City staff told the Dothan City Commission on Nov. 4 that the city’s new Oracle business license software went live Nov. 3 and is intended to streamline license and permit management for local businesses.

Kara Summerlin, business services manager, said the new portal allows business owners to create accounts, view all licenses and permits in one place, and track applications’ compliance status. "With our new system, our business owners will now be able to create an account, log in, view their businesses, licenses, and permits that they have all in one place," Summerlin said. She told the commission that staff expect questions and have arranged support to help users adopt the portal.

Summerlin reported that four business license applications were successfully completed online on day one and three permits were paid electronically. She credited finance and IT staff for their work on the rollout and said the upgrade is expected to make renewals and updates faster and more transparent for businesses and staff.

What happens next: Business services staff will continue user outreach (letters were mailed to owners for whom the city has email addresses) and provide hands‑on help for license holders during the first renewal cycle.