The short answer
A City of Edmonton business licence costs between $63 and $728 for one year in 2026, set by the highest tier among your business's categories. Most shops, restaurants, trades and offices pay $271. A seller's licence does not pass to you: when a business is sold, the City requires you to apply for a new one.
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What does a City of Edmonton business licence cost in 2026?
The City sets the fee by tier. Each business category sits in one of five tiers, and the category on your licence with the highest tier decides your fee. You do not pay a separate fee for each category. These are the fees in the City's schedule for its Business Licence Bylaw, in effect from 15 January 2026.
| Tier | Some of the categories the City lists | One year | Two years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Public market vendor | $63 | $116 |
| Tier 2 | Food truck or food cart; farmers' market | $101 | $191 |
| Tier 3 | Restaurant or food service; retail sales; personal service; vehicle repair; construction, contracting and labour service; administration office or professional service | $271 | $520 |
| Tier 4 | Cannabis cultivation facility; cannabis processing facility; pawnbroker; second hand dealer | $574 | $1,083 |
| Tier 5 | Alcohol sales for consumption on premises, minors prohibited; after hours dance club | $728 | $1,387 |
A licence renewed on or before its expiry date pays the lower renewal fee in the next table. One renewed after it expires, or that does not meet the renewal rules, pays the full licence fee. The City lists two other fees: $48 for one year for a nonprofit organization, and, for most businesses based outside Edmonton that work in the city, an out of town fee of $489 for one year on top of the licence fee.
| Tier | One year | Two years |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $53 | $106 |
| Tier 2 | $91 | $176 |
| Tier 3 | $244 | $467 |
| Tier 4 | $515 | $977 |
| Tier 5 | $659 | $1,248 |
The City, not you, picks the categories. It assigns them from the description of your business activities on the application, and more than one can apply. Ask the seller to show you their current licence: the categories on it, set against the City's tier list, tell you which tier the business sits in.
Does the seller's licence pass to me?
No. The City says that if you have sold, transferred, purchased or acquired a business, or your legal entity or the owner's name has changed, you must apply for a new business licence. A move to a new location needs a new licence too.
The seller's side is a cancellation. The City asks an owner whose business is no longer operating to cancel the licence as promptly as possible. If you are buying shares, not assets, the legal entity stays the same, so ask the City how it treats your deal before you close. The City's business licence pages give 311 as the phone number.
How long does a new licence take?
The City measures from a complete application. For July to September 2026 it reports an average of 17 days for a commercial licence, 14 days for a home based one and 6 days for an out of town business. Its targets are 25 days for commercial and 15 for home based. A night club or drinking establishment averaged 59 days.
Those figures leave out any development or building permit the business needs first. After the licence is issued the certificate comes by mail, and the City says to allow 2 weeks.
The City's bylaw says every person or company that conducts business in Edmonton must have a business licence, so apply as soon as you have chosen the location. You do not have to wait for your development or building permits to apply.
Which permits come before the licence?
City staff first review whether the business can operate at that address under the zoning bylaw and the provincial building code regulations, and tell you which development or building permits you need before a licence can be issued. The City says permits are needed if you change the type of business activity at the location, build a new space, make significant renovations, or install or replace a sign.
A buyer who keeps the same use and changes nothing may need none, and the City tells you after its review. If you do, its 2026 planning and development fee schedule prices them. A development permit for a change of use is $415 for a permitted use and $545 for a discretionary use, and a fascia sign is $195 (a freestanding or projecting sign, $415). The same schedule prices building permits.
The City recommends speaking with City staff before you sign a lease, to find out whether your business activity is allowed at that location.
Tell us what you want to own, and where. A Senior Deal Advisor goes and finds the business you described, and the seller is always told.
Join the Buyers Market ClubDoes the business need a fire inspection?
Some do. After you pay the licence fee, the City tells Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, which contacts you to book it. The inspection does not have to be done before the licence is issued. For categories the City deems high risk it is typically done within 10 business days after the licence is issued. For low risk categories, Fire Rescue decides whether you need one, and it is typically done within 30 business days.
