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

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

Fruitvale, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

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.

Key facts

Who needs oneAnyone 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.Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, ss. 5(a), 5(c), 5(e), 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
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.
Fee$90 a year for most businesses (Class 1) and for mobile businesses; Harvest Hut $10 a day; non-profit thrift stores exempt.Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 982, 2025, Appendix 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
All businesses except those listed elsewhere here
$ 90.00
Non-Profit Thrift Stores
Mobile Business
How to applyApply 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.Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, ss. 4(a), 6(a); Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 982, 2025, Appendix 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
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.
The Business License application process may involve inspections by Kootenay
RenewalThe 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.Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, s. 6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
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
Inter-community licenceThe 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.Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, s. 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
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
FineBylaw 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)).Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 976, Schedule A, Business License Bylaw No. 877; Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 921, Schedule 3; Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, s. 7(b) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
No business license $200
No business license 5 (a) 250 200
a fine of up to $10,000 or to imprisonment
BylawVillage of Fruitvale Business License Bylaw 981, 2025 (replaced Bylaw 877, 2016)Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
This Bylaw may be cited as the

How it works

Under the Village's Business License Bylaw 981, 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

The same question in other places

Trail · Warfield · Rossland · Salmo · Castlegar · Nelson

Business licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Business License Bylaw No. 981, 2025 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Rates, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 982, 2025, Appendix 3 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 976 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  4. Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 921 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  5. Contact, Village of Fruitvale (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. How answers are checked.