US-focused overview. Rules vary by state and by supplier. This is practical guidance, not legal or tax advice.
Key Takeaways:
Can you buy wholesale without a business license?
Sometimes, yes. Many suppliers will still sell to you, but they may treat you like a normal consumer buyer and charge sales tax. In many cases, you’ll also get smaller quantity breaks or slightly higher pricing until you’re set up for resale.
What do wholesalers usually require instead of a “business license”?
Most commonly, they want a resale certificate (or proof you’re registered for sales & use tax) so they can document why they did not collect sales tax on the sale to you.
Is it illegal to buy wholesale without a business license?
Buying in bulk is not illegal. Problems usually arise when someone incorrectly claims a tax exemption or misuses a resale certificate for items they do not resell.
What is the fastest “do it right” route in the US?
If you plan to resell, the clean path is usually: get an EIN (free if you apply directly through the IRS) → register for your state sales tax permit (if required) → use resale certificates correctly.
Table of Contents
A lot of people search for this because they want wholesale pricing from suppliers, but they’re not “officially” set up yet. Maybe you’re starting a side hustle. Maybe you’re buying in bulk for events. Or maybe you’re testing products before you commit to building a real store.
Here’s the key nuance: when a supplier asks for a “business license,” they often don’t mean one specific document. In the US, what many wholesalers actually care about is whether you can provide resale documentation (often called a resale certificate, reseller permit, seller’s permit, or sales tax ID depending on the state). That documentation helps the seller justify not charging sales tax at checkout because sales tax is typically collected when you sell to the final customer.
This guide explains the legit ways to buy wholesale without a business license, and when it’s smarter to get set up properly.
What wholesalers mean by “business license” (most of the time)
When a wholesaler says, “Do you have a business license?”, they might be referring to different things depending on the supplier and the state they operate in.
| What they ask for | What it actually means | Who issues it | When you typically need it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local business license | Permission to operate locally | City/county | Some localities require it to operate legally |
| Sales tax permit / seller’s permit | Registration to collect/remit sales tax | State tax authority | If you’re selling taxable goods and have nexus in that state |
| Resale Certificate | Supports buying goods for resale without paying sales tax upfront | State (or an accepted multi-state form) | When you want tax-exempt purchases intended for resale |
The confusing part is that suppliers often use “license” as a catch-all word. If your goal is specifically buying inventory for resale, the document that usually matters most is resale documentation, not a local business license.
When you can buy wholesale without a business license
You can often buy “wholesale” (or at least get bulk pricing) without paperwork in these situations—because the seller is treating you like a retail buyer and charging sales tax.
1) You are buying for personal use (not resale)
If you are buying for yourself, you can still find bulk options. You may buy case packs, get volume discounts, or use warehouse pricing. In that situation, you should expect to pay sales tax like any normal purchase.
2) The supplier sells to the public
Some wholesalers are strict, but others sell to anyone as long as you meet their minimum order quantity rules, buy full cases, or pay upfront. In those cases, you can often access product and pricing without being “registered.”
3) You’re not asking for tax-exempt purchasing
This is an important distinction. Many suppliers get strict when you ask for tax-free resale purchasing, because they need the right paperwork on file. For example, Costco’s own support pages explain that resale/tax-exempt handling generally requires the appropriate resale certificate based on where goods are delivered.
When you usually can’t (or shouldn’t) buy wholesale without paperwork
1) When you want to buy inventory tax-free for resale
In the US, if you want to purchase inventory without paying sales tax upfront, you typically need a resale certificate or equivalent state documentation. Sellers rely on those certificates as evidence that they did not owe sales tax on that sale.
2) When the supplier is protecting a dealer network
Many brands only sell wholesale to verified retailers because they do not want their products flipped on marketplaces, discounted publicly, or sold by random accounts with no customer support. In those categories, verification is often about brand protection, not taxes.
3) When you are tempted to “borrow” someone else’s resale certificate
This is where people get into trouble. Resale certificates are meant for purchases that will be resold, and many states make it clear that if you buy tax-exempt and then use the items personally, you may owe use tax.
So yes, you might be able to buy wholesale without a license, but using someone else’s paperwork is not the smart workaround.
Quick decision table: “Can I buy wholesale without paperwork?”
| Situation | Can you buy? | Sales tax charged? | What to expect | Best next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal use bulk buying | Usually yes | Yes | Bulk pricing, not true wholesale terms | Shop case packs / volume deals |
| Testing products (pre-business) | Often yes | Yes | Smaller price breaks | Validate demand + margins |
| Reselling but paying tax | Often yes | Yes | Higher cost basis | Get set up once you’re serious |
| Reselling and want tax-exempt | Usually no | Not if paperwork is valid | Supplier requires resale documentation | Get sales tax permit + certificate |
| Brand with dealer protection | Often no | N/A | Strict verification | Apply as a retailer + show channels |
| Liquidation/closeouts | Often yes | Usually yes | Inconsistent inventory | Use for testing, not long-term supply |
7 Legit Ways to Buy Wholesale (or get wholesale-like pricing) without a Business License
Below are seven ways to access bulk pricing without formal resale paperwork. In most cases, you should assume you’ll pay sales tax and you may receive shallower pricing tiers than verified resale accounts.
