legal business name and any DBA, your EIN, the business address used at registration, and the approximate date you registered. Agencies will not release a number to someone who cannot establish they are authorised for the account.
My permit number does not work when I file. What now?
The most common causes are a lapsed or cancelled registration, a number entered with or without dashes when the system expects the opposite, or a number belonging to a different tax type. Contact the agency to confirm the account status before the filing deadline.
Do I need a sales tax number to buy wholesale?
In most states, yes. Wholesalers ask for a resale certificate showing a valid sales tax number before they will sell to you without charging tax. See how to apply for a state tax resale certificate.
How long does it take to get a number if I apply now?
It varies by state, from same-day issuance in some states to several weeks in others. Our sales tax application FAQs cover timing, fees and what the state needs from you.