My state registration was easy but the local licensing is confusing

Which city? Every one I've dealt with has their own weird process. Some only care about zoning approval first.

State registration being easy is normal. It's the local stuff that trips people up. In my town you need a zoning sign-off before the business license office will even look at your application. I'd call the planning department first and ask them to confirm whether your address is zoned for what you're doing. Write down the name of whoever you talk to.

Not sure if this helps But my city had a separate home occupation permit in addition to the general license. It was buried under a different department page.

Also worth checking if they require a fire inspection for home-based. Mine did and nobody mentioned it until I submitted.

Honestly i just walked into the permit office in person after two weeks of trying to figure it out online. Got more clarity in 15 minutes than from the whole website. If that's an option I'd do it.

Are you running the business out of your house or a separate location? That changes things a lot.

Inventory in the home often pushes you out of the standard home occupation classification. Some zoning codes limit square footage you can use or prohibit having stock on site. That's probably why the website pages don't line up with what you're describing.

Seconding the zoning point. I'd ask specifically about the inventory and whether it counts as retail use. Get it in writing if you can.

This is exactly why I gave up and hired a permit expediter for a flat fee. Not saying you have to, but if the three links are all different departments you may be dealing with zoning plus licensing plus fire and each has their own forms.

One more thing. Some cities won't issue the business license until they see your state registration certificate, so keep that PDF handy. Small step but people miss it.

Call the main business license number and ask them to tell you the exact sequence of approvals for your address. Then call zoning and confirm. It takes time but it's less frustrating than guessing.

Did anyone's city require a separate sign permit even for a home office with no signage? Mine sent me a form for that and I still don't understand why.

I've seen that. It's often a blanket form for all business licenses and you just mark N/A.

If the inventory room is more than a small percentage of the floor area someone at zoning may want a floor plan. Just a heads up so you're not surprised.

The inconsistency between city departments is the real problem here, not you. Keep notes and don't rely on a phone answer without a name attached.