City guide
Ottawa business licensing by-law
Ottawa writes this as a by-law. The same rule is also searched as bylaw and as "by law".
Last verified
This is a guide, not legal advice and not the bylaw. Bylaw Insider does not re-host bylaw text. Amounts, deadlines, and wording are on the ticket and on the city site. We last checked the official links on 15 October 2026.
Ottawa licenses specific businesses under its licensing by-law. The laws, licences, and permits section lists the categories, the fee schedule, and the provincial documents a clerk may require. A provincial licence for guards, tow operators, or investigators is a separate card from the City of Ottawa licence. Holders often need both.
Applications and renewals are a city process. Enforcement of an unlicensed business is a by-law process. If you are checking a contractor before you hire them, ask for the city licence number and the provincial one, then confirm each with the office that issued it. A line in this directory is not that confirmation.
A line in this directory is not a city application and not a licence.
Official sources
Common questions
Where do I apply for a city business licence?
Start at Ottawa's laws, licences, and permits section. It lists which businesses need a municipal licence and which proofs are attached to the application.
In the directory
6 topics on each city guide.
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