Business Licences - City of Richmond, BC (2024)

To conduct your business in Richmond, you must have a valid business licence and it must be posted in a conspicuousplace as required in the bylaw.

Select from the following categories to learn more about Business Licence applications and requirements in Richmond.

New Business Licence Application

Online

Use MyBusiness, the City's new online business licencingservice in the MyRichmond portal, to easily apply for, update, and renew business licences.

MyBusiness

Visit MyBusiness - Business Licence Portal page for more information in regards to online business licenceapplication.

In Person

For in-person applications, complete the fillable Business Licence Application Form and contact the LicenceDivision at 604-276-4328 for the application fee which must be submitted with the completed form.The application forms have been provided to you in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format and can be savedto your computer or viewed online.

New applications can be submitted:

By Mail - mail your completed application to City of Richmond Business Licence Division,6911 No. 3 Road, V6Y 2C1 and include a cheque payable to the City of Richmond.
In Person - bring your completed application and payment to Richmond City Hall, duringregular business hours Monday to Friday 8:15am to 5:00pm.

Note: Applications will not be processed without the Application Fee.

Business Licence Application Guide: How to Apply?

See AppendixA - Guide to the Business Licence Application Process to answer some of the more frequently askedquestions in the application process.

Starting a Business in Richmond - English
Starting a Business in Richmond - Simplified Chinese
Starting a Business in Richmond - Traditional Chinese

For Businesses Operating from a Residence/Home

See Appendix B to ensure that you review andunderstand the regulations for operating a business in a residential district.

For Businesses Operating from Commercial/Industrial Districts

Also complete Appendix C and submit with thecompleted business licence application form.

Note: Applications cannot be processed unless the forms have been completed in full and allrequired registrations and/or tickets of qualifications and fees are submitted.

Payment Options

You may pay with cheque, money order, Interac card, or credit card through the following options. For theapplicable Business Licence fees, please refer to the Consolidated Fees Bylaw in the City Bylaws section (Chapter 5) of this website. The licence fee is an annual feebased on the calendar year from date when the licence is issued. No tax is required for the licence fee. Note:Cash is not accepted.

Timing

Our processing time for complete business licence applications (except for non-resident and home-basedbusinesses) is about 4 to 6 weeks, provided that all requirements and approvals have been met.

The processing time varies depending on complexity of the requirements and required approvals. Requiredapprovals include, but not limited to, Zoning, Building, Health, or/and Fire approvals. Theprocessing time may take longer if your case is complex or if there are missing documents (e.g. professionalcertificate, dealership licence, payment, etc.).

Refer to Appendix A - Guide to the Business Licence Application Processfor more information of business licence application process.

Renewing a Business Licence

Use MyBusiness, the City's new online businesslicencing service in the MyRichmond portal, to easily apply for, update, and renew business licences.

MyBusiness

The option for the in-person and mail-in business licence application process is still available as describedbelow.

Business Licence Renewals

Business Licences expire on the 1^st of every month and a renewal notice will be mailedapproximately 30 days prior to the expiry date. This renewal notice is a two-part form; the top portion isthe Business Licence for posting and the bottom portion is the invoice for payment. Carefully review thenotice to ensure all information is correct.

Payment Options

You may pay with cheque, money order, Interac card, or credit card. Note: Cash isnot accepted.

The following options are only for offline renewals without any changes.

By Mail – detach the invoice portion of the renewal notice and mail it together withyour payment to Richmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC V6Y 2C1, attention Business LicenceDivision.
At your Bank or Credit Union – detach and use the invoice portion of your renewalnotice with your payment. If you do electronic banking with your financial institution, use the AccountNumber found on your current renewal notice (note that this number changes each licence year).
In Person – bring the invoice portion of the renewal notice with your payment toRichmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road, during regular business hours, Mon to Fri, 8:15am to 5:00pm. Youmay pay with cash, cheque, money order or by using your Interac card, or credit card.

