Business Licences and Permits
The City’s review of the Business Licensing By-law has been completed and Business Licensing By-law 122-2024 is effective November 4, 2024. Details on the review along with the approved program enhancements are available in Report SF-24-06. Previous Temporary Licence Exemptions that were in place related to Food Shop Licences, Short Term Food Shop Licences, and Class A/Class B Peddler Licences (General Peddlers and Special Event Organizers) no longer apply. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
The City of Oshawa administers various licences for businesses that address health and safety issues and provide consumer protection.
View the Business Licence Classes below for further information about the various licences administered by the City.
Modular Licensing
A business that operates more than one (1) regulated business class at one (1) location can apply for a Primary Licence with the ability to receive Additional Licence Endorsements to operate additional regulated business classes at the same location.
The Primary Licence is the required class with the highest level of Application Requirements and Licensing Approvals.
Additional Licence Endorsements may require additional Application Requirements and Licensing Approvals and are subject to a nominal $50 application fee.
The main licence classes that may be eligible for modular licensing at this time include:
- Smoke, Tobacco and Vapour Product Shop
- Tattoo Parlour
- Vehicle Establishment
- Public Hall
- Food Shop - Class “A” Food Shops
However, if someone operates a business out of one (1) location that requires more than one (1) City licence, they may also be eligible for a Modular Licence. Business operators are encouraged to contact to Licensing Services for more information.
Business Licence Classes
Frequently Asked Questions about new Business Licensing By-law 122-2024
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The name of my licence type has changed – what do I need to know or do? |
| No further action is required on your part at this time. When you renew your licence, please ensure that you choose the new licence type. |
| What’s changed overall? |
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Various changes have been introduced related to what businesses require a licence. The categories below summarizes the changes. New Licences
Remains Licensed
No Longer Licensed
Other changes include:
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| Modular licensing explanation and examples: |
Under the previous licensing by-law, multiple business licences were required to operate a business that offered more than one (1) regulated business operation. For example:
Through the introduction of Modular Licensing, a business that operates more than one (1) regulated business class at the same location can apply for a modular licence with a Primary Licence and Additional Licence Endorsement(s). The benefits of Modular Licensing include:
The main licence categories that may be eligible for a modular licence at this time include:
However, if someone operates a business out of one location that requires more than one City licence, they may also be eligible for a modular licence – business operators should reach out to Licensing Services for more information. Common scenario:A gas station requires a Smoke, Tobacco, and Vapour Product Shop Licence, a Vehicle Establishment Licence and a Food Shop Licence. Through Modular Licensing, the Primary Licence is the Smoke, Tobacco, and Vapour Product Shop Licence. They will pay the full licence fee for this licence. The Vehicle Establishment and Food Shop licences will be Additional Licence Endorsements. A $50 fee will be payable for each, rather than the full individual licence fees. The application for all three licences will be completed at the same time, using a single online application link, so questions will not be repeated, and documents will not need to be submitted multiple times. All licences will have the same term and expiry date, which will help to keep the renewal process streamlined as well. Highlights:
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| Why did the pre-packaged food exemption for Food Shops end and why do I have to get a Food Shop licence now? |
| Temporary exemptions were set up in relation to certain business classes while the By-law was under review (specifically related to Class A Food Shops, Short Term Food Shop, and Class A/Class B Peddlers). When these temporary exemptions were established, it was communicated that these would only be in effect during the duration of the by-law review.
Now that the review has been completed and a new by-law has been created in response to the consultation and research undertaken (which has been passed by Council in October 2024), the temporary exemption program has ended. The new licence requirements specifically considered Special Events and the updated standards were developed after extensive consultation with the business community, members of the public, Durham Region Health Department and other municipalities. While developing them, a balance was sought between health and safety, risk reduction, and keeping a low regulatory burden on businesses. As a result, it was identified that the preparation/storage/sale/etc. of certain food is higher risk than others (namely Low-Risk and Pre-Packaged Food). With this in mind, it was determined that businesses exclusively dealing with Low-Risk Pre-Packaged Food would not require a Food Shop licence, however those that deal with food other than Low-Risk Pre-Packaged Food would require a Food Shop Licence for additional checks and balances related to health and safety regulations. Low-Risk Pre-Packaged Food examples include bags of chips, chocolate bars, dry goods, etc. If the food requires refrigeration to not spoil, it is not eligible for the exemption. |
| What is considered Low-Risk Pre-Packaged Food? |
| Low-Risk Pre-Packaged Food examples include bags of chips, chocolate bars, dry goods, etc. Something like cut fruit or vegetables would not be considered “low-risk”. If the food requires refrigeration to not spoil, for example, it is not eligible for the exemption.
In order to be considered exempt, the product has to be both “low-risk” and pre-packaged, and you must only deal with exclusively low-risk pre-packaged food. If you have any question or are unsure if your business would be considered under the Low-Risk Pre-Packaged Food exemption, please contact: [email protected] |
| What about Special events? Do I need a new licence for each event I want to participate in? |
| Special Events are important to the vibrancy of Oshawa and are incubators for the development of small businesses.
