Business Licences

• What Business Licence Types & Subtypes are available?

  TYPE	SUBTYPE
  ACCOMMODATION includes apartments, hotels, motels, mobile home parks, bed and breakfasts, resorts.	Apartment Bed and Breakfast Hotel/Motel/Resort Mobile Home Park
  AGRI-INDUSTRIAL includes: the fabrication, testing, servicing and repairing of farm equipment; the processing, storing, distributing, wholesaling, grading, sorting or packaging of farm produce, animal products, feed and seed; the selling of farm equipment and vehicles; and the operation of an animal stockyard.	Agri-Food Processing Farm Services Kennel/Animal Training Medical Marihuana Production Facility Natural Resources Nursery Produce Sales Repair Agricultural Equip - A Zone
  ASSEMBLY includes businesses where there is a gathering of people such as a coffee shop, restaurant, art gallery, golf course, or banquet hall.	Amusement Facility Art Gallery Banquet Hall Bingo Hall/Gaming Bowling Alley/Billiard Hall Cabaret Exhibition Complex Food Primary Funeral Home Golf Course Liquor Primary/BarWatch Liquor Primary/No BarWatch Parks, Recreation and Culture Facilities Recreational Facility Restaurant Restaurant With Drive-Up Window Theatre
  AVIATION includes businesses in the aviation industry such as flight schools, ground service, flight service, maintenance of aircrafts.	Air Freight/Passenger Service Aviation Contractor Aviation Fuel Supplier Aviation School
  BUSINESS AND PERSONAL USE includes professional, household, or personal services such as banking services, spas, beauty salons, janitorial services, medical clinics, pet grooming, accounting services, chiropractors, and engineers.	Automated Teller Machines Business Services Charitable Service Film Production Financial Institution Health Services Non-Registered Massage Therapist Personal Service
  CARE FACILITIES includes services for the care of children, such as daycares and preschools; also includes personal care services or assistance such as private hospital, rehabilitation and extended care facilities, personal and intermediate care facilities.	Day Care Day Care - Charitable Day Care without Fraser Health Licence Personal Care Pre-School Residential Care
  CONTRACTOR includes businesses that perform any type of construction, including alterations.	Blasting & Drilling Building Trades Construction Consultants Electrical Excavators/Earthmovers Fire Protection HPO Licenced Builders HVAC Landscaping Plumbing Pool/Hot Tub Road Construction and Traffic Control Sign Contractor
  INDUSTRIAL includes food processing and manufacturing, assembling, storing, wholesaling, testing, transporting, servicing and repairing of equipment, goods and materials.	Auction Auto Body Repair Auto Recycler Auto Services Boat Sales and Service Crematorium Farm Equipment Sales Feed Mill Food Processing Heavy Equipment/Truck Sales Heavy Equipment/Truck Services Industrial Sales Junk/Scrap Metal Dealer Lumber Manufacturing Manufacturing Oil Storage/Pipeline Recycling Depot Small Engine Repair Towing Service Warehousing Waste Services Wood Working Shop
  MERCANTILE includes displaying or selling retail goods, wares or merchandise.	Apparel/Jewelry Appliances Auto Rentals Auto Sales/Leasing Automotive Supplies Building Supplies Catalogue Sales Charitable Service Department Store Electronics Entertainment Fabric Store Flea Market Food Store Fuel Service Station Hardware/Tools Home Decor/Furniture Horticultural Licensee Retail Store Literature/Stationery Medical Supply Store Mobile Vendors On-Line Sales Pawn Shop Pet Shops/Supplies Pharmacy/Personal Care Recreational Retail Rental Outlets Second Hand Goods Variety Store Water Suppliers
  TEMPORARY LICENCE includes non-permanent businesses such as carnivals, ice cream vendors, direct sellers, film production, local produce sales, non-permanent commercial sales and charitable activities.

Manage Business Licence

• How do I renew my Business Licence?

  The licence holder is responsible to renew a licence issued under this bylaw before the date of its expiry for as long as the business that is authorized by the licence is conducted.

