Business Licencing

To apply for a Business Licence, please complete our Business Licence Application Form.

The application can be submitted in person at the Oliver Town Hall, located at 6150 Main Street, mailed to Town of Oliver, Box 638, Oliver, BC, V0H 1T0 or emailed to planning@oliver.ca

Below are the business licence fees for 2025.

• Standard Business Licence: $100.00 Seasonal Business Licence: $50.00
  A standard licence is issued to businesses where the nature of business is not captured in any of the categories below.

• Bed and Breakfast Operation/Vacation Rental: $200.00

• Cannabis Dispensary: $200.00

• Eating and Drinking Establishment: $150.00

  • Includes premises where prepared foods and beverages are offered for sale for consumption on-site or off-site. Examples include neighbourhood pubs, licensed restaurants, lounges, cafes, delicatessens, tea rooms, dining rooms, drive-thru food services, refreshment stands, and take-out restaurants. Mobile catering food services are excluded.

• Hotel or Motel: $200.00

  • Temporary accommodation units, each with exterior access and parking nearby. May also include an eating and drinking establishment.

• Hotel or Motel with Eating and Drinking Establishment: $350.00

• Home Industry or Home Occupation: $75.00

• Office (Six or More Professionals): $200.00

  • Examples of professionals: Accountant (Certified General, Certified Management, or Chartered), Agrologist, Appraiser, Architect, Barrister & Solicitor, Chiropractor, Podiatrist, Dentist, Orthodontist, Engineer, Insurance Adjuster, Insurance Agent, Investment/Securities Agent, Land Surveyor, Notary Public, Optometrist, Osteopath, General Practitioner, Specialist Physician, Physiotherapist, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Real Estate/Land Agent, Veterinarian.

• Retail Establishment (Major, Including Liquor Sales): $200.00

  • Includes the sale of goods and merchandise such as groceries, bakery goods, specialty foods, alcoholic beverages, hardware, electronics, appliances, pet care items, clothing, pharmaceuticals, antiques, collectibles, sporting goods, jewelry, flowers, magazines, newspapers, musical equipment, pawned goods, consignment items, auctioned items, and personal care products. Includes storage of goods sold on the premises.

• Service Industry Establishment (Major & Minor): $150.00

  • Minor: Services for non-personal goods, including automobile sales, rental and repair, auto body repair and painting, tire sales and repair, household cleaning and repair, metal and woodworking, and plumbing/heating sales, storage, and repair.

  • Major: Includes services such as automobile, truck, and truck trailer sales, rental, and repair; auto and truck body repair and painting; tire sales and repair; sales, rental, and repair of heavy equipment and farm implements; custodial services; metalworking, machining, and woodworking; and plumbing/heating sales, storage, and repair.

• Mobile Business (Mobile Vending Unit): $50.00/7 days or $150.00/year

  • Includes businesses operated solely from a motor vehicle or other mobile conveyance.

Business Licence Requirements and Inspections

1. Inspections:
   • Zoning Check - During the application review, we will determine if the proposed business is permitted at the business address.
   • Building Inspections - Some premises may require to be inspected by the Building Official and/or Fire Chief to ensure compliance with the British Columbia Building Code/Fire Safety Codes.
   • For food-related or personal service establishments, may require approval from a Provincial Health Inspector.
2. Issuance of Business Licence:
   • Once your business meets all zoning and inspection requirements, your Business Licence will be issued and activated upon payment of the applicable fee.
   • Your business licence may be subject to restrictions.
3. Annual Fee and Renewals:
   • Business invoices are sent automatically each year.
   • Annual fees are due on or before March 31st.
   • Unpaid fees may result in penalties and the issuance of a Bylaw Enforcement Ticket.
   • If your business closes, please inform the Town. Failure to do so will result in the assumption that your business is still operating.

Cannabis Business Regulations

1. Regulatory Compliance:
   • Non-medical cannabis businesses must comply with zoning bylaws and provincial regulations.
   • Retail cannabis sales are strictly prohibited in all zones except the TC Zone and C2 Zone.
2. Application Process:
   • Applications for retail cannabis businesses must be submitted through the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB).
   • The LCRB oversees British Columbia’s liquor industries and private retail non-medical cannabis industries.

