According to the City of Vancouver, Licence By-Law No. 4450 (291kb), every business, trade or profession operating in the City of Vancouver is required to obtain a business license.

According to the City of Vancouver, Licence By-Law No. 4450 (291kb), every business, trade or profession operating in the City of Vancouver is required to obtain a business license.

A Vancouver business license is valid for the City of Vancouver only.

Every professional is required to obtain a business license unless they are employed on a salary basis by another person.

Yes. A business licence is required for rentals of city approved secondary suites. To obtain approval for a secondary suite, please contact the secondary suites department located in the East Wing, 2nd floor at City Hall.

No. A business licence is not required for vending of hot dogs on the street, however, you will require a permit that can be obtained from our Engineering Department located at the Cross Roads building at 507 West Broadway.

If you are having a private party in a city approved location, where tickets are not being sold and the party is not open to the public, and you would like to serve alcohol, you will require a “Special Occasion Licence” which can be obtained by visiting any LCLB Liquor Store branch.

A catering business licence is permitted from a residential address in Vancouver, however, all foods must be prepared and stored at a commercial kitchen approved by the Vancouver Coastal Health Department. The preparation and storage of food would not be permitted at the residential address.

You can apply by completing a business licence application form and submitting it either by mail, fax or in person at city hall. Government issued Photo ID from 1 owner or director of the company will be required. If you are an incorporated company, registration with the Province of BC or as an extra provincial company would be required. All employees must be eligible to work in Canada.

Applications may be made by a representative of the company by supplying a copy of 1 piece of government issued photo ID and an authorization letter from 1 owner or director of the company. The representative will be asked to show photo ID also and should have extensive knowledge of the business structure and operations in order to answer any questions that may be asked by our staff.

Yes, you can apply online through One Stop Business Registry at www.bcbusinessregistry.ca .

To apply in person, please bring 1 piece of government issued photo ID and a copy of your incorporation documents if you are an incorporated or limited company. If you are applying on someone else’s behalf, please provide a letter of authorization signed by the other party and a copy of their government issued photo ID. Qualifying certificates and/or proof of training should also be provided for certain business types ie: Electrician, Plumber, Travel Agent, Massage Therapist etc.

Each situation is different and timing will vary. This will depend on the number of departments which require approval for your business type and business location. For example, if you are performing structural renovations in your new commercial space, the business licence would be issued after all final inspections and approvals have been made by various departments. If you require a police back ground check due to your type of business, this could take up to 6 weeks and will therefore prolong your business licence being issued. If your business includes any type of food service, health approval is required which generally takes about 1-2 weeks from application date. Most residential or out-of-town business licences can be issued the same day if no other approvals are required and all application requirements are met.

Police back ground checks are required for certain types of businesses and in certain areas of the city.

To obtain basic information on each permit and licence, please visit BizPaL . BizPaL is an online tool that will provide you with information on permits and licences from three levels of government based on a simple question-and-answer wizard. It is designed to benefit your business if you are just starting up or expanding.

The City of Vancouver.

Operating without a business licence is subject to penalties/fines as per Sections 29 and 30 of the Licence By-Law No. 4450 (291kb).

If you have no changes to your business licence, payment can be made with a credit card on-line at Vancouver.ca or by phone by dialing 311. You will need to provide a licence number or account number. Payment can also be made by mail or in person.

If you have changes to your licence, please complete a Change of Information Form (82kb) and forward it with your payment by mail. You can also make your changes in person. Please remember to include the fees for changes along with your payment.

Licence fees vary depending on your business type(s). Please refer to Schedule “A” of the Licence By-Law No. 4450 (291kb) for current fees.

License fees generally increase by a small percentage each year and are approved by city council.

No. There is no tax on a municipal business licence.

Once a licence has been issued for the current year, there is no refund available.

Business licences requiring yearly certification from other provincial agencies such as Electrical Contractor, Gas Contractor, and Security Services cannot be renewed on line. A copy of the updated contractor’s card or provincial licence is required to be submitted with your payment either by mail or in person.

Your licence number can be found on your business licence under the account number.

No. The licence number will change each year.

All business licences expire on December 31st of each year.

Changes to licenses can be made by submitting a Change of Information Form (82kb).

Business Licence transfers are limited to 1 transfer per calendar year. Please submit a Transfer Form (89kb), which requires signatures from both the previous owner and the new owner of the business. Specific approvals depending on the license type may still be required before the new license can be issued. The fee for transferring a business licence is a flat fee of $116.00 per licence. This amount is not pro rated.

Yes, you can obtain another copy for the fee of $5.00 by contacting our office by phone, mail or fax.

Business name registration is done through the province of BC. You can register your business on-line with One Stop Business Registry . For more information on business name registration, or to register a limited or incorporated company, visit Small Business BC .

A Limited Food Service is a small café where no more that 16 seats of any kind , including chairs, stools & seats on benches, inside or outside are provided for customers consuming food purchased in the establishment. Alcoholic drinks are not permitted to be served.

Business insurance is not mandatory to open a business in Vancouver. For more information on business insurance, visit Small Business BC .