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

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

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

**Short answer:** Yes. Anyone carrying on a business in the Village of Gold River, resident or non-resident, needs a Village business licence, which runs on the calendar year. The fee is $75 for most businesses. Apply to the Licence Inspector on the Village's application form.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Gold River, https://goldriver.ca)  
**Cost:** $75 a year for most businesses. Retail or wholesale cannabis $75. Medical marihuana production facility $1,000. Special event $150 per day. A first licence taken out after August 1 is half price.  
**How long:** Licences expire December 31; renewals are due January 1. The Village does not state a processing time.  
**Where:**
- In person: Municipal Hall, 499 Muchalat Drive, Gold River, BC V0P 1G0 (Office hours are not stated on the Village's website.)
- Phone: Village Hall, 250-283-2202

## Key facts

- **Who needs one:** Every person carrying on, maintaining or owning any business in the Village must have a licence, including resident and non-resident businesses. A business with more than one branch, office or store needs a separate licence for each. Organizations that, in the Licence Inspector's opinion, operate solely for charitable or non-profit purposes are not 'business'.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, s. 3.a, 3.d](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Every person following, practicing, carrying on, maintaining, or owning within the" … "Village, any business, shall take out and maintain a licence" … "shall" … "obtain a separate licence for each branch, office, place, premise or store"
  - Source: [Permits and Licences, Business Licence](https://goldriver.ca/municipal-services/permits-and-licences/)
  - Official wording: "resident and non-resident businesses operating within our boundaries must have a valid and current business licence."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fee:** $75 a year for most businesses ('all other business'). Retail or wholesale cannabis $75 (reduced from $2,000 effective January 1, 2022). Medical marihuana production facility $1,000. Special event $150 per day. A first licence taken out after August 1 is half price.
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 734, 2021, Schedule G / Business licence categories, production and research facility](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-734-2021-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "and Research Facility Retail/wholesale cannabis or cannabis products $2,000 Special Event $150/day All other business $75" … "SCHEDULE G BUSINESS LICENCE FEES Type of Businss Fee (annual unless otherwise stated) Medical Marihuana Production Facility / Medical Marihuana Production $1,000 and Research Facility Retail/wholesale cannabis or cannabis products $2,000"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Amendment Bylaw No. 734.1, 2022](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Bylaw-No-734.1-2022-Fees-and-Charges-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "to reduce the Annual Fee for" … "Retail/wholesale cannabis or cannabis products to $75 effective January 1, 2022."
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, s. 3.h](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "after the 1st day of August in any" … "year, the annual licence fee for that year shall be reduced by half of the annual"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How to apply:** Apply to the Licence Inspector on the application form, stating the nature and address of the business, number of persons, floor area and any other information required, with the fee. The Licence Inspector grants a licence once satisfied that building, zoning, health, sanitation and business bylaws and federal or provincial requirements are met. The form is on the Village's Permits and Licences page.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, s. 3.b-3.c](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "All applications for licences under this bylaw shall be made to the Licence Inspector" … "on an application form provided for that purpose" … "accompanied by the prescribed fee"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, s. 6.c](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The Licence Inspector shall grant a licence when he is satisfied the applicant has" … "zoning, health, sanitation and business and applicable federal and/ or provincial"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Renewal:** Licences are for the calendar year and expire on December 31. Renewal fees are due January 1. A renewal paid more than 30 days after expiry costs an additional $150.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, s. 3.f-3.g](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "all licence" … "renewal fees are due and payable on January 1st in any year." … "shall expire on the 31st day of December next" … "an additional fee of one hundred and" … "fifty dollars ($150)."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Inter-community licence:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Fine:** Not confirmed. The ticket amounts are in a scanned schedule that could not be read.
- **Bylaw:** Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, as amended by Bylaw No. 735.1, 2022; fees in Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 734, 2021, Schedule G
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, Title](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021"
  - Source: [Business Licence Amendment Bylaw No. 735.1, 2022](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Bylaw-No-735.1-2022-Business-Licencing-Amendment.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Business Licence Amendment Bylaw No. 735.1, 2022"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

[Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf) says every person carrying on, maintaining or owning a business in the Village of Gold River needs a licence, including non-resident businesses. A business with more than one branch, office or store needs a licence for each. Organizations the Licence Inspector considers to operate solely for charitable or non-profit purposes are not a "business".

## Steps

1. Fill in the [Application for a Business Licence (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Busines-Licence-Fillable.pdf), giving the nature and address of the business, number of persons, floor area and any other information required.
2. Submit it to the Licence Inspector with the fee at Municipal Hall, 499 Muchalat Drive.
3. The Licence Inspector grants the licence once satisfied that building, zoning, health, sanitation and business bylaws and federal or provincial requirements are met. Restaurants and cannabis trade businesses have extra steps.
4. Post the licence in a conspicuous place on the premises. Non-residents must carry theirs while working in Gold River.

## Good to know

- Licences expire December 31. Renewal fees are due January 1; a renewal paid more than 30 days after expiry costs an extra $150.
- Issued licences are not refunded.
- On conviction the bylaw allows a fine up to $10,000. Ticket amounts are in a scanned schedule we could not read; ask the Village.

## Official forms and pages

- [Application for a Business Licence (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Busines-Licence-Fillable.pdf)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021 (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Business licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/business-licence.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/business-licence.md)
- [Tofino](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/business-licence.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/business-licence.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/business-licence.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/business-licence.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/business-licence.md)

## Sources

- [Permits and Licences, Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/municipal-services/permits-and-licences/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Business Licence Amendment Bylaw No. 735.1, 2022 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Bylaw-No-735.1-2022-Business-Licencing-Amendment.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 734, 2021 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-734-2021-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Fees and Charges Amendment Bylaw No. 734.1, 2022 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Bylaw-No-734.1-2022-Fees-and-Charges-Amendment-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 2 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Gold River. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/business-licence/_