Business Licensing

The Development Services group is responsible for managing the Business Licence process. Business Licences are reviewed and processed in accordance with the Business Licensing & Regulation Bylaw No. 1503 and the Inter-Community Business Licence Bylaw No. 2208. Prior to submitting an application, it is important for applicants to review the following: 

  • What is the Zoning Designation of your property? Your property needs to be zoned to allow for the business use that you are applying for a licence. Zoning Designation can be determined by reviewing the City’s Interactive Map or Official Zoning Map. Once you know your zoning, reference the applicable zone in the City’s Zoning Bylaw to see what uses are permitted. 
  • How many parking spaces are available for my business? A site plan showing the dedicated parking spaces may be required with your application. 
  • Do I have appropriate emergency access and response provisions? This includes things like working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and an evacuation plan. Confirmation of these items may be required with your application. 

After submission of an application and payment of applicable fees, it takes approximately 3-4 weeks to complete the initial review of the application and scheduling of inspections, if required. These timelines can vary depending on whether or not additional approvals are needed (for instance Interior Health), or whether building or fire inspections are needed.

Applicable fees for the initial review of the business licence, inspections, and annual fees are included in Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2256.  

Once you have reviewed and are ready to apply, the information and links below will support you in ensuring you submit a complete application. 

New Business Licence

Are you looking at operating a new business that doesn’t currently have a licence? If so you will need to complete the applicable application below. We recommend taking a look through the guide prior to preparing your application. Applications are fillable online. 

Update to an Existing Business Licence

If your business changes (i.e. location, ownership, name, use), it is a requirement to update your Business Licence with the City, in order to maintain the validity of the business’s licence. The types of changes the City is concerned with are name changes, ownership changes, location changes and update to use of the business. To recognize the change to your business, the City will require a completed Update to an Existing Licence Application. For some changes, such as location or use changes, additional inspections may be required. 

Cancelling a Business Licence

Once a Business Licence is issued it will auto-renew on December 31st, on an annual basis, unless it is formally cancelled. Cancelling the Business Licence is the responsibility of the Business Licence holder and must be done immediately to avoid unwanted, additional charges associated with a business that is no longer operational. If you wish to cancel your Business Licence, please fill out the cancellation form.