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

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

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

**Short answer:** Port Alice charges business licence fees by class, such as Commercial/Industrial from $50 a year (up to 3 employees) and Home Occupation $50. Who must hold a licence is set by Business Licence Bylaw No. 496, which could not be read. Call the Village office.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Port Alice, https://portalice.ca)  
**Cost:** Commercial/Industrial from $50 a year; Home Occupation $50 a year; see below.  
**How long:** Not stated.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village office, 250-284-3391
- Email: Village office email, info@portalice.ca
- In person: Municipal Hall, 1061 Marine Drive, Port Alice, BC V0N 2N0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Who needs one:** Business licence classes in the fee schedule: Commercial/Industrial, Rental units/spaces, Home Occupation, Miscellaneous Business (canvassers, agents, contractors, delivery services, mobile sales), Mobile Business, and Non-Resident Business.
  - Source: [Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 695-2025, Schedule F](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/695-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-for-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "otherwise stated) Commercial/Industrial Definition - any business permitted in the Employing up to 3 people $50.00" … "Employing over 50 people $400.00 Rental units/spaces Definition - Any building containing rental Up to 10 units $50.00" … "Bylaw and any amendments thereto. Miscellaneous Business Per business $50.00 Definition - any business not carried out of" … "Each mobile unit Per year $300.00 Non- Resident Business Definition - any type of business carried on North Island (Mt. Waddington"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fee:** Commercial/Industrial per year: up to 3 employees $50, up to 10 $80, up to 25 $100, up to 50 $200, over 50 $400. Home Occupation $50. Miscellaneous Business $50 ($21.25 for instructors under 10 hours a week). Mobile Business $50 a day or $300 a year per unit. Non-resident: North Island business $21.25 a day or $80 a year; others $30 a day or $100 a year. Pro-rated 50% after July 31.
  - Source: [Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 695-2025, Schedule F](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/695-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-for-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Employing up to 3 people $50.00" … "Employing up to 10 people $80.00" … "Employing over 50 people $400.00" … "Home Occupation Per business $50.00" … "Per day $21.25" … "Per year $80.00" … "Per day $30.00" … "Per year $100.00" … "*Exception: Instructors offering" … "Each mobile unit" … "Business License fees will be pro-rated 50% after July 31st of each year."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How to apply:** Not confirmed. Port Alice's Business Licence Bylaw No. 496 is a scanned PDF that could not be read.
- **Renewal:** Fees are annual (per annum unless otherwise stated), and are pro-rated 50% after July 31 each year. Renewal dates are not stated.
  - Source: [Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 695-2025, Schedule F](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/695-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-for-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "(per annum unless otherwise stated)" … "Business License fees will be pro-rated 50% after July 31st of each year."
  - 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. Port Alice's Business Licence Bylaw No. 496 is a scanned PDF that could not be read.
- **Bylaw:** Business License Bylaw No. 496; fees in Rates & Fees Bylaw No. 695-2025, Schedule F
  - Source: [Bylaws library, Bylaws library page](https://portalice.ca/town-hall/bylaws/)
  - Official wording: "496 Business License Bylaw"
  - Source: [Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 695-2025, Schedule F](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/695-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-for-2025.pdf)
  - Official wording: "SCHEDULE F – BUSINESS LICENCE FEES"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works
Business licence fees are in Schedule F of [Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 695-2025](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/695-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-for-2025.pdf). Who must hold a licence is set by Business Licence Bylaw No. 496, a scanned PDF that could not be read. The fee schedule has these classes: Commercial/Industrial, Rental units/spaces, Home Occupation, Miscellaneous Business (canvassers, agents, contractors, delivery services, mobile sales), Mobile Business, and Non-Resident Business.

Fees (per year unless stated):
- Commercial/Industrial: up to 3 employees $50, up to 10 $80, up to 25 $100, up to 50 $200, over 50 $400.
- Home Occupation: $50.
- Miscellaneous Business: $50 ($21.25 for instructors under 10 hours a week).
- Mobile Business: $50 a day or $300 a year per unit.
- Non-resident: North Island business $21.25 a day or $80 a year; others $30 a day or $100 a year.
- Rental units/spaces: see short-term-rental.

## Steps
1. Phone the Village office at 250-284-3391 or email info@portalice.ca to ask which class applies to you and how to apply. The sources do not say how.

## Good to know
- Fees are pro-rated at 50% after July 31 each year. Renewal dates are not stated.
- The sources do not state a fine for operating without a licence.

## Official forms and pages

- [Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 695-2025 (PDF), Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/695-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-for-2025.pdf)
- [Bylaws library, Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/town-hall/bylaws/)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Business licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/business-licence.md)
- [Port Hardy](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/business-licence.md)
- [Port McNeill](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-mcneill/business-licence.md)
- [Alert Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/alert-bay/business-licence.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/business-licence.md)
- [Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/business-licence.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/business-licence.md)

## Sources

- [Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 695-2025 (PDF), Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/695-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-for-2025.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaws library, Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/town-hall/bylaws/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/contact/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 3 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Port Alice. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alice/business-licence/_