As a result, the following has been introduced with the new by-law changes:
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| I’m a Temporary Refreshment Vehicle and I want to operate over 15 days in a 1 year period – what do I need to do? |
| You will need to apply for a regular Class “B” Mobile Refreshment Vehicle Licence. Operating more than fifteen (15) days in a one (1) year period is not considered to be temporary operations.
If you currently have a Class “C” Temporary Refreshment Vehicle Licence but now want to increase the scope of your operations, your Class “C” Temporary Refreshment Vehicle Licence will be cancelled and you will have to reapply as a Class “B” Mobile Refreshment Vehicle and pay the relevant fees. You will receive a new one (1) year licence term. |
| I’m a Temporary Food Shop and I now want to operate over 15 days in a 1 year period – what do I need to do? |
| If you know that you want to operate longer than fifteen (15) days in a one (1) year period when you first apply, you will pay the original Class “C” Temporary Food Shop Licence fee + the “add-on fee” for operating over fifteen (15) days. You will receive a one (1) year licence term. You must “re-apply” (at no fee) for each additional vending period/Special Event in order to update their licence and provide the City with the details/submittals for each Special Event.
If you decide you want to operate for more than fifteen (15) days in the middle of your one (1) year licence term, you will have to pay the “add-on fee” for operating over fifteen (15) days. This is in addition to the licence fees you paid for your original Class “C” Temporary Food Shop Licence. You will not receive any additional time on your original one (1) licence term – your original expiry date remains your expiry date.
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| What counts as a Tattoo Parlour? Does microblading require a licence? |
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A Tattoo Parlour is any place involved in the marking of skin with indelible pigment or other such substance so as to produce a permanent design, mark or similar feature on the skin, but does not include place which exclusively provides permanent makeup, microblading or micropigmentation services. No, places that exclusively provide permanent makeup, microblading or micropigmentation services do not require a Tattoo Parlour Licence. |
Exemption Requests
You can apply for an exemption to the Business Licensing By-law. The fee for an exemption request is $150.
To apply, please complete the Exemption Request to Business Licensing By-law Application form and submit it to the Licensing Office by mail or in person or by [email protected].
Zoning
Is your location zoned correctly for your type of business, and do you have the required number of parking spaces? Call Municipal Licensing and Standards at 905-436-3311, ext. 2299 or email: [email protected] to find out.
View our Zoning webpage for more information.
Licences to Serve and/or Sell Alcohol
To serve and/or sell alcohol in Oshawa, you must apply for a Liquor Sales Licence/Permit from the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario (A.G.C.O.). In addition, you may require Municipal Clearance and Agency Approval Letters from the City of Oshawa. Once you apply to the A.G.C.O., they will advise you on what else they require from you. Please visit the A.G.C.O.'s website for further information.
Municipal Clearance for a Liquor Sales Licence
As part of the Liquor Sales Licence approval process, the A.G.C.O. may require a Municipal Clearance form signed by City of Oshawa Licensing Services and Agency Approval Letters from Oshawa Building Services , Oshawa Fire Services and Durham Region Health.
When your Municipal Clearance/Agency Approval Letters application is submitted to the City of Oshawa, Licensing Services will work with Building Services and Fire Services to obtain the necessary approvals, then complete the Municipal Clearance form and send it back to you. Building Services and Fire Services will also send their letters directly to you. You will then submit all documents to the A.G.C.O. through the A.G.C.O. portal.
To apply, please submit the following:
- Municipal Clearance form
- If your application includes an outdoor patio, you must include a site plan of the business.
Apply for Municipal Clearance/Agency Approval Letters
Please visit Durham Region Health's website for more information on how to obtain approval from the health department.
Special Occasion Permits
All Special Occasion Permits (S.O.P.) must be completed on the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario'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:
When your application is submitted to Licensing Services, we will review it 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 is taking 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.
Manage Your Liquor Sales Licence
Information related to changing, renewing or transferring an existing Liquor Sales Licence, can be found on the A.G.C.O.’s website. You can manage these changes yourself through the A.G.C.O.'s online portal.
Information related to temporarily extending your indoor Liquor Sales Licence to an outdoor patio can be found on A.G.C.O. Temporary Outdoor Physical Extension page. You must get a letter of approval from the City of Oshawa for your temporary patio and notify the A.G.C.O. of your approval, the duration of your approval and any conditions on the approval. To request a letter of approval from the City, please send the details of your proposed temporary extension to the City's Licensing Office at [email protected].
If you have specific questions concerning your Liquor Sales Licence, contact the A.G.C.O. directly.
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
Provincial Regulations
To register a business name and incorporate a business, please see Service Ontario's Business Registry page.
Small Business Resources
BizPaL is an online source of information on permits and licences to start or grow your business. BizPaL will help identify what you may require, quickly and easily. Find everything from a single source; entrepreneurs spend less time dealing with red tape - saving effort and money in the process - and more time building their business.
If you are considering opening a new business in Oshawa, contact Business and Economic Development Services to discuss your business requirements.
Visit Invest Oshawa for incentives and support to ensure the success of your business.
Licences previously issued under Repealed Business Licensing By-law 120-2005 are valid for the duration of licence term and are subject to the requirements, regulations and conditions found in By-law 120-2005. Any renewal of a licence after that term has expired is subject to the requirements, regulations and conditions of Business Licensing By-law 122-2024.