If you are applying to operate a mobile food vending service, such as a food truck, please refer to the below information sheet for safety requirements.

Mobile Food Vendor - Public Overview Guidelines

Key Information on Bed and Breakfast Operations and Vacation Rentals
 

Bed and Breakfast Operation

A "bed and breakfast operation" refers to the use of bedrooms in a principal dwelling unit to provide sleeping accommodations and a morning meal for guests. The following regulations apply:

1. The operation must be located within the principal dwelling unit.

2. Accommodations are limited to no more than eight (8) patrons.

3. A maximum of four (4) bedrooms may be used for the operation.

4. Bedrooms used for the operation must not include cooking facilities.

5. Only residents of the principal dwelling unit may run the operation, and they must be present on the property during guests' stays.

6. The operation must not cause traffic congestion, public offense, or nuisances of any kind.

7. Bed and breakfast operations are not permitted on parcels where a vacation rental is operating.

8. Operators must maintain a written record of all tenants’ names.

9. The operation can only be conducted by a person with their principal residence on the parcel.

Vacation Rental

A "vacation rental" is defined as the use of a dwelling unit for temporary guest accommodations for less than one month. The following guidelines apply:

1. A valid business licence, issued by the Town of Oliver, is required and must be displayed prominently on the property.

2. In Low-Density Residential or Rural zones, these rules apply:

   • Only single detached dwellings, legal secondary suites, or duplex units may be used as vacation rentals.

   • The operation must be run by the property owner, who must also have their principal residence on the parcel.

   • Only one (1) vacation rental is allowed per parcel.

   • For duplexes, only one (1) unit can be used as a vacation rental.

   • Vacation rentals are not permitted on parcels with a bed and breakfast operation.

   • The maximum occupancy per bedroom is two (2) adults and two (2) children.

   • Operators must maintain a written record of all tenants’ names.

Application Requirements

When applying for a Bed and Breakfast Business Licence or Vacation Rental Licence, please submit the following:

• B&B / Vacation Rental Waiver along with the application.

• A drawing indicating parking arrangements.

• Proof of principal residence.

Refer to Zoning Bylaw 1423 to confirm if a bed and breakfast or vacation rental is permitted on your property. For additional questions, please contact 250-485-6200.

“home occupation” means an occupation or profession that is accessory to the principal residential use of a parcel and may include home offices; studios; home-based child care centre, minor and other similar uses.

If your business is a Home Occupation, please complete the waiver and submit along with your Business Licence Application.

Refer to Zoning Bylaw 1423 to determine if the nature of your business is permitted in your zone.

The Town accepts debit, cash or cheque in person.

On-line Credit Card payment is now accepted. Click here.

Through this program, eligible businesses will obtain one add-on business license that allows the business to do operations in 19 partner municipalities* (listed below). This is an annual licence that will be issued in addition to your Town of Oliver business licence.

Ineligible Businesses

The following business types are ineligible for the Inter-Community (Mobile) Business Licence:

• Social escort services

• Vehicles for hire (for example, taxis, limousines or buses)

• Body-rub services (which includes the manipulating, touching or stimulating by any means, of a person's body or part thereof, but does not include medical, therapeutic or cosmetic massage treatment given by a person duly licensed or registered under any statute of the Province of British Columbia governing such activities or a therapeutic touch technique)

• Those businesses selling goods or services to clients from the same location and not moving from client to client (e.g., fruit stands/trucks, mobile stores, mobile vendors, flea markets, carnivals, trade shows etc.)

Participating Communities

• City of Armstrong

• District of Coldstream

• City of Enderby

• City of Kelowna

• Village of Keremeos

• District of Lake Country

• Regional District of Central Okanagan

• Village of Lumby

• City of Merritt

• Town of Oliver

• Town of Osoyoos

• District of Peachland

• City of Penticton

• Town of Princeton

• City of Salmon Arm

• Township of Spallumcheen

• District of Summerland

• City of Vernon

• City of West Kelowna

• District of Sicamous

• City of Revelstoke