Westerly sets up a business registry | Daily-news-alerts

WESTERLY — The Town Council has adopted an ordinance requiring businesses within Westerly to register with the town, and pay a yearly $15 fee.

It’s Westerly’s attempt to keep track of businesses in town that have operated under fictitious or “trade” names, after the state of Rhode Island took over the registration practice late last year.

The town had in the past recorded a certificate of ownership, which established a trade name and allowed the business owner to open bank accounts for the operation.

But that process of registering trade names is now under state jurisdiction, specifically the secretary of state, after a law enacted last year. Westerly’s date to transfer its trade name registration information to the state was Dec. 23, 2025.

“The state took over all of the trade names, so we can no longer record anything as a trade name,” Town Clerk Mary LeBlanc told the council. “In order to keep track of all the businesses in Westerly, we created this ordinance to have a business registration.”

Any business that must obtain a victualing, liquor or any other municipally issued license to operate, such as restaurants or liquor stores, are exempt from the town’s new registration requirement.

It would, however, affect such businesses as home-based offices and other sole proprietors, LeBlanc said.

The draft of the ordinance, which spurred no public comment at Monday night’s hearing, initially proposed a $25 yearly fee, but it was amended after resistance from Councilors Rose Van Dover and Dylan LaPietra.

“You’re picking on the little guy,” Van Dover said. “I’m not happy about it at all.”

The town had traditionally charged $10 per year to register each trade name for years, LeBlanc said. The state is now charging $20 annually.

Having a local business registry is important, the town argues, in order to be aware of the location and general information about businesses and other profit-making enterprises.

“This information is critical for zoning, police protection, fire protection and other services provided by the town,” the ordinance says.

“Wholesale, retail, commercial, professional services or manufacturing, whether by sole proprietorship, partnership, corporations or any other type of business entity” must register with the town, the ordinance says.

Each entry will have the name, location and contact information for the owner or operator, information on the type of business and “any other basic information that the town determines necessary.”

Upon registration and payment of the fee, the owner will receive a registration certificate, good until June 30 and renewed annually on payment of the fee.

Businesses that can’t show proof from the local tax collector that their municipal taxes are paid up to date will not have their registration renewed.

The registration requirement only applies to businesses based in town, Town Manager Shawn Lacey said.

“If somebody has a plumbing business in Charlestown and they do business in Westerly, they don’t have to register in Westerly,” Lacey said.