Changing or Updating a Business Licence

Use MyBusiness, the City's new online businesslicencing service in the MyRichmond portal, to easily apply for, update, and renew business licences.

MyBusiness

The option for the in-person and mail-in business licence application process is still available as describedbelow.

If there are changes to your existing licence, a BusinessLicence Application Form must be completed and submitted to update the business licence. Changesinclude any amendments to a company name, trade name, address or classification. If a change of ownershiphas occurred, you must also complete and submit a Transfer of Licence Form.

Applications of changes to existing licences can be submitted:

By Mail - mail with a cheque payable to City of Richmond to, City of Richmond BusinessLicence Division, 6911 No. 3 Road, V6Y 2C1
In Person - bring your completed forms and payment to Richmond City Hall, duringregular business hours Mon to Fri, 8:15am to 5:00pm
If you will not be operating or have ceased operations your business in Richmond, please notify theBusiness Licence office by one of the above methods.

Note: Applications will not be processed without the Application Fee.

Payment Options

You may pay with cash, cheque, money order, Interac card, or credit card through the following options. Forthe applicable Business Licence fees, please refer to the Consolidated Fees Bylaw in the City Bylaws section (Chapter 5) of this website.

By Mail – mail your payment to Richmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC V6Y2C1, attention Business Licence Division.
In Person – bring your payment to Richmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road, during regularbusiness hours, Mon to Fri, 8:15am to 5:00pm

For Businesses Intending to Operate from a Residence

See Appendix B and ensure that you review andunderstand the regulations for operating a business in a residential district.

For Businesses Operating from Commercial/Industrial Districts

Also complete Appendix C and submit with thecompleted business licence application form

For Businesses that are Ownership Transfers

Complete Appendix D and submit with the completedapplication form

Note: Applications cannot be processed unless the forms have been completed in full and allrequired registrations and/or tickets of qualifications and fees are submitted.

Timing

Refer to Appendix A - Guide to the Business Licence Application Processfor more information of business licence application process.

Reprinting a Business Licence

A reprint fee will apply for additional copies of a Business Licence. Please contact the Business LicenceDepartment at 604-276-4328 or email: BusLic@richmond.ca for a reprint.

Cancelling a Business Licence

If you will not be operating or have ceased operations during a licence period, please notify the BusinessLicence office by phone at 604-276-4328 or by email, at BusLic@richmond.ca

Other Types of Licences

Metro West Inter-Municipal Business Licence

Refer to the Metro WestInter-Municipal Business Licence page.

Richmond Patio Program

Refer to the Richmond Patio Program page.

Mobile Food Vendor

Refer to the Mobile Food Vendor page.

Night Market Licence Application

Refer to the Night Market LicenceApplication page.

Bed and Breakfast Business Licence

Refer to the Bed and Breakfast BusinessLicence page.

Body Rub Employee Registration

Refer to the following document:

Business Licence Fees

For the applicable Business Licence fees, please refer to the Consolidated Fees Bylaw in theCity Bylaws section (Chapter 5) of this website. Thelicence fee is an annual fee based on the calendar year from date when the licence is issued. No tax isrequired for the licence fee.

Business Licence and Regulation Bylaws

Relevant Business Licence and Regulation Bylaws should be consulted for specific business uses.

The Business Licence Bylaw, Business Regulation Bylaw, and Vehicle for Hire Regulation Bylawcan be viewed in the City Bylaws section of this website.These bylaws may also be viewed or purchased at City Hall.

Business Licence Reports

New business licence reports will be uploaded within the first two weeks of each month.

Current Year to Date

2024 Richmond - New Business Licences

Previous Years

2023 Richmond- New Business Licences
2022 Richmond - NewBusiness Licences
2021 Richmond - New Business Licences
2020 Richmond -New Business Licences
2019 Richmond - NewBusiness Licences2018 Richmond - NewBusiness Licences

Contact Information