Mobile business licences
Last updated on July 31, 2024
Mobile business licences allow some types of businesses to work across participating communities. They are also known as "inter-community business licences" or "inter-municipal business licences."
On this page
If your business works across communities, it may save time and money by getting a mobile business licence.
Some common types of businesses that benefit from mobile business licences are:
- Construction
- Trades
- Catering
- Mobile salons
Each mobile business licence area allows different types of businesses to apply. Contact a participating local government to check if your business type is eligible.
Example of a mobile business licence
Paige has a construction business in Victoria. They purchased a business licence from the City of Victoria.
To serve customers in neighbouring communities, like the District of Saanich and the City of Langford, Paige can get a mobile business licence for Greater Victoria (13 participating communities).
This saves Paige money since the cost of a mobile business licence is less than the total cost of a business licence for each community.
Paige also saves time since they won't need to apply for a different business licence in each community.
Paige's construction business can now serve customers in each of the 13 participating communities of the Greater Victoria mobile business licence.
You can only apply for a mobile business licence through a participating local government.
- Eligibility and costs may be different in each partnership
- A mobile business licence for the entire province is not available
- The Province does not issue mobile business licences
Contact a local government within a partnership to learn if your business is eligible and how to apply for a mobile business licence.
There are 17 mobile business licence partnerships between 104 communities in British Columbia:
View the regional boundaries of mobile business licence agreements on a map.
Click on the partnerships below to find the list of participating local governments and links to their mobile business licence webpages.
Kootenay
Cranbrook/Kimberley
Greater Trail
Kootenay
Lower Mainland
Fraser Valley
Metro West
Sunshine Coast
Northeast
Northeast
Okanagan-Similkameen
Okanagan-Similkameen
Thompson-Nicola
Thompson-Nicola
Vancouver Island
Central Vancouver Island
Comox Valley
Cowichan Valley
Greater Victoria
Talk to your local government
Talk to your local government to learn if they are a mobile business licence partner, if your business is eligible, how to apply, and any other business requirements.
Scroll up for direct links to participating local government's websites.
Talk to the Small Business Branch (provincial government)
Talk to the Small Business Branch about:
- General inquiries about the mobile business licence program
- Information for municipalities, regional districts and First Nations
You cannot get a mobile business licence from the provincial government.