The fee is separate, and Fire Rescue collects it. Its fee page lists $101.33 for a new business licence approval at a low risk business, $304.50 at a high risk one, and $193.20 for a requested inspection, GST included.
Which other licences and permits could the business need?
The City is not the only issuer. Two of these do not pass to you with the business, and the third is a clearance you have to get yourself. Ask each issuer before you close.
| Issuer and approval | What a buyer needs to know |
|---|---|
| Alberta Health Services, food handling permit | It does not pass to you. Alberta Health Services says a food handling permit is not transferable if you purchase an existing food establishment. New owners apply for a new one at least 7 days before taking over, and a public health inspector must complete an approval inspection before you begin operating. The permit costs $100, $175, $250 or $500 a year, by class of food handler. Charities and businesses that sell only prepackaged low risk food pay no fee. |
| Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), liquor licence | It does not pass to you. AGLC says a liquor licensee cannot sell, assign or transfer a liquor licence, and that a sale of 5 percent or more of a business that holds one must be reported to and approved by AGLC before it takes effect. Ask AGLC before you sign. |
| WCB Alberta, clearance | A clearance is not a licence, but WCB Alberta says you have a responsibility to get one when buying a business, its stock or equipment. Our guide on how to buy a business in Alberta says what to ask for. |
Some kinds of business also hold a provincial licence or registration from Consumer Programs. Alberta.ca lists them, including home inspection, prepaid contracting, payday loan and employment agency businesses. Ask the issuer what a change of owner means for yours.
What should I do before I close?
- Ask the City how it will treat your purchase. Ask which categories and tier the business will have and, if you are buying shares, whether you need a new licence.
- Register with Service Alberta. The City says you may need to incorporate your business or register your business name.
- Speak with City staff before you sign a lease. The City says finding out whether the business activity is allowed at that location is the business owner's job.
- Apply as soon as you have chosen the location. You do not have to wait for development or building permits to apply.
- Ask the other issuers. If the business serves food or sells liquor, ask Alberta Health Services and AGLC about their steps, and ask WCB Alberta for your clearance.
- Line the closing date up with all of this. Your lawyer papers the deal and your accountant advises on tax. Both are yours to choose.
For GST, staff, the filings when you buy shares and the price, read our guide on how to buy a business in Alberta. For the money side, read how to pay for a business you buy.
Questions buyers ask
How much does a business licence cost in Edmonton?
Does an Edmonton business licence transfer when I buy a business?
How long does a new Edmonton business licence take?
Do I need a fire inspection to take over a business in Edmonton?
Can I take over the seller's food permit or liquor licence?
Is the renewal fee lower than the first fee?
Sign the Club agreement once and it usually covers every package we send you, with the owner's figures and a private data room.
Join the Buyers Market ClubSources
- Fee Schedule, Bylaw 20002, Business Licence Bylaw, City of Edmonton, effective 15 January 2026, read 4 November 2026.
- Apply for a Business Licence, City of Edmonton, read 4 November 2026.
- Update or Cancel Your Existing Business Licence, City of Edmonton, read 4 November 2026.
- Development and Construction Application Processing Times, City of Edmonton, business licence figures for July to September 2026, read 4 November 2026.
- Fire Rescue Services Fees and Permits, City of Edmonton, read 4 November 2026.
- Planning and Development Fee Schedules, City of Edmonton, effective 1 January 2026, read 4 November 2026.
- A step by step guide for food business start ups, Alberta Health Services, January 2026, read 4 November 2026.
- Liquor Licensee Handbook, section 2.5, Change of Status, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, issued 9 June 2026, read 4 November 2026.
- When is a clearance needed?, WCB Alberta, read 4 November 2026.
- Get a business licence, Government of Alberta, read 4 November 2026.
- How the Buyers Market Club works, Succession Market, buy page, read 4 November 2026.
Who publishes this
Succession Market publishes this guide from Kelowna, British Columbia. We help owners navigate the sale of their business.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice for a particular purchase. Your lawyer papers the deal and your accountant advises on tax. Both are yours to choose.