How do I choose between LLC and S-corp and handle licenses?

You have set up a basic entity, and now LLC versus S corp, licenses, and registrations swim together into confusion. That is understandable. These are legal and tax questions dressed in jargon, and the jargon is designed by systems, not for the person trying to understand them. Confusion here is normal and does not mean you are in over your head. Here is a way to cut through it. LLC versus S corp is mostly a tax question that matters more as you earn more, so it is fine to keep it simple early and revisit it once your profit is real. Licenses and registrations are simply permissions to legally do your specific work in your specific place. They vary by trade and location, so the answer is local, not universal. You are not missing one master rule. There isn't one. Rather than solving all of it alone, spend one hour with an accountant or a small business advisor and ask two questions: given my income, does S corp make sense yet, and what licenses does my work require where I am. That single conversation will replace weeks of confusion with a short clear list. Some things are faster to ask than to untangle, and this is one of them.