Food Truck Business Licences Home Based Businesses
All businesses in the City of Campbell River need a valid business licence. The only exception is for businesses exempted by Provincial or Federal Statute or Regulation. If you are operating a business without a business licence, you can be fined up to $200 a day.
Business licences cost $150 and expire on February 27 each year.
Applying for a Business Licence
To apply for a business licence, you'll need to fill out the application form and email it to business.licence@campbellriver.ca. Your application for should include all the following:
- Business name and business location
- Mailing address
- Owner/operator name
- Type of business and brief description
Businesses are encouraged to reach out to the City in advance of starting your application for more information and guidance.
Business Licence Application Form [PDF/252KB]
Once we receive your application, staff review it to ensure it is permitted by and meets the requirements of the Zoning Bylaw. If your business is not a permitted use for the area, your business cannot proceed at the specified location.
Following review against the Zoning Bylaw, the Building and Fire Inspectors review the application. This may require an on-site inspection. Following their endorsement, the application moves to the Business Licence Inspector for approval.
Businesses such as restaurants, daycare centres and hairdressers will need Vancouver Island Health Authority approval.
Once your application goes through this review process, if it is approved, we will issue you an invoice for the licence fee. If you applied for an inter-municipal licence as well, we will send you an invoice for both. You won't receive the inter-municipal licence until you've paid for the primary licence.
If you have more than one business in more than one location, you need a business licence for each business.
Inter-Municipal Business Licences
The Inter-Municipal Business License (IMBL) program offers Campbell River based businesses the option to apply for and purchase an IMBL if you're doing work in participating jurisdictions across Central Vancouver Island. This program speeds up and simplifies the licensing process, as you'll only need two licenses, rather than holding a license in every jurisdiction you work in.
Inter-municipal business licences are valid in the City of Campbell River and in these Central Vancouver Island communities:
- City of Courtenay
- City of Duncan
- City of Nanaimo
- City of Parksville
- City of Port Alberni
- District of North Cowichan
- District of Lantzville
- Town of Comox
- Town of Lake Cowichan
- Town of Ladysmith
- Town of Qualicum Beach
- Village of Cumberland
Inter-Municipal Business Licensing Bylaw [PDF/423KB]
Renewing a Business Licence
Business licences are valid for a one-year period, renewing on February 28 regardless of start date. We mail out renewal notices in mid-January, and you must pay the renewal fee by March 30. If we do not receive your payment on or before that day, we apply an automatic late charge of $25.
You can pay for your licence renewal either online, by mail or in person:
- Online: pay with your credit card using MyCity
- By mail: pay with a cheque
- In person: pay with a cheque, cash, or debit card
If you have an inter-municipal licence, you will get the invoice for the primary licence first. Once you've paid the renewal fee for the primary licence, we will send you the invoice for the inter-municipal licence.
Closing or Moving Your Business
If your business closes, you must notify the City in writing by emailing business.licence@campbellriver.ca.
Since your licence is linked to the civic address you provided in your application, you must update your address if your business moves. Please email business.licence@campbellriver.ca to have your licence reviewed and reissued.