---
title: "Gibsons business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply"
question: "Do I need a business licence in Gibsons, and how do I get one?"
place: Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/gibsons
category: Starting and running a business
owner: municipal
owner_body: Town of Gibsons
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/business-licence/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/business-licence.json"
---

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

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

**Short answer:** Yes, in Gibsons anyone carrying on business for gain or profit needs a Town business licence, renewed each calendar year. Many service businesses pay $240 a year. Apply at Town Hall or by email to beo@gibsons.ca; there is no fee for registered non-profits.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Gibsons, https://www.gibsons.ca)  
**Cost:** Annual fee by business class (Schedule A). Many service businesses and shops pay $240; retail is $192 for up to 1,000 sq. ft. plus $9.60 per extra 100 sq. ft.; restaurants $240 for 25 seats plus $9.60 per extra seat. Fine without a licence: bylaw notice $200.  
**How long:** Staff usually contact you to pay within two business days. Licences run January 1 to December 31.  
**Where:**
- In person: Town Hall, Town of Gibsons, 474 South Fletcher Road, Gibsons, BC V0N 1V0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (the hours the Town gives for in-person submissions, excluding holidays))
- Email: Business licences (Bylaw Officer), beo@gibsons.ca
- Phone: Town Hall, 604-886-2274

## Key facts

- **Who needs one:** Anyone carrying on business in Gibsons for gain or profit. Resident businesses have a location in the Town; non-resident businesses (trades contractors, mobile businesses) work in the Town temporarily. No fee for registered non-profit organizations.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), Part II, s. 1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/)
  - Official wording: "No person shall carry on, within the municipality, any business unless they are the holder of a valid licence"
  - Source: [Business Licences](https://gibsons.ca/business/business-licences/)
  - Official wording: "If you conduct business within the Town of Gibsons for gain or profit, you are required to have a valid Town of Gibsons Business Licence."
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), Schedule A Part I, s. 1.5](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/)
  - Official wording: "There is no licence fee payable for a licence issued to a registered non-"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fee:** Annual fee by business class in Schedule A. Many service businesses and shops pay $240 (e.g. accountant, baker, consultant, home occupation); retail is $192 for up to 1,000 sq. ft. plus $9.60 per extra 100 sq. ft.; restaurants $240 for 25 seats plus $9.60 per extra seat.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), Schedule A Part 2](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/)
  - Official wording: "A001 ACCOUNTANT .................................................................................... $240.00" … "R009 RETAIL" … "FLOOR AREA OF UP TO 1,000 SQ. FT. .................................................. $192.00" … "THE FIRST 25 SEATS (EXCLUDING SEASONAL OUTDOOR SEATING).......... $240.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **How to apply:** Complete the Business Licence Application Form and the Supplemental Checklist (not required for mobile vendors) and bring them to Town Hall, fax 604-886-9735 or email beo@gibsons.ca. Staff check approvals needed for the business type and zoning, then contact you to pay, usually within two business days.
  - Source: [Business Licences, Application](https://gibsons.ca/business/business-licences/)
  - Official wording: "Complete the Business License Application Form and the Supplemental Checklist and bring them to Town Hall, fax to 604.886.9735, or email to beo@gibsons.ca." … "Once all approvals are in place you will be contacted to pay for your Business Licence, usually within two business days."
  - Source: [Business Licences, What else you need to know](https://gibsons.ca/business/business-licences/)
  - Official wording: "a Building Inspector and/or a Fire Inspector, may conduct a site inspection."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Renewal:** Licences run January 1 to December 31 each year and fees are charged annually. Renewals can be paid in person at Town Hall (cash, cheque or debit), online through OptionPay (service fee applies), or by mailed cheque.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), Part II, s. 5](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/)
  - Official wording: "to commence on the first day of January and to terminate on the thirty-first day of December in each and every year."
  - Source: [Business Licences, Application & Renewal](https://gibsons.ca/business/business-licences/)
  - Official wording: "Business Licence fees are charged annually and can vary depending on the type of business." … "by mailing a cheque to Town Hall."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Inter-community licence:** Yes. Under Inter-Community Business Licensing Bylaw No. 1217, 2015, a business that visits clients can work in Gibsons, Sechelt and the Sechelt Indian Government District on one licence. Bylaw 1217 set no extra fee for 2016 and says a separate fee may be set after; no separate fee appears in Schedule A.
  - Source: [Business Licences, Types of Business Licences](https://gibsons.ca/business/business-licences/)
  - Official wording: "Inter-community licences allow these types of mobile businesses to conduct business in the Town of Gibsons, the District of Sechelt and/or Sechelt Indian Band."
  - Source: [Inter-Community Business Licensing Bylaw No. 1217, 2015, s. 4](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/20513/)
  - Official wording: "In 2016, there will be no additional fee for an Inter-Community Business Licence" … "After 2016, a separate fee for the Inter-Community Business Licence may be established"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice: $200 for no business licence ($150 if paid early, $300 if late). In court, $200 to $10,000 or up to six months' imprisonment.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1125 (consolidated), Schedule A, Bylaw 666](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/104779/)
  - Official wording: "666 No Business Licence $200 $150 $300 Yes"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), Part II, s. 13(a)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/)
  - Official wording: "fine of not less than $200.00 and not more than $10,000 or imprisonment"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated July 2026 to include Bylaw No. 666-14)
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), cover](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/)
  - Official wording: "BUSINESS LICENCE BYLAW NO. 666" … "Consolidated for convenience July 2026"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Anyone carrying on business in Gibsons for gain or profit needs a licence under [Business Licence Bylaw 666](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/). Resident businesses have a location in the Town. Non-resident businesses, such as trades contractors and mobile businesses, work in the Town temporarily and also need a licence. There is no fee for registered non-profit organizations.