1) Start with bulk packs from regular retailers
This lets you learn whether a product sells, how shipping behaves, and whether unit economics work before you chase supplier accounts.
2) Buy from suppliers that allow consumer purchases
Some distributors sell without business verification. Expect sales tax and weaker tier pricing until you’re set up for resale.
3) Use liquidation or closeout channels carefully
Liquidation can give low unit costs without credentials, but inventory can be inconsistent. It’s a fast way to test; it’s rarely a stable supply plan.
4) Work with local manufacturers who sell direct
Smaller manufacturers may be flexible when you place case-size orders and pay upfront. This can be a strong early path in categories like home goods and basic apparel (and sometimes food/beauty when compliance requirements are met).
5) Attend markets or trade events that allow general admission
Some shows have public days or cash-and-carry areas. Just keep expectations realistic: you may not get long-term wholesale terms without proper resale registration later.
6) Ask for a starter wholesale program
Some brands start you on smaller opening orders at slightly higher pricing, then move you to deeper wholesale terms once you prove consistent reorders. If they say no, it’s often channel protection rather than a judgment on you.
7) If you plan to resell seriously, do the basic setup
This is the most sustainable option. Once you have the right documentation, suppliers treat you like a real account, your pricing improves, and you avoid messy gray-area workarounds.
If you’re reselling: the simple, legit setup (US-focused)
If you are buying inventory to resell—even small amounts—you will usually need to handle sales tax properly. This is the clean path many sellers use.
Step 1: Get an EIN (often helpful, and free if you apply directly)
An EIN is a federal tax ID. The IRS explicitly notes you can get an EIN directly from them and warns people to avoid sites that charge for it.
Step 2: Register for your state sales tax permit (where required)
Sales tax registration is state-specific. If you’re required to collect sales tax in a state, you generally need to register with that state’s tax authority. (Your location and activity determine what applies.)
Step 3: Use resale certificates correctly
A resale certificate is meant for purchases that will be resold. It generally should not be used for items you will use or consume in your business, and items bought under resale may become subject to use tax if you end up using them.
Step 4: If you operate in multiple states, know that certificates are not universal
Some multi-state certificates exist, but acceptance varies by state and by scenario:
Streamlined Sales Tax (SST) member states accept the SST exemption certificate form.
The Multistate Tax Commission (MTC) Uniform Sales & Use Tax Resale Certificate lists states that indicate they accept it, with instructions and limitations.
(This is not legal or tax advice. Use this as a practical overview, and confirm details for your state.)
If you’re a wholesaler (seller): How to handle buyers who don’t have a license
This comes up all the time for Shopify merchants. You want to sell wholesale, but you do not want random shoppers seeing wholesale pricing, and you need a clean way to approve buyers.
A practical setup usually looks like this:
- Your retail store stays open for everyone.
- Wholesale access is gated behind a simple application.
- Approved buyers get wholesale pricing and a wholesale ordering experience.
What to collect on the wholesale application (simple version):
- Business name + website/social proof (if any)
- State(s) you’ll ship to / resell in
- Intended sales channels (storefront, wholesale accounts, marketplaces, etc.)
- Resale certificate only if the buyer is asking for tax-exempt purchasing
- Contact details for invoicing/support
On Shopify, many merchants handle this with:
- a wholesale registration form (to collect business details and documents),
- a locked wholesale area (so wholesale pricing isn’t public),
- and account-based pricing rules for approved buyers.
If you’re using Wholesale Helper apps, a common stack is:
- Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B for customer-specific pricing/discounts and wholesale registration workflows.
- Wholesale Lock Manager: B2B to restrict products/pages/collections so wholesale access isn’t public.
(Keep it simple: approval + gating + pricing. Everything else is optional.)
Summary
If you are buying in bulk for personal use, you can often access bulk pricing without any paperwork. In most cases, you will simply pay sales tax like a normal customer and follow the supplier’s minimum order rules.
If you are buying inventory to resell, the biggest unlock is not a “business license” in the generic sense. The real unlock is having the right resale documentation so suppliers can sell to you correctly for tax purposes. Once you have that set up, wholesale accounts become easier to open, pricing becomes more consistent, and you avoid the messy gray-area workarounds that create problems later.
