Special Event Licences

Food sales at Special Events may require one of three licences:

• Temporary Food Shop Licence
• Temporary Mobile Refreshment Vehicle Licence
• Mobile Refreshment Vehicle Licence

If you are unsure whether your business requires a Licence, Please email licensing@oshawa.ca with a description of your business, the event, and the products you will be selling for further guidance.

Temporary food shops

If you are participating in a Special Event, such as a festival, craft show or fair, and selling food from a table/booth, you require a Class “C” Temporary Food Shop Licence.

Note: If you exclusively sell low-risk pre-packaged foods (e.g. dry goods, bags of chips, bottles of pop, packaged candy, etc.), you do not require a Class “C” Temporary Food Shop Licence.

More information related to the Class “C” Temporary Food Shop Licence, including the online application, is available on our Food Licences page.

Refreshment Vehicles 

If you are participating in a Special Event, such as a festival, craft show or fair and selling food from a food truck or trailer, you require a Refreshment Vehicle Licence.

If you do not currently hold a Class “B” Mobile Refreshment Vehicle Licence, you require a Class “C” Temporary Mobile Refreshment Vehicle Licence in order to participate in a Special Event. 

More information related to Refreshment Vehicle Licences, including the online application, is available on our Food Licences page.

Special Event Organizer licence 

A Special Event Organizer is any person organizing an event involving multiple vendors at one (1) location exhibiting, offering for sale, and/or distributing of, temporarily, goods, wares, and/or merchandise to the general public. Examples of a Special Event are a festival, craft show or fair.

A Special Event Organizer Licence is valid for one (1) year and allows the licensee to organize multiple events during the licence term. Licensees are required to notify the City by filling out an online application form to provide details and documents for each organized Special Event during the licence term.

A Special Event Organizer Licence covers all Peddlers (vendors of goods, wares or merchandise) for each licensed Special Event but does not include food vendors. Food vendors must obtain their own Food Licence to be part of a Special Event. See our Food Licences page for more details.

More information related to Special Event Organizer Licences, including the online application, is available on our Buying and/or Selling Goods page.

A Peddler is a person who goes from place to place, or to a particular place, with goods, wares or merchandise for sale or who carries and exposes samples, patterns or specimens of any goods, wares or merchandise that are to be delivered in the City afterwards.

If you wish to sell goods, wares or merchandise on a temporary basis, you will require a Peddler Licence. A Peddler Licence is valid for one (1) year and allows the licensee to sell goods during the licence term. Licensees are required to notify the City by filling out an online application form to provide details and documents for each sales date and location during the licence term.

A Peddler Licence is not required if you are selling goods, wares or merchandise at a Special Event, such as a festival, craft show or fair, where the event organizer has a Special Event Organizer Licence with the City.

More information related to Peddler Licences, including the online application, is available on our Buying and/or Selling Goods page.

A Carnival Licence is required for an exhibition, display, event or amusement show which may include the operation of one (1) or more Amusement Devices or midway style attractions. This Licence is valid for one (1) Carnival event for up to seven (7) consecutive days at the same location. A new online application must be submitted for each Carnival event.

Applications must be submitted at least 30 days in advance of the event.

As part of the Carnival licensing process, City staff will send a letter to all property owners and occupants within 120 metres of the Carnival site advising of the details of the proposed Carnival activity. Property owners and occupants will have an opportunity to return/submit comments to the City concerning the Carnival activity. The feedback received will be used to consider approving the Carnival Licence.

Application requirements

Fees for a Carnival Licence: $200 ($50 application fee plus $150 licence fee).

To apply for a Carnival Licence, you must submit the following documents:

• Property Ownership or Lease of Premises or Land Use Authorization - Lease/Rental agreement or letter of authorization from the property owner of the proposed location for your Carnival setup 
• Business Name Registration and/or Articles of Incorporation for company providing Amusement Device(s)
• T.S.S.A. Amusement Device Permission to Operate Licence for company providing Amusement Device(s)
• T.S.S.A. Amusement Device Permit for each Amusement Device
• Event Site Plan - Site plan sketch/diagram/map of Carnival set up, where Amusement Device(s) will be located and other businesses located nearby
• Commercial General Liability Insurance with a liability limit of not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence  
• Please Note: Insurance Requirement for event on City of Oshawa property: Commercial General Liability Insurance with a liability limit of not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence with the City of Oshawa named as Additional Insured
• Electrical Safety Authority (E.S.A) Generator Inspection Report(s) (for large generator(s) used at this event)

Apply for a Carnival Licence 

All Special Occasion Permits (S.O.P.) must be completed on the A.G.C.O.'s online portal. For help determining which type of S.O.P. you require, please see the A.G.C.O.'s Special Occasion Permit Application Guide or contact the A.G.C.O. at 416-326-8700.

Public Events require the municipality to deem the event an event of municipal significance.

For Public Events, please submit the following to the Licensing Services Office:

• Event of Municipal Significance Application form
• Fee: $50

When your application is submitted to Licensing Services, we will review your application and provide you with a letter of Municipal Significance. you will then submit that letter to the A.G.C.O.

If your S.O.P. event will take place on City property, please review our Municipal Alcohol Policy. This policy lists which City-owned or operated facilities, parks, and lands allow S.O.P. events. It also outlines the procedures, rules, and responsibilities for applicants who host S.O.P. events on City property. 

Licensing Approvals

As part of the licensing process, we may contact the following agencies to provide approval for business licence applications:

• Licensing & Standards (Zoning) 
• Municipal Law Enforcement Services 
• Durham Regional Health Department
• Durham Regional Police 
• Fire Services 
• Building Services 
• Planning Services