Trade license (Business Permit) in Probably Stolen
The game calls it the Business Permit (the difficulty screen says “vendor permit”). An official from the Station Trade Board first visits your store on day 38 and offers it for a fee set by difficulty: 500, 1,500, 2,000 or 3,000 credits. You can pay, or from the second visit hand over goods as a “donation” to be left alone for a week. Refusing writes a crime on your Security Record.
When does the Trade Board come?
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| 24 | The Mentor warns you, if you have no permit yet. He says the Trade Board will start selling permits in two weeks, enforcement starts a week later, and that it “can be quite flexible”. The price he quotes is your difficulty’s fee. |
| 38 | First visit of the Trade Board official. She announces that every shop needs a business permit and offers one at the fee. You can buy it or choose “Don’t Buy the Permit Right Now”; nothing is recorded against you on this visit. |
| 45, 52, 59… | Every 7th day after that, until you own the permit. From the second visit she threatens a report to Security and a fine, and offers the donation instead. |
Visits stop once you buy the permit. The Business Permit then appears in your store as an item (base price 0 credits, see Business Permit), and buying it makes Lou eligible for his first visit from the next day (see Lou).
How much does the permit cost?
The fee is a difficulty rule, the same value the new-game screen lists as “Vendor permit costs”.
| Difficulty | Permit fee (credits) |
|---|---|
| Price Gouge | 500 |
| Mark Up | 1,500 |
| Thin Margins | 2,000 |
| Red Ink | 3,000 |
The Mentor also tells you to keep enough cash for rent when you buy it. The purchase is tracked in the run summary under “Permit and Bribes”.
Can I bribe the Trade Board?
Yes, but a bribe does not give you the permit. From the second visit (day 45) the official asks for “a total of N credits worth of goods”. If you give her enough goods, she says she will overlook it for this week and leaves; she comes back the next week.
- The target is added at each visit from day 45: 25 to 85 credits of goods per visit, never less than 10 in total.
- The value of each item you give is the negotiated value, which reduces the target. If you fall short, she tells you how much more she needs.
- It is only a delay. The permit stays unbought, and the target keeps growing at every visit you do not pay in full.
What if I refuse?
If you choose “Refuse” (offered from the second visit), the official reports you to Security. The game adds an Operating Without a License crime to your Security Record, worth 50 to 170 credits depending on the day, and tells you that an investigation and fine will follow and that you “might even get shut down” if you keep doing it. This feeds the same investigation meter as any other crime; see the Security guide for how it escalates to a fine, arrest or execution.
What about the “No Permit” ending?
The game has an ending text for it: No Permit (“You weren’t able to secure a vendor permit and were forced to close your store”). In the 0.46D files the text and the screens that show it exist, but no condition in the code triggers it that we could find. What the visits themselves do is create the Operating Without a License crime above. Other guides on this wiki mention the ending as a risk; treat the exact trigger as unverified.
Do I need licenses for weapons?
Weapons use separate permits, sold through the Wild Network (see Network upgrades). Joe Wild’s upgrades are priced at 300, 600 and 900 credits.
| Upgrade | Cost | Delivered at Security reputation | Revoked below | Legalizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Permit I | 300 | 20 | 0 | Low-level contraband firearms and ammunition |
| Weapon Permit II | 600 | 50 | 30 | Mid-level contraband firearms and ammunition |
| Weapon Permit III | 900 | 80 | 60 | High-level contraband firearms and ammunition |
Each one needs the previous. The upgrade only buys the negotiation; the permit item arrives once your Security reputation reaches the threshold. When it is granted, the matching items you already own stop counting as contraband. The permit item itself can go in the Display Case and then raises the chance that gun-buying customers visit. If your Security reputation later drops below the revocation value, a Security officer comes to revoke it. The Gunsmith specialization starts with a Class I Weapon Permit. Contraband levels are explained in the Black Market and contraband guide.
FAQ
How much is the trade license? 500, 1,500, 2,000 or 3,000 credits for Price Gouge, Mark Up, Thin Margins and Red Ink.
When do I have to buy the Business Permit? The Trade Board first visits on day 38 and then every 7th day. You are only penalized if you refuse from the second visit on.
Can I pay the Trade Board with goods? Yes, from the second visit, but it only buys you one week and the amount owed keeps growing.
Does a bribe count as Bribery of Security Personnel? No. The Trade Board donation is tracked separately from inspector bribes, and no link between the two appears in the code.