No matter how large or how small your business operation is, the City of Grande Prairie requires all home-based businesses to obtain a municipal business licence.
Below is the list of steps of the process required to receive a business licence when based from a residence within City limits.
With the recently passed Business Licence Bylaw C-1393, effective May 1, 2021, some home-based businesses could now be considered as an off-site business operation.
In addition to these improvements, certain contractors, direct sellers (door-to-door sales) and entrepreneurial youth will see new improvements to their business industry.
In addition to the business licence application from, the following types of contractors are required to submit the corresponding pre-requisite for every new business licence and renewal:
If you have any questions regarding the pre-requisite forms, please contact our Inspections Services department at 780-538-0421.
A direct seller is a person who walks from the door of one house to the door of another to speak directly with residents. Direct sellers sell anything from magazines to home improvements. If a contract is signed in person, negotiated or concluded away from the seller’s usual place of business, it is considered a direct sale.
Generally, door-to-door activities are methods for:
What to expect:
Once the business applies for their business licence, the business will be contacted to discuss their representatives. Upon approval of the application, each representative will be required to attend a set time and location to pick-up their City issued ID card. In order for each representative to receive their City ID, they must bring their company issued ID card as well as a piece of personal government issued ID.
What is required:
To engage in door to door sales, the business is required to maintain a valid City of Grande Prairie business licence during the soliciting and negotiating of sale contracts by their representatives. Plus, each representative is required to obtain a direct seller’s permit.
In addition to the requirements above, the following requirements must be submitted with your application:
Businesses that would like to send their representatives door-to-door require a Direct Seller’s Licence from the Government of Alberta. As most representatives are working under the direction of a company, it is the company's responsibility to obtain the Government of Alberta Direct Seller’s Licence; it is not the responsibility of each individual representative.
Business Licence Fee:
The Direct Seller’s permit is only valid for 6 months from when the permit is issued.
Failure to comply will result the business to immediately stop their business activities in the city and the business may receive fines.
To apply - please send an email to blicensing@cityofgp.com.
Young entrepreneurs under the age of 18 are eligible for a business licence at no cost. A business licence for an entrepreneur is not an obligatory process, but the City encourages you to apply.
Home-Based Business entities where the entirety of the operations of the business occur off-site and do not qualify as a home office or a home business will be now classified as an off-site business operation.
Some examples of these types of businesses could include:
Licence Fee: $0.00
Renewal notices will be sent out one month prior to the business licence expiring. Businesses that have not renewed their business licence by month end of its anniversary month will receive a final notice and be deemed delinquent. Delinquent businesses will be subject to the renewal fee and late fee in accordance with the Fees, Rates and Charges Bylaw C-1395, Schedule “A”. Businesses that fail to renew will receive a late fee for each month that they remain delinquent.
Late Fee: $50.00/month
When you apply for a municipal business licence, certain criteria are checked before the business licence certificate is issued.
We review the application details and follow-up with any questions we may have or submittal requirements that are missing from the application.
We confirm if the desired location is appropriately zoned for the business activity. If necessary, you may be contacted by our development officers to guide your through the land-use approval process.
We assign the occupancy classification of the business location to your business licence. In some cases, the business activity might not align with the occupancy classification assigned to the building at the proposed business location. If necessary, you may be contacted by our Safety Codes or Fire Prevention Officers to guide your through the safety code requirements.
The business licence certificate is issued once the land-use approval has been obtained and the occupancy classification is correctly assigned. The business licence will be mailed to the mailing address on file.
In some cases, we will issue the business licence if the required permits have been applied for and are in process.
Business Licence Expiry:
The business licence expires at midnight, at month end, one calendar year from the initial date the licence is issued, unless otherwise specified.
Business Licence Renewals:
A renewal notice will be emailed to the email address on the licence file on the 1st day of the month when the business licence expires. Please note to check your junk mail folder as some email address domains have been known to redirect our renewal notices.
