City business licences in Vancouver, Richmond and Port Coquitlam
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Each city licenses the businesses that operate in it. Trades and mobile businesses can add an inter-municipal licence, and which one depends on the cities.
Short answer: in Vancouver, Richmond and Port Coquitlam, a business needs a licence from the city where it operates, including a home-based one. A trades or construction business can add an inter-municipal licence to work in other cities. The Metro West licence covers Burnaby, Delta, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey and Vancouver. The Tri-City licence covers Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody for mobile businesses based in one of them. Port Coquitlam is not in Metro West, and Richmond is not in the Tri-City licence.
Vancouver
The City of Vancouver says all businesses in Vancouver need a licence, and the owner has to get it, not the employees. A home-based business is run by a resident of the home, in a building that is mainly a home. It can use up to 33.3% of the home’s gross floor area or 46 square metres, whichever is less, and it has to be carried out inside the home, apart from products and materials that may be stored in an accessory building. You can apply for a licence online.
Richmond
To do business in Richmond you need a valid Richmond business licence, and the bylaws require you to post it where it can be seen. Richmond has rules for home businesses in residential districts that you should read first. You can apply online through MyBusiness in the MyRichmond portal, by mail, or in person at City Hall.
Port Coquitlam
All businesses in Port Coquitlam need a licence, including temporary and home-based ones. A licence is issued for one calendar year and expires each 31 December. Home occupations use the Accessory Home Business Licence Application.
Working in more than one city
| Licence | Cities | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Metro West | Burnaby, Delta, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver | Trades contractors and others in the construction industry, including maintenance, repair or inspection of land and buildings, and health care professionals who visit clients at home |
| Tri-City | Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody | Mobile businesses with a location, office or home base in one of the three, such as contractors, tradespeople and landscapers |
Neither licence replaces your own city’s licence. A Tri-City business still needs the regular licence from the city where it is based, and the inter-municipal one is an add-on. For Metro West, Richmond’s page says an applicant there must hold a valid Richmond business licence for trades or construction-related services. Check the page of the city where you are based for its own requirement. Some business types, such as taxis and limousines, are not eligible for the Tri-City licence and need a licence in each city.
What it means for your books
- Record each licence fee as its own expense, so the amount and the renewal date are easy to see.
- Put renewal on the calendar. Port Coquitlam licences expire on 31 December.
- A city licence is separate from your GST and PST registrations and from WorkSafeBC. Each has its own account and its own renewals.
Do I need a business licence to work from home in Vancouver?
Yes. The City of Vancouver says all businesses need a licence, and it has a home-based business licence with limits on how much of the home the business can use.
Does a Richmond licence let me work in Burnaby?
Not by itself. A trades or construction business can add the Metro West Inter-Municipal Business Licence, which covers Richmond, Burnaby, Vancouver, Surrey, New Westminster and Delta.
Is Port Coquitlam part of the Metro West licence?
No. Port Coquitlam is in the Tri-City licence with Coquitlam and Port Moody, for mobile businesses based in one of those three.
When does a Port Coquitlam business licence expire?
Each 31 December. A licence is issued for one calendar year.
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