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

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

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

**Short answer:** No. The District of Highlands does not issue municipal business licences, so nobody needs one to operate here. It offers only an Intermunicipal Business Licence ($100 a year) for a business already operating from Highlands premises that also works in other CRD municipalities.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Highlands, https://www.highlands.ca)  
**Cost:** $100 a year for an Intermunicipal Business Licence. There is no other District business licence.  
**How long:** The pages read do not state a processing time.  
**Where:**
- Online: Business Licences, District of Highlands, https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences
- In person: District Office, Municipal Hall, 1980 Millstream Road, Victoria, BC V9B 6H1 (Take the completed form here. Counter hours are not stated on the pages read.)
- Phone: Municipal Hall, 250-474-1773
- Email: Municipal Hall, info@highlands.ca

## Key facts

- **Who needs one:** Nobody needs a municipal business licence for a home-based or commercial business: the District does not issue them. Only an Intermunicipal Business Licence is offered, and only to a business already operating from premises in Highlands.
  - Source: [Business Licences, Business Licences page](https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences)
  - Official wording: "Home based or commercial business licences are not issued in the District of Highlands." … "To be able to obtain an Intermunicipal Business Licence you must already be operating a business on, in or from a premises within the District of Highlands."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fee:** $100 a year for an Intermunicipal Business Licence.
  - Source: [Business Licences, Business Licences page](https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences)
  - Official wording: "The annual fee for an Intermunicipal Business Licence is $100 and may be purchased at the District Office."
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 152, 2001, s. 5](https://www.highlands.ca/sites/31/files/2025-02/152%20-%20Business%20License_201306031504557174.pdf)
  - Official wording: "shall be accompanied by a fee of $100.00."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How to apply:** Fill in the Intermunicipal Business Licence application form and take it to the District Office (1980 Millstream Road); the licence is bought there. A Resident Business that also works in another participating municipality applies to the Administrator.
  - Source: [Business Licences, Business Licences page](https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences)
  - Official wording: "Application Form" … "may be purchased at the District Office."
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 152, 2001, s. 2 and 4](https://www.highlands.ca/sites/31/files/2025-02/152%20-%20Business%20License_201306031504557174.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Every person owning or operating a Resident Business that also operates" … "The application for a licence for the first time shall be in the form or forms"
  - Source: [Business Licences, Business Licences page](https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences)
  - Official wording: "To be able to obtain an Intermunicipal Business Licence you must already be operating a business on, in or from a premises within the District of Highlands."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Renewal:** Licences run January 1 to December 31 each year, with no part-year reduction. If nothing about the business has changed, no application form is needed to renew.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 152, 2001, s. 8 and 13](https://www.highlands.ca/sites/31/files/2025-02/152%20-%20Business%20License_201306031504557174.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Licenses issued hereunder shall be annual licenses for the period January 1st" … "to December 31st in each and every year, and no proportionate reduction" … "an application form is not required to renew an Intermunicipal Business Licence."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Inter-community licence:** Yes. An Intermunicipal Business Licence lets a business licensed in a participating CRD municipality work in all of them: Central Saanich, Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, Metchosin, North Saanich, Oak Bay, Saanich, Sidney, Sooke, Victoria, View Royal and Highlands. Fee $100 a year.
  - Source: [Business Licences, Business Licences page](https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences)
  - Official wording: "Participating municipalities include: Central Saanich, Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, Metchosin, North Saanich, Oak Bay, Saanich, Sidney, Sooke, Victoria, View Royal, and Highlands." … "The annual fee for an Intermunicipal Business Licence is $100 and may be purchased at the District Office."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** No fine for operating without a licence: the District issues no business licences. Bylaw 152 s. 14 sets only a general penalty for breaching that bylaw: on conviction at least $100 plus costs (first offence), $200 (second), $300 (later). No ticket is listed.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 152, 2001, s. 14](https://www.highlands.ca/sites/31/files/2025-02/152%20-%20Business%20License_201306031504557174.pdf)
  - Official wording: "liable on conviction, to a" … "fine or penalty of not less than $100.00 and costs in respect of the first" … "offence, $200.00 and costs in respect of the second offence, and in the case of" … "subsequent offences to a fine of not less than $300.00 and costs."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** District of Highlands Business Licence Bylaw No. 152, 2001 (Intermunicipal Business Licence scheme)
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 152, 2001, s. 15](https://www.highlands.ca/sites/31/files/2025-02/152%20-%20Business%20License_201306031504557174.pdf)
  - Official wording: "District of Highlands Business Licence Bylaw No. 152, 2001"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The District of Highlands does not issue business licences, for home-based or commercial businesses. It offers only an Intermunicipal Business Licence under [Business Licence Bylaw No. 152](https://www.highlands.ca/sites/31/files/2025-02/152%20-%20Business%20License_201306031504557174.pdf), and only to a business already operating from premises in Highlands. The licence lets a business licensed in a participating CRD municipality work in all of them: Central Saanich, Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, Metchosin, North Saanich, Oak Bay, Saanich, Sidney, Sooke, Victoria, View Royal and Highlands.

The fee is $100 a year. Licences run January 1 to December 31, with no part-year reduction.

## Steps

1. Decide whether you need the Intermunicipal licence (only if you work in other participating municipalities).
2. Fill in the Intermunicipal Business Licence application form and take it to the District Office at 1980 Millstream Road, where the licence is bought.
3. A Resident Business that also works in another participating municipality applies to the Administrator.
4. To renew, if nothing about the business has changed, no application form is needed.

## Good to know

- Operating without a licence carries no fine, because the District issues no business licences. Breaching Bylaw 152 carries a general penalty on conviction of at least $100 plus costs (first offence), $200 (second) and $300 (later). No ticket is listed.
- How renewal fees are paid is not stated on the pages read.
- Home-based businesses still must follow zoning rules (see the home-based-business answer).

## Official forms and pages

- [Business Licences, District of Highlands](https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 152, 2001 (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/sites/31/files/2025-02/152%20-%20Business%20License_201306031504557174.pdf)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Business licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/business-licence.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/business-licence.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/business-licence.md)
- [Central Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/business-licence.md)
- [Colwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/business-licence.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/business-licence.md)
- [Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/business-licence.md)

## Sources

- [Business Licences, District of Highlands](https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/business-licences) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 152, 2001 (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/sites/31/files/2025-02/152%20-%20Business%20License_201306031504557174.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Enforcement, District of Highlands](https://www.highlands.ca/local-government/bylaw/bylaw-enforcement) (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 District of Highlands. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/business-licence/_