As the COVID-19 situation in Hamilton continues to evolve, these Frequently Asked Questions for Business Licensing will be regularly updated as circumstances change to provide residents and business owners with current information.
The City of Hamilton is announcing a new licensing option for businesses wishing to test the market on a temporary basis before becoming fully licensed. The Temporary Business License is valid generally for 30 days depending on the circumstance.
The Temporary Business Licence is a unique tool that fits with the City’s philosophy of being “Open for Business”. New business models are using the pop-ups to:
The concept was presented in an information report to the Open For Business Sub-Committee (PDF, 245 KB) on May 5, 2016.
Typical licensing of a business goes through many inspections to ensure compliance with all the regulations and conditions in order to obtain a business licence. Inspections are completed for Health, Fire, Building, Traffic, Parking and Zoning before a licence is issued to a new business owner.
Several criteria must be met for a Temporary Business Licence and for occupancy to be granted. The minimum requirements are:
You will need to submit an application letter that includes:
You can submit by email or in person to:
Licensing and Bylaw Services
Hamilton City Centre
77 James Street North, Suite 250, Hamilton, Ontario
Email: [email protected]
The application will be reviewed by our staff and the Temporary Business Licence will be granted under the sole discretion of the Licensing Director, who will ensure that there is a valid reason to issue the licence. A temporary licence will not be granted to business operators seeking to open a business up early without proper and full inspections or hoping to compromise public health and safety concerns.
For more information, contact:
Licensing and Bylaw Services
Phone: 905-546-2782 and select option 3
Email: [email protected]
