---
title: "Fruitvale business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply"
question: "Do I need a business licence in Fruitvale, and how do I get one?"
place: Fruitvale, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/fruitvale
category: Starting and running a business
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Fruitvale
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/business-licence/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/business-licence.json"
---

# Fruitvale business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply

**Question:** Do I need a business licence in Fruitvale, and how do I get one?

**Short answer:** Yes. Anyone carrying on a business in the Village of Fruitvale needs a Village business licence, one for each premises. Most businesses pay $90 a year. Apply on the form the Village prescribes and pay the fee.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Fruitvale, https://fruitvale.ca)  
**Cost:** $90 a year for most businesses (Class 1) and mobile businesses; Harvest Hut $10 a day; non-profit thrift stores exempt. Not refundable once issued.  
**How long:** Not stated by the Village. The licence period is January 1 to December 31 each year.  
**Where:**
- In person: Village Office, 1947 Beaver Street, Fruitvale, BC V0G 1L0 (Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
- Phone: Village Office, 250-367-7551
- Email: Village Office, info@village.fruitvale.bc.ca

## Key facts

- **Who needs one:** Anyone carrying on a business in the Village. A separate licence is needed for each premises, and it cannot be transferred. A business with an inter-municipal licence through the City of Trail is exempt.
  - Source: [Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, ss. 5(a), 5(c), 5(e), 3](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/981-Business-Licensing-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No person shall carry on any business within the Village without a valid and" … "shall apply for and" … "is personal to the person named in" … "is exempt from requiring a license under this bylaw."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fee:** $90 a year for most businesses (Class 1) and for mobile businesses; Harvest Hut $10 a day; non-profit thrift stores exempt.
  - Source: [Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 982, 2025, Appendix 3](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/982-2025-Rates-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated-Version.pdf)
  - Official wording: "All businesses except those listed elsewhere here" … "$ 90.00" … "Non-Profit Thrift Stores" … "Mobile Business"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How to apply:** Apply on the form the Village prescribes and pay the fee. The License Inspector may ask for proof of required certifications. The application may involve inspections by Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Service, the Building Inspection Department, Interior Health and the RCMP; liquor sales also need a provincial licence.
  - Source: [Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, ss. 4(a), 6(a)](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/981-Business-Licensing-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The License Inspector may require that an applicant for a business license" … "shall be in the form prescribed by the Village of Fruitvale."
  - Source: [Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 982, 2025, Appendix 3](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/982-2025-Rates-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated-Version.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The Business License application process may involve inspections by Kootenay"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Renewal:** The licence period is January 1 to December 31 each year. A business starting after July 31 pays 50% of the fee for the first year. The fee is not refundable once issued. How to renew is not stated.
  - Source: [Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, s. 6](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/981-Business-Licensing-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The business license period shall be from January 1 to December 31 in each year." … "shall be reduced by fifty percent" … "no license fee paid under this Bylaw shall be"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Inter-community licence:** The Village recognizes an inter-municipal business licence issued through the City of Trail; such a licence is valid in Fruitvale without a Village licence. The Village does not set out its own inter-community fee or list of places.
  - Source: [Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, s. 3](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/981-Business-Licensing-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "“INTER-MUNICIPAL BUSINESS LICENSE” means a business having an inter-municipal" … "license through the City of Trail is deemed to have a license valid in the Village of"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice $200 (Bylaw 976). Municipal ticket $250 ($200 if paid within 30 days) (Bylaw 921, Schedule 3). Court fine up to $10,000 or up to 6 months in jail (Bylaw 981 s. 7(b)).
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 976, Schedule A, Business License Bylaw No. 877](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/976-2024-Notice-Enforcement-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No business license $200"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 921, Schedule 3](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/921-Municipal-Ticket-Information-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No business license 5 (a) 250 200"
  - Source: [Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, s. 7(b)](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/981-Business-Licensing-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a fine of up to $10,000 or to imprisonment"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Village of Fruitvale Business License Bylaw 981, 2025 (replaced Bylaw 877, 2016)
  - Source: [Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, s. 1](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/981-Business-Licensing-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as the"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under the Village's [Business License Bylaw 981](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/981-Business-Licensing-2025.pdf), anyone carrying on a business in the Village needs a licence. A separate licence is needed for each premises, and it cannot be transferred. A business with an inter-municipal licence issued through the City of Trail is exempt: the Village recognizes it without a Village licence. The Village sets no fee or list of places of its own for that licence.

The fee is $90 a year for most businesses (Class 1) and for mobile businesses, under Appendix 3 of the Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 982. The Harvest Hut is $10 a day and non-profit thrift stores are exempt.

## Steps

1. Apply on the form the Village prescribes and pay the fee. Where to submit is not stated; call the Village Office on 250-367-7551.
2. The License Inspector may ask for proof of required certifications.
3. The application may involve inspections by Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Service, the Building Inspection Department, Interior Health and the RCMP. Liquor sales also need a provincial licence.

## Good to know

- The licence period is January 1 to December 31. A business starting after July 31 pays 50% of the fee for the first year. The fee is not refundable once issued. How to renew is not stated.
- Fines: a bylaw notice is $200 (Bylaw 976); a municipal ticket is $250, or $200 if paid within 30 days (Bylaw 921). A court fine can be up to $10,000 or up to 6 months in jail (Bylaw 981 s. 7(b)).

## Official forms and pages

- [Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025 (PDF)](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/981-Business-Licensing-2025.pdf)
- [Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 982, 2025, consolidated (PDF)](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/982-2025-Rates-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated-Version.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Fruitvale home-based business rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/home-based-business.md)
- [Fruitvale short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/short-term-rental.md)
- [Fruitvale zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Business licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/business-licence.md)
- [Trail](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/business-licence.md)
- [Warfield](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/business-licence.md)
- [Rossland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/business-licence.md)
- [Salmo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/business-licence.md)
- [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/business-licence.md)
- [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/business-licence.md)

## Sources

- [Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025 (PDF)](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/981-Business-Licensing-2025.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 982, 2025, Appendix 3 (PDF)](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/982-2025-Rates-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated-Version.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 976 (PDF)](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/976-2024-Notice-Enforcement-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 921 (PDF)](https://fruitvale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/921-Municipal-Ticket-Information-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Fruitvale](https://fruitvale.ca/contact/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 7 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Fruitvale. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/business-licence/_