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

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

Port Coquitlam, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

Yes. Every business in the City of Port Coquitlam, including home-based, temporary and non-resident ones, needs a City business licence, with a separate licence for each premises. Fill in the form for your type of business and email it to the Business Licensing Division. Licences run January 1 to December 31 and are usually issued within four weeks.

Key facts

Who needs one	Every person carrying on business in the City, including temporary, non-resident and home-based businesses, with a separate licence for each premises. No licence is needed to rent a single-family dwelling to five or fewer unrelated persons, or fewer than five suites in a multi-family building.Business Bylaw 3725, s. 3; Business Licencing, Business Licencing page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No person shall carry on business in the City without a Licence. shall obtain a separate Licence for each premises. no Licence shall be required for the rental of a single family dwelling to five or fewer unrelated persons, or for the rental of fewer than five suites in a multi-family building. All businesses, including temporary and home-based businesses, require a valid business licence to operate in Port Coquitlam.
Fee	Annual, by business type (Business Bylaw Schedule A): Accessory Home Business $90; Restaurant $200; Professional $200 each; Other Business $200; Retail $90 for the first 30 m² plus $17 per extra 10 m². Half price if issued after July 31; maximum $3,000.Business Bylaw 3725, Schedule A; s. 4.1 and 4.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Accessory Home Business For each business $90.00 Restaurant For each business $200.00 Professional For each professional $200.00 Other Business For each business $200.00 Retail Business For the Building Area in which $90.00 for the first 30m2 of The business is conducted Building Area and $17.00 for shall be reduced by one-half in respect of a Licence issued after July 31st in any year. the maximum business licence fee that may be charged for an individual business is $3,000.00.
How to apply	Complete the application form for your business type and email it to businesslicensing@portcoquitlam.ca (the City page's apply line spells it businesslicencing@) or bring it to the Business Licensing Division at City Hall Annex. Building, Plumbing and Fire inspectors inspect before issue; Fraser Health approval for food, personal service, tobacco and child care. Usually issued within four weeks. Check zoning first.Business Licencing, Business Licencing page; Starting a Business, Is your business use permitted? · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording To apply for a licence, complete an application form and email it to businesslicencing@portcoquitlam.ca or bring it to the Business Licensing Division at City Hall Annex. Before your licence is issued, a Building Inspector, Plumbing Inspector, and Fire Protective Services Inspector will conduct a site inspection. Typically, a licence is issued within four weeks. Contact the Business Licensing Division at 604.927.5238 or businesslicensing@portcoquitlam.ca before you: confirm that the property is suitably zoned for your intended use.
Renewal	Licences run January 1 to December 31 and must be renewed by December 31; a renewal notice is sent in late November. Renew online, in person at City Hall, by mail, drop box or phone. The Business Bylaw adds a late fee of $25 (home-based) or $50 (others) only if not renewed before March 1 of the next year.Sources differ: City page says a penalty may apply to payments after December 31; the bylaw sets the late fee only once the licence is not renewed before March 1. Bylaw followed.Business Bylaw 3725, s. 21 and 22; Business Licencing, Renewals · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording prior to expiry of the Licence on December 31st. fails to renew the Licence prior to March 1st of the next year, then, in addition to the (a) $25.00 for an Accessory Home Business; (b) $50.00 for all other Businesses. Licence renewals are due on or before December 31. Payments received after December 31 may be subject to a $25 penalty for home-based businesses and $50 for all other business types. you will automatically receive a renewal notice in late November of each year.
Inter-community licence	Yes. The Tri Cities Intermunicipal Business Licence lets a mobile business based in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam or Port Moody add one licence to work in the other two. $175 a year, not pro-rated. A regular licence from the home city is still needed. Not available to escort agencies, body rub services or vehicles for hire.Intermunicipal Business Licence, Intermunicipal Business Licence page; Intermunicipal Business Licence Bylaw 3818, s. 4.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording The cost of an Intermunicipal Business Licence is $175 annually. Licence fees are not prorated. Only mobile businesses are eligible to apply for an Intermunicipal Business Licence. Business not eligible for the Intermunicipal Business Licence include escort agencies, body rub services, and vehicles for hire such as taxis, limousines and buses. residents is $175.00 and is payable to the Principal Municipality.
Fine	$500 for operating without a business licence (no early-payment discount; $500 if paid late, after 90 days; 50% compliance-agreement discount). Schedule A of Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 3814, Business Bylaw s. 3(a).Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 3814, Schedule A, Business Bylaw No. 3725 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No Business licence 3 (a) 500 N/A 500 50%
Bylaw	Business Bylaw, 2010, No. 3725Business Bylaw 3725, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Business Bylaw, 2010, No. 3725

How it works

The City of Port Coquitlam's Business Bylaw 3725 requires a licence for every person carrying on business in the City, including temporary, non-resident and home-based businesses. No licence is needed to rent a single-family dwelling to five or fewer unrelated persons, or fewer than five suites in a multi-family building. Resident businesses have a permanent location in the City; non-resident businesses (trade contractors, mobile businesses) have no fixed address in it.

Steps

Confirm the property is zoned for your use (PoCoMAP and the Zoning Bylaw) before you lease or buy.
Complete the application form for your business type.
Email it to businesslicensing@portcoquitlam.ca or bring it to the Business Licensing Division at the City Hall Annex.
Building, Plumbing and Fire inspectors inspect before the licence is issued. Fraser Health approval is needed for food, personal service, tobacco and child care businesses.
Renew each year by December 31; a notice is sent in late November. You can renew online, in person, by mail, drop box or phone.

Good to know

Operating without a licence: a $500 ticket (no early-payment discount), and the City page says up to $500 per day.
Late fee: $25 (home-based) or $50 (others) only if not renewed before March 1 of the next year. The City page says payments after December 31 may be penalized; the bylaw is followed here.
Fees are not refundable once issued, and are half price if issued after July 31 (the City page says pro-rated from August 1).
The Tri Cities Intermunicipal Business Licence lets a mobile business based in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam or Port Moody work in the other two for $175 a year, not pro-rated. You still need your home city's licence. It is not available to escort agencies, body rub services or vehicles for hire.

What you'll need

Business name, address and phone number; owner's name, address and phone number
Two emergency contact names and phone numbers
Address and total square footage of the premises, with a floor plan or site map
Industrial applications need a floor plan or site map showing activities and floor areas

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Coquitlam · New Westminster · Port Moody · Belcarra · Anmore · Burnaby

Business licence fees in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Business Licencing, City of Port Coquitlam (read 2026-11-05)
Starting a Business, City of Port Coquitlam (read 2026-11-05)
Business Bylaw 3725 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 3814 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
Intermunicipal Business Licence Bylaw 3818 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
Intermunicipal Business Licence, City of Port Coquitlam (read 2026-11-05)

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.