Coldstream business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply
Do I need a business licence in Coldstream, and how do I get one?
Short answer
Yes. Anyone carrying on a business in Coldstream, including a home-based or agricultural business, needs a District business licence for each business premises. Fees are set by business class, for example $60 for Home Crafts and $120 for a General Contractor. Apply with the District's online form.
Key facts
| Who needs one | Anyone carrying on a business in Coldstream, including home-based and agricultural businesses. A separate licence is needed for each business premises. Exempt: businesses exempted by provincial or federal law, and non-profits registered under the Society Act.Business Licenses, Business Licenses page; Business Licence Bylaw No. 1021, 1990, consolidated to March 24, 2025, s. 2.0 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingIf you are operating a business in Coldstream, even a home based or agricultural business, you need to apply for a business license with the District. If there is more than one business premise, a separate business license is required for each. No person shall carry on a business within the municipality without holding a valid and subsisting licence for the business so carried on. |
|---|---|
| Fee | Fees are by business class in Schedule A, for example General Contractor $120, Restaurant (no liquor licence) $80, Retail over 93 m² $110, Home Crafts $60, Unclassified $85. Fees may be reduced by 50% (rounded up to the next $5) for licences taken out after August 1. Fees are not refundable.Business Licence Bylaw No. 1021, 1990, consolidated to March 24, 2025, Sched. A; s. 2.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingGeneral Restaurant (no liquor licence) Over 93 m2 Home Crafts Unclassified may be reduced by 50% as of August 1st No licence fee paid hereunder shall be refundable. The annual licence fees prescribed in this bylaw may be reduced by 50% as of August 1st, |
| How to apply | Submit the Business License Application form to the District (online form on the website). The Licence Inspector grants a licence if the applicant meets building, zoning, health, sanitation and business bylaws. Bed & breakfast operators must request an inspection with the application.Business Licenses, Business Licenses page; Business Licence Bylaw No. 1021, 1990, consolidated to March 24, 2025, ss. 2.9, 2.10 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNote: A Coldstream Business License Application form must be submitted to the District. The Licence Inspector may grant a licence where he is satisfied that the applicant therefore has complied with the requirements of the bylaws of the municipality regulating building, zoning, health, sanitation and business. |
| Renewal | Licences run January to December; payment is due by February 15 each year.Business Licenses, Business Licenses page; Business Licence Bylaw No. 1021, 1990, consolidated to March 24, 2025, s. 2.1(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingBusiness licenses run from January to December with payment due by February 15th each year. to commence on the first day of January and to terminate on the 31st day of December in each and every |
| Inter-community licence | Yes. For $150 on top of the basic licence, a mobile service business with no storefront can work in all 19 participating communities, including Coldstream and Vernon. The business must hold a basic licence where it is located.Business Licenses, Business Licenses page; Business Licences FAQ · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingBusiness owners must have a basic licence in the municipality in which they are located, and request the inter-community add-on for an additional $150. Nineteen municipalities in the region have entered into an agreement with one another Eligibility is limited to any business that performs a service in more than one of the participating municipalities, without an associated storefront |
| Fine | Bylaw notice for no business licence: $100 ($50 if paid within 14 days; $150 if paid after 28 days). Municipal ticket: $100. Failing to display the licence: bylaw notice $100, municipal ticket $150. On conviction in court: $100 to $2,000.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1636, Sched. A, App. 2; Municipal Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 1598, Schedule 3; Business Licence Bylaw No. 1021, 1990, consolidated to March 24, 2025, s. 4.0 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo business licence $100 $50 $150 Yes Failure to display business 1. No business licence 2.0 $100.00 3. Fail to display business licence 2.12 $150.00 liable on conviction to a fine not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or more than two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) plus |
| Bylaw | Business Licence Bylaw No. 1021, 1990 (consolidated to March 24, 2025)Business Licence Bylaw No. 1021, 1990, consolidated to March 24, 2025, title page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingBusiness Licence Bylaw No. 1021, 1990 up to March 24, 2025 |
How it works
The Business Licence Bylaw No. 1021 requires a licence for anyone carrying on a business in Coldstream, including home-based and agricultural businesses. A separate licence is needed for each business premises. Exempt: businesses exempted by provincial or federal law, and non-profits registered under the Society Act.
Fees are by business class in Schedule A. Fees may be reduced by 50% (rounded up to the next $5) for licences taken out after August 1. Licences run January to December, and payment is due by February 15 each year.
The Licence Inspector grants a licence if the applicant meets building, zoning, health, sanitation and business bylaws. Bed & breakfast operators must request an inspection with the application.
Steps
- Check your zone allows the business (see zoning-lookup).
- Submit the Business License Application form on the District website.
- Pay the fee for your business class.
- Renew each year by February 15.
Good to know
- A mobile service business with no storefront can add an inter-community licence for $150 on top of the basic licence, to work in all 19 participating communities, including Coldstream and Vernon. It needs a basic licence where the business is located. It is not available to businesses selling from one location, vehicles for hire, escort agencies or body-rub services.
- Fines: no licence is a bylaw notice of $100 ($50 if paid within 14 days; $150 if paid after 28 days), or a municipal ticket of $100. Failing to display the licence is a bylaw notice of $100 or a municipal ticket of $150. On conviction in court the fine is $100 to $2,000.
- Questions: use the District's contact form or call Municipal Hall.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Vernon · Lumby · Lake Country · Spallumcheen · Armstrong · Kelowna
Business licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Business Licenses, District of Coldstream (read 2026-11-06)
- Business Licence Bylaw No. 1021, 1990, consolidated to March 24, 2025, District of Coldstream (read 2026-11-06)
- Business Licences FAQ (PDF), District of Coldstream (read 2026-11-06)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1636, District of Coldstream (read 2026-11-06)
- Municipal Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 1598, District of Coldstream (read 2026-11-06)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 7 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.