Business Licenses

In Town Residential Business License

Anyone operating a business within Town limits must apply for a Business License. If the business is located within the Town of Pincher Creek and has a municipal address, it is classified as a Residential Business License.

A business can be run from a Commercial, Industrial, or Home location. Home based businesses may require a Development Permit in addition to a Business License. There are two different classifications for home based businesses: Home Occupations and Home Offices. For more information on these two classifications of home based businesses, see Requirements for Home Based Businesses below.

A business operating out of a Commercial or Industrial area will be approved if the Use is Permitted and all the conditions are met. The applicant must fill out an application form and pay the corresponding fees.

If the Use is Discretionary, the application must be advertised for 1 week in a local paper and written notification must be circulated to adjacent landowners. Adjacent landowners have the right to appeal the application within the 2 week appeal period.

Out of Town Non-Residential Business License

Anyone conducting business in the Town of Pincher Creek must apply for a Business License. If the business is situated outside of the Town limits, it is classified as a Non-Residential Business License.

Other Business Licenses

See Schedule “A” of the Business License Bylaw (1550) for the Fee Schedule and Business License Classifications.

Provincial