The annual fee depends on the business class in Schedule A. Many service businesses and shops pay $240 (for example accountant, baker, consultant, home occupation). Retail is $192 for up to 1,000 sq. ft. plus $9.60 per extra 100 sq. ft. Restaurants pay $240 for 25 seats plus $9.60 per extra seat.

Licences run January 1 to December 31 each year and fees are charged annually.

## Steps

1. Complete the Business Licence Application Form and the Supplemental Checklist (not required for mobile vendors).
2. Bring them to Town Hall, fax 604-886-9735 or email beo@gibsons.ca.
3. Staff check the approvals your business type and zoning need, then contact you to pay.
4. Renew each year in person at Town Hall (cash, cheque or debit), online through OptionPay (a service fee applies), or by mailed cheque.

## Good to know

- Fees are not refundable. They are halved if you become liable after July 31, 10% lower if paid before the licence period starts, and a transfer costs $10.
- Food, alcohol, daycare and beauty services also need Vancouver Coastal Health approval.
- Inter-community licence: under Bylaw 1217, a business that visits clients can work in Gibsons, Sechelt and the Sechelt Indian Government District on one licence. No separate fee is stated in the current schedule; ask Town Hall.
- Fine: a bylaw notice is $200 for no business licence ($150 if paid early, $300 if late). In court, $200 to $10,000 or up to six months' imprisonment.

## Official forms and pages

- [Business Licences, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/business/business-licences/)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated July 2026)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Business licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/business-licence.md)
- [Bowen Island](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/business-licence.md)
- [Sechelt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/business-licence.md)
- [District of North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/business-licence.md)
- [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/business-licence.md)
- [Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/business-licence.md)
- [Richmond](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/richmond/business-licence.md)

## Sources

- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Business Licences, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/business/business-licences/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Inter-Community Business Licensing Bylaw No. 1217, 2015, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/20513/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1125 (consolidated), Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/104779/) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Gibsons. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/business-licence/_