How to Start Things in Toronto

Your licence expires on its anniversary — miss it and it's cancelled

A City of Toronto business licence doesn't run on the calendar year. It expires annually on the anniversary of the date it was first issued, and the expiry date is printed on the licence. Municipal Licensing & Standards mails a courtesy renewal notice listing the documents required, but keeping the licence valid is the operator's job: fail to renew in time and the licence is cancelled, and you apply again from scratch.

Source: City of Toronto: Expanded Activity Eating or Drinking Establishment (toronto.ca)

There is no single Toronto business licence

Toronto licenses by category, not with one general operating licence: eating and drinking establishments, take-out food shops, public garages, trades, and dozens of other activities each carry their own licence class, administered by Municipal Licensing & Standards. The City's Licence Finder tool works out which licence or licences your operation actually needs before you apply.

Source: City of Toronto: eating or drinking establishment licence (toronto.ca)

Many licences need a zoning review first — $248.67, non-refundable

Before Toronto approves a business licence for a listed use — eating or drinking establishments, public garages, entertainment venues, commercial parking lots, and more — the proposal needs written confirmation that it complies with the City's Zoning By-law. The Zoning Review for Business Licence costs $248.67 per application (effective January 1, 2026) and the fee is non-refundable, so the review belongs before you sign the lease, not after.

Source: City of Toronto: Zoning Review for Business Licence (toronto.ca)