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Business Licence Fees
Business Licensing Fees
Every business operating in the City of New Westminster - including those located in private residences (home-based) - are required to have a valid business licence. Registered non-profit societies delivering a service in the city are also encouraged to have a business licence (no fee is charged).
Annual Business Licence Fees
Business licence fees vary depending on the type of business being operated. Fees are determined by the number of people working, the specific type of business or other criteria as specified in the Business Licence Bylaw. Business licence fees are established to cover the cost of administration, bylaw/police enforcement and the necessary reviews and inspections to related bylaws concerning business operations.
In New Westminster, annual licence fees are outlined in the Business Licence Bylaw No. 5640, 1986 (see Appendix B) and renewals are exempt from any application fee. All city departments are required to review their user fees and rates on an annual basis. For 2024, most business licence fees increased 3% to correspond with the rate of inflation and then rounded to the nearest dollar (with the exception of Inter-Municipal Business Licences (IMBL) and Commercial Vehicle Fees for Taxis, in alignment with IMBL Transportation Network Services Bylaw).
Business Licence Renewals
All business licences expire on December 31 each year and most renew automatically. The City’s Business Licensing division sends licence renewal invoices in late-November each year to business owners and are due and payable by January 31 each year.