If your business is in relation to food or personal care services, an inspection and written approval from Environmental Public Health is required before you open for business. For more information or to arrange an inspection, please contact Environmental Public Health at 780-513-7517.
A home office is the secondary use of residence by the permanent resident(s) of the home to conduct a business activity that does not require client or employee visits to the residence and may involve limited delivery or storage of goods or supplies.
Examples of businesses that qualify as a Home Office include desk, and telephone occupations, web-based businesses or consultants, with no customer visits.
A home business is the secondary use of residence or combination of a residence and an accessory building by the permanent resident(s) of the home to conduct a business activity that does require client or employee visits to the residence or on-site parking of a utility trailer or mobile cooking operation (food truck) associated with the home business. This may also involve delivery, storage of goods and supplies to the home.
Examples of businesses that qualify as a home business include hair stylists, massage therapists, home bakeries, with customer visits.
Home business customer hours are restricted to:
There are a few situations that we will refund the business licence fee:
If an application for a business licence is withdrawn prior to processing, the business licence fee will be refunded;
We will not refund the licence fee:
If you plan to change your business location, and you already have a business licence, you must notify business licensing before the move occurs as there may be additional approvals required at your new business location.
If you close or sell your business, notify business licensing so your licence file can be closed. If you sell your business, the new owner(s) must apply for a new business licence, and potentially, other approvals will also be required. If your business closes, the business licence fee is non-refundable.
In addition to the business licence application, some business activities have further provisions and requirements to follow when applying for a City of Grande Prairie business licence.
If you are hosting more than two garage sales or yard sales for an extended period of time, you are required to apply for a business license and comply with any land-use bylaw provisions that may be required.
A private child care provider is the care of six or less children under the age of 13 years, not including the operator’s children and provides care in the operator’s residence for more than six hours per week.
What is required:
For every new or renewal of a private child care provider business licence, the following requirements must be submitted with your application:
Licence Fee: $105.00
Additional Information:
Individuals who are caring for six or fewer children do not require a licence with the Government of Alberta but have the option of becoming an approved family day home under a contracted family day home agency. Approved family day home agencies recruit, monitor and support these family day home providers. For more information visit become an approved family day home.
If you intend to provide care for seven or more children, you will be required to be licensed by the Government of Alberta.
A mobile cooking operation (MCO) is a vehicle, trailer or cart that may be parked or sited on a temporary basis and when stationary, is used to produce, cook, sell or distribute food. This could be a van, truck or trailer converted to contain a mobile commercial grade kitchen.
In addition to the business licence application, for a MCO to legally operate inside the City limits, all units are required to have an inspection from the Fire Department, Alberta Health Services and City Inspection Services.
What to expect:
Once the business applies for their business licence, the business will be contacted to bring their MCO to a set time and location to have their unit inspected.
Upon successful inspections, the unit will be awarded a sticker, from each authority for the current year. If one (or more) of the inspection is not successful, the operator will be provided with items that need to be corrected before receiving their sticker.
Once all inspections are deemed successful and the MCO receives their stickers from each authority, the business licence will be issued. All MCOs are required to be inspected on an annual basis. This inspection occurs at the initial business licence application and for every business licence renewal.
Where to park:
MCOs can park on non-residential (commercial parking lots) private property with permission of the property owner.
MCOs that would like to utilize public/city-owned property, which includes Muskoseepi Park, Centre 2000, downtown, CKC turf field/grandstands, and the Montrose Cultural Centre, must obtain approval first.
The application form to utilize at these locations can be found here.
Additional Requirements:
When operating a MCO in Grande Prairie, the MCO is to provide recycling and waste receptacles to customers when their unit is open for business, unless the unit is participating in an event where receptacles are provided by the event organizer.
Event organizers are required to obtain a business licence for their event.
A person that rents a stall, table or space as a vendor at a tradeshow, farmer’s market, or community event do not require a business licence and are limited to operating only during the scheduled hours of the event and only at that location. A business operating outside of these specific event hours or location will require a business licence.
If your event is to be held outdoors, you will be required to apply for an outdoor event permit.
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