Business licences & permits — Victoria, British Columbia

Do I need a business licence or permit? What does it cost?

In the City of Victoria, British Columbia, licence required: True; who must license: All trades, businesses, professions, occupations, callings, employments listed in the Schedule of Fees; fee: Varies by business type; ranges from $0 (wheelchair accessible passenger directed vehicle) to $3,000 (retail business with 10+ distinctive lines); e.g. hawker selling newspapers $25, storefront cannabis retailer $1,500, bank first location $1,000, general business not otherwise listed $100; renewal: Annual; valid January 16 to January 15; must renew and pay by January 15; late fee of $25 if renewed after February 15. Source: Business Licence Bylaw, verified 2026-06-08.

Business Licence Bylaw adopted bylaw
licence required True s. 4: "No person shall carry on any of the trades, businesses...unless the person...holds a valid and subsisting licence"
who must license All trades, businesses, professions, occupations, callings, employments listed in the Schedule of Fees s. 4: "trades, businesses, professions, occupations, callings, employments or purposes set out in the Schedule of Fees"
fee Varies by business type; ranges from $0 (wheelchair accessible passenger directed vehicle) to $3,000 (retail business with 10+ distinctive lines); e.g. hawker selling newspapers $25, storefront cannabis retailer $1,500, bank first location $1,000, general business not otherwise listed $100 Schedule of Licence Fees
renewal Annual; valid January 16 to January 15; must renew and pay by January 15; late fee of $25 if renewed after February 15 s. 10(1), 10(2), 10(3)
scout note

Requires and regulates business licences for commercial operations in the City of Victoria.

Machine-readable: business-licensing.json · Official website: https://www.victoria.ca/ · Last verified 2026-06-08 · Business licences & permits in other municipalities