  If you have an active business licence, a renewal notice will automatically be mailed out 6 weeks prior to expiry. Please note that the expiration date of your current licence is listed on the business licence. To proactively renew, contact City Hall to obtain your web renewal ID, which will allow you to complete the renewal process online.

  To renew online a Web Renewal ID will be needed which can be found on the top right corner of your renewal notice. Online payment accepts Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

• My business is no longer operating, what do I need to do?

  To request the cancellation of a business license, please contact the Business Licence Division via email at businesslicence@abbotsford.ca. Alternatively, you may reach them by phone at 604-864-5525 to submit your cancellation request. 

  If the Business Licence Department is not informed you will continue to get renewal notices to show outstanding fees. 

• If my business location changes, what do I need to do?

  All business licences are non-transferable. If there is a change in location, a new business application must be made and the previous one must be cancelled.

• I am a new owner of a business, how do I update the business licence?

  All business licences are non-transferable. If business ownership has changed, a new business application must be made and the previous one must be cancelled.

• I need to update my mailing address, what do I need to do?

  Complete and submit a Business Licence Amendment and the Administration Fee of $25 (payable to City of Abbotsford). Email a copy of the completed Business Licence Amendment Application to businesslicence@abbotsford.ca.

• I need to update my business name, what do I need to do?

  Complete and submit a Business Licence Amendment together with a copy of the name change registration (if applicable), and the Administration Fee of $25 (payable to City of Abbotsford). Email a copy of the completed Business Licence Amendment Application to businesslicence@abbotsford.ca.

Inter-Municipal Business Licences

• Participating Municipalities

  • City of Chilliwack
  • City of Delta
  • City of Langley
  • City of Maple Ridge
  • City of Pitt Meadows
  • City of Surrey
  • District of Hope
  • District of Kent
  • City of Mission
  • Township of Langley
  • Village of Harrison Hot Springs
• Inter-Municipal Business Licence Eligibility

  Eligibility is limited to trades contractors or other professionals (related to the construction industry) or contractor who performs maintenance and/or repair of land and buildings from other than their Premises.

• Where to Apply/Renew Your Inter-Municipal Business Licence

  New applications and renewals should be submitted to the municipal business licencing office of the home municipality (where the business is presently located and licenced). City of Abbotsford based businesses can apply or renew an existing application in person at Abbotsford City Hall.

  Building Permits & Licences Division
  Ground Floor - 32315 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford
  Monday – Friday
  8:30 am – 4:00 pm (excluding statutory holidays)

• Inter-Municipal Business Licence Cost

  An eligible business (including a home-based operation) would pay the business licence fee set by their home municipality plus the annual Inter-Municipal Business Licence fee of $250.

• Licencing Multiple Business Locations

  Eligible businesses that have a fixed or permanent location within the participating municipalities still are required to obtain a Municipal Business Licence for each location.

  For more information please contact the Business Licence Division at 604-864-5525.

Information & Resources

• Related Bylaws

  • Business Licence Bylaw No. 1551-2006
  • Building Bylaw No. 2883-2018
  • Sign Bylaw No. 3429-2023
  • Abbotsford Zoning Bylaw, 2014
  • Secondhand Goods Regulation Bylaw No. 949-2000
• Helpful Links

  • Business Resource Guide (Business Resources, Grants, Funding and Financial Opportunities)
  • Abbotsford Downtown Business Association (ADBA)
  • BC Registries and Online Services 
  • Canada Business
  • Community Care Facilities Licensing
  • Community Futures Self Employment Program
  • Corporate Online
  • Fraser Health
  • Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch
  • Intermunicipal Mobile Business Licence
  • Downtown Business Association

  Information provided in this FAQ is intended to clarify the business licence application process. For complete information, refer to the Business Licence Bylaw No. 1551-2006. This guide should be used for general information only and not as a substitute for municipal bylaws and regulations.

Business Licence Inquiry Meeting Requests

• Form