Mobile Food Vendors - business licensing
Before you apply
Do you need to register your business?
We encourage all businesses operating in Calgary to register their business with The City of Calgary.
All businesses operating from a location in Calgary are required to obtain location approval for their business, even if a licence is not required. Location approval helps ensure that the space you are operating has been approved for your business and is safe for all occupants.
If your business requires a business licence, registration will occur at the same time as applying for your licence. If you wish to register your business with the City of Calgary, please apply online.
Do you need a business licence?
A municipal business licence is required for businesses that offer mobile food services. Examples of businesses that do require municipal licensing:
- Bicycle food vendors
- Catering trucks
- Food trailers
- Food trucks
- Pushcarts
- Hot dog carts
- Ice cream trucks
- Grocery delivery
- Fresh produce vendors
MyID business account
If you have a myID business account, you can get a digital copy of your business licence through email.
To learn more and to sign-up, visit myID business account.
What do you need to do before applying?
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An Alberta Health Services consultation is required if food is prepared in a commercial-grade kitchen within a home. Contact 1-833-476-4743 for more information.
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A Home Occupation Class 2 Development Permit and a Commercial Building Permit may also be required.
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Acquire a licence plate number.
Food truck versus food service - no premises
The required licence type depends on where the food is prepared and where the truck is located.
Food truck (full service food vehicles)
- Food trucks can operate on both city streets and private property.
- Food trucks must adhere to maximum dimensions, contain a full kitchen and prepare food to be sold directly to the public.
A food truck:
- has the facilities on board to store and prepare food,
- is less than 10 metres (32’-9 5/8”) in length, and
- has a commercial licence plate, obtained through a registry office.
In addition:
- Wastewater must be disposed of at approved locations. Learn more about how and where to dispose of fats, oils and grease.
- Streets, traffic, truck route and wastewater bylaws must be complied.
- There must be a separate licence for each mobile unit/location.
- Must have a minimum of $2,000,000 liability coverage
- The City of Calgary must be added as an additional named insured
- Must have thirty (30) days written notice, to be given to The City, prior to cancellation of, or material change to, the policy
- Food trucks must not allow customers to order or consume foods and beverages inside the vehicle.
- Food truck operators are NOT able to set up tables and chairs on sidewalks, roads, or other public property as per the Street Bylaw.
- Tables and chairs can be temporarily placed on private property provided they have permission from the land owner. However, the tables and chairs must leave when the food truck leaves.
Food service - no premises
- Can only operate on private property.
- Do not require a self-contained kitchen and can sell pre-packaged food.
- Are not limited to the size and vehicle requirements of food trucks.
This licence type includes food prepared and stored in a vehicle, in a commercial kitchen (including catering trucks) or in a trailer. Some examples include:
- Food trucks that only operate at festivals or only sell pre-prepared foods,
- Pushcarts outside of downtown,
- Bicycle vendors operating on roadways that do not meet the definition of pushcart,
- Ice cream trucks and catering trucks, and
- Trailers pulled by a truck.
Pushcart vendor
A portable cart or wagon (which may be attached to a bicycle) used for carrying goods to sell to the public fall under this category. This includes bicycle food vendors operating on downtown city sidewalks. Pushcarts can operate on public property, but are limited to specific sites downtown.
Pushcarts operating downtown (other than on Stephen Avenue Mall, Barclay Mall or Eau Claire Market) can be located in the north part of downtown. This is shown on the Downtown Pushcart Locations map.
There are no pushcart vendors operating outside of downtown. These businesses are licensed as food service – no premises, or retail dealer – no premises when selling non-food products. A statutory declaration and indemnification agreement must be completed upon application.
All pushcarts must apply for an annual approval with the Pushcart Approval application requirements list. Land use approval is also required for the location of operations.
- Pushcarts have a maximum size of 1 metres wide and 1.5 metres long. No hitch is allowed to remain on the cart when set up.
- You must have a licence for each mobile unit/location.
- Must have a minimum of $2,000,000 liability coverage
- The City of Calgary must be added as an additional named insured
- Must have thirty (30) days written notice, to be given to The City, prior to cancellation of, or material change to, the policy
Caterers
A catering business can only provide alcohol with meals served along with catered events for private social functions (e.g. a wedding). A catering business can store alcohol at the business premises if it is not sold for consumption on or away from, or at the premises. In this situation, no alcohol beverage sales or liquor store licence is required.
If a catering business promotes or organizes a public event and sells tickets to the general public, it may require alcohol beverage sales, food service - premises, and entertainment establishment licence types.
To operate on private property, businesses must get written consent from the property owner. This service is only offered downtown between 7 a.m. and 3 a.m.
Annual inspection for food trucks and trailers
Food truck owners are notified each year of their annual food truck and trailer inspection. The inspections are coordinated by Compliance Services - Business Licence Inspections. The inspections are completed on a first come / first serve basis, usually located at the Calgary Fire Department Training Centre.
As the inspections are very busy, City staff send out the following pre-inspection reminders.
Approved locations
| Food truck | Food service - no premises & food truck on private property | Pushcart vendor | |
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Additional information |
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Downtown (not including Stephen Ave, Barclay Mall and Eau Claire) |
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Can only locate on sidewalks in the Downtown North or Downtown South (only 4 spots given by lottery each year for South). Pushcarts can also include retail sales, not just food. |
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Stephen Ave, Barclay Mall and Eau Claire |
Contact Downtown Association. If ONLY operating here, no City approvals required. |
Contact Downtown Association. If ONLY operating here, no City approvals required. |
Contact Downtown Association. If ONLY operating here, no City approvals required. |
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City of Calgary parks (including Olympic Plaa and entrance to Prince's Island Park, in front of te YMCA) |
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Other public property |
Not allowed on public property EXCEPT for City approved festivals and events. |
Vendors in all other public property outside downtown will only be permitted to operate as part of a major festival or event. Roads does not regulate this activity. It is assumed operator will pull over in safe area and not remain on the roadside for any extended period of time. Transit Parking lots –Mobile vendors are not allowed to sell from LRT stations - including the parking lots surrounding the stations, which are under the control of Calgary Transit. Sidewalks within the LRT station parking lots are also under the control of Calgary Transit. Questions regarding commercial activity from LRT stations. |
Outside downtown: Licence as Food Service - No Premise or Retail Dealer- No Premise, if no food. See respective category for rules. |
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Private property |
Customer must obtain written authorization from the owner. Other restrictions may apply (Schools & other Restaurants nearby). |
Customer must obtain written authorization from the owner.. |
Outside downtown: Licence as Food Service - No Premise or Retail Dealer- No Premise, if no food. Written authorization from the owner will be required |
Apply
Prepare your application
Once you know how and where your business will operate, you’re ready to apply.
For a smooth application, make sure you know the following information:
- Business Activities
- Location of Business
- Fee payment at the time of application*
- Ownership
- Name of Business
- Contact information for the business and owner
- If you are applying online, a myID account
Tips for a smooth application process
Before you apply
Before you apply
- Put together a cost and timeline estimate.
- Confirm the requirements needed to operate from your selected location:
- Is your type of business allowed to operate from your chosen location (is the Use listed in your Land Use District)
- What type of Permits do you need as part of your Location Approval? See location approval.
- Do you need to apply for a development permit or tenancy change as part of your Location Approval?
- Does the space require any upgrades to comply with Building and Fire Codes?
- Are you doing construction yourself or hiring a contractor?
- Do you need to apply for a building permit as part of your Land Use Approval?
- Do you need approval from the property owner before making changes to the space?
- Hire the appropriate contractors for the project.
- Are your contractors licensed
- Can your contractors pull the right trade permits to work on your business?
After you apply
After you apply
- Submit all required documents as soon as you have prepared the permit requirements
- If your Business needs a Development and Building Permit, submit the Development Permit first and wait for a decision prior to submitting your Building Permit
- If your Business needs a Building Permit, submit all necessary Building Permit requirements
- Follow-up on requests for further information
- Book and complete your Inspections if a Building Permit is required
- Book and complete your Health and Fire Inspections once the Building Permit is complete
Need help? A business experience representative can help you determine what approvals you will need. Contact The Planning Services Centre.
Apply for your licence and required permits
To apply online, you need a myID account. Create a myID account.
Apply in person
Once you have gathered all required documents, you can apply for your permit in person by visiting the Planning Services Centre.
After you apply
What approvals do you need?
After you submit your application online, you will get a confirmation email summarizing your application. It will include your Business Identification number (BID) and your next steps. If you do not get this email, check your junk email folder and then contact the Planning Services Center if you still did not receive it.
Once you apply for your business licence, you must complete your outstanding approvals before the business licence is issued.
The approvals you will need for your licence are:
You will be contacted by a file manager to review your application and provide you with next steps.
Required
| Licence type | Land use | Police | Fire | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food service - no premises | ||||
| Food service - premises | ||||
| Food truck (full service food vehicle) | ||||
| Pushcart vendor | ||||
| Food truck (private property) |
All mobile vendors
All mobile vendors
Land use approval
All businesses in Calgary require land use approval. Each space in a building has its own specified, approved use that cannot be changed without an approval, permit or both.
To view the allowable uses within a land use district, refer to the Land Use Bylaw. To determine the land use district of a property, visit myProperty.
You can also refer to Commercial, industrial and multi-residential for more information, or contact our Planning Services Centre at 403-268-5311 to investigate land use approval for your business.
Health inspection
A Health Inspection (Health Recommendation Report) is required. Please contact Alberta Health Services (AHS) at 1-833-476-4743 and advise you have applied for a City business licence which has a category that requires AHS approval. They will determine if an inspection is required or not. If they do an inspection, AHS will email you an approval report when completed. Please forward a copy of this email reference your BID number in the subject line. If AHS has advised they do not need to inspect, please document who exactly at AHS has advised of this and we can override the approval when you provide us this information.
Customers must contact Alberta Health Services at Contact Environmental Public Health · Alberta Health Services for Full Service Food Vehicle requirements as well as commercial-grade kitchen consultation.
Food trucks / Push carts
Food trucks / Push carts
Indemnification Agreement and Statutory Declaration
*Approval only required if on city streets or public property.
Four originals of the indemnification agreement to be signed identically. You must have a Commissioner for Oaths be present. The person signing must be:
- who they say they are and they are the one(s) who signed the indemnification agreement,
- of signing authority for the company (if it is a corporation, you will need BLR to print off a corporation search), and
- at least 18 years of age.
Only one copy of Statutory Declaration must be completed. A Commissioner for Oaths be at the front counter needs present.
Insurance
A copy of a CERTIFICATE OF LIABILITY INSURANCE (not your pink slip) is required in order to operate your food truck. To obtain this, please contact your insurance company and have them complete a Certificate of Liability Insurance. On this certificate we will require the following:
- Must have a minimum of $2,000,000 liability coverage
- The City of Calgary must be added as an additional named insured
- Must have thirty (30) days written notice, to be given to The City, prior to cancellation of, or material change to, the policy
Fire and Building Regulation Inspections
Please contact 3-1-1 (or 403-268-2489 if calling from outside Calgary) to book this specific licence type (Fire Inspection for Mobile Food Concession). A specific inspector will call the morning they are planning to come to ensure they will have access to the space. A 6–7-day window is typically provided. Once the inspection is completed, they will notify The City of the results.
Full service food vehicles require a building regulations Plumbing & Gas and HVAC inspection to ensure compliance to Provincial and Federal safety codes. The building safety inspection is coordinated in conjunction with the business licence fire inspection. Building Safety and Approvals will be notified automatically once the customer calls 3-1-1 to book the fire inspection. The customer does NOT need to contact Building Safety and Approvals separately to book the inspection. All they need to do is call 3-1-1 to book a fire inspection and then both the Fire Department and Building Regulations will contact the customer to arrange for a mutually beneficial time to have both inspections done at the same time and location.
This category of vendor is also required to have land use and health inspection approvals.
After you have obtained all your approvals, your Business Licence can be issued to you.
Check the status of your application
After you submit your application online, you will get a confirmation email with a Job Access Code (JAC).
To track your application and check its status, enter your Job Access Code in Vista.
If you need help or have questions, contact our Planning Services Centre.
Get a copy of your licence
As part of The City’s efforts to accelerate the business license approvals process, customers with a myID business account can receive a digital copy of their business licence via email. This is available to customers applying for a new business licence or renewing an existing licence. To learn more about the benefits of a myID business account and to sign-up today, please visit myID business account.
Lost or damaged licences
If your licence is lost or damaged and you require a new copy, duplicate licences can be requested through apply.calgary.ca/managebusiness or by contacting the Planning Services Centre. Customers with a myID business account can now receive a duplicate copy of their business licence via email.
Licence not received in the mail
If you prefer to receive a mailed copy of your business licence, you can select this option by requesting a duplicate copy online or by calling the Planning Services Centre. Paper duplicates are offered free of charge at this time. Please allow about two weeks to receive your licence in the mail. If you have not received it within this timeframe, please contact the Planning Services Centre.
When does your licence expire?
Business licenses expire one year from the issuance date. You’ll get a notice in the mail 45 days before your licence expires to notify you of the expiry date. To renew your licence, see licence renewals.
Renewing your business licence
Your business licence needs to be renewed every year to remain active. We will mail you an invoice 45 days prior to payment being due. How you choose to pay for your renewal will affect when we receive the fee, so please allow sufficient processing time.
Payment options
Online renewal
To renew your licence online, sign into your myID business account and manage your business at apply.calgary.ca.
If you do not have a myID business account, you will have to create one first.
Other payment options
Online banking
Please note the following items from your invoice; they are required for online payment:
- Payee: when setting up the payee on your online banking, choose payee CALGARY (CITY OF) - CORPORATE INVOICE. Please note that different banks may have a different variation of the spelling, e.g. Calgary (City): Corporate Invoice. If you are not sure that you selected the correct payee, confirm with the bank.
- Payee account number: some banks or institutions may refer to this as the accounts receivable number (A/R#). Use your customer number on the invoice. If you are unable to find your customer number, contact the Planning Services Centre.
In person
Planning Services Centre
Third floor, Municipal Building
800 Macleod Tr S.E. Calgary, Alberta
Over the phone
To renew your licence over the phone, please call (403) 268-5311. Please note, we only accept credit card as a payment method over the phone.
Mail - please include Business ID
The City of Calgary
Licence Division
PO Box 2100 Station M (#8043)
Calgary, AB T2P 2M5
Home Occupation Class 2 renewals
To renew your Home Occupation Class 2, sign into your myID business account and manage your business online at apply.calgary.ca. If you do not have a myID business account, you will have to create one first.
Business licence fees
When setting up a new licence, applicable fees apply. Fees are based on the licence type and whether the business is home-based or commercial-based. Business licence fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Fees are subject to change the next calendar year.
What happens if you don’t renew your licence?
If a licence is not renewed, it will expire. When a licence expires, it cannot be reinstated, and full fees will be charged to apply for a new licence and you will need to obtain all new licence approvals.
Make changes to your business
Business licences are specific to the owner when the business was applied and are non-transferable from one person or entity to another.
You can make some changes to your business, including:
- Moving your Business
- Change your mailing address
- Changing your Trade Name
- Updating your Ownership (sole proprietor or partnership to corporation) * conditions apply
See manage your business for more information.