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How I Mapped
the User Journeys

Behind each journey is someone trying to start a business, build a home, or earn a living. These journey maps reflect the complexity and intertwined paths real humans have to navigate.

114 Journeys
61 PLC Types
3 Levels of Govt
1
Entity Formation Business Registration, EIN
2
Licenses & Permits Professional, Industry, Federal
3
Zoning & Land Use Zoning Approval, Special Use
4
Build & Inspect Building Permit, Fire, Health
5
Open for Business Business License, Signage
Ordering Principle

Dependency, not jurisdiction

Steps are ordered by when they happen in practice. You form your business entity before you apply for a liquor license. You get zoning approval before you pull a building permit. You pass your fire inspection before you receive a certificate of occupancy.

Steps are sequenced by dependency. Each one unlocks the next, regardless of which level of government issued it.

Journey Structure

Four phases of every journey

01 Preparation

Entity formation, tax registration, insurance

Business Registration
EIN Registration
State Tax Registration
02 Application

Formal permits and professional credentials

Health Dept License
Liquor License
Contractor License
03 Inspection

Physical compliance and site approvals

Zoning Approval
Building Permit
Fire Inspection
04 Active

Operational licenses and ongoing obligations

Business License
Signage Permit
Entertainment License
Ongoing

Not every step is one-and-done

Many permits and licenses must be renewed on a regular cycle. These steps are marked with a renewal indicator in the matrix. They appear at the point in the journey where they are first established, but they continue for as long as the business or license is active.

↻ Annual
Business License, Fire Inspection
↻ Every 2 Years
Liquor License, Professional License
↻ Every 5 Years
EPA Permit, Mining Permit
↻ Biennial
FDA Registration, DOT Authority
Research

Sources

SBA.gov Federal business formation guide and 10-step startup sequence
New Jersey Business Navigator Open-source NAICS-based business formation framework
Maryland PLC Data Catalog 1,100+ permit, license, and compliance types with operational metadata
DOL License Finder Federal database of licensing requirements across all states
NCSL Database 48 occupations across all states for occupational licensing
Municipal Codes Common local permitting patterns for construction, land use, events
What this is
  • + A representative model of how PLC requirements distribute across jurisdiction levels
  • + Ordered by real-world dependency chains, not bureaucratic hierarchy
  • + An abstraction useful for stakeholder presentations and system design
  • + Directionally accurate for any US jurisdiction
What this is not
  • – A legal compliance guide for any specific jurisdiction
  • – Exhaustive — real jurisdictions have many additional niche permits
  • – Validated against a specific state or city's actual requirements
  • – A substitute for consulting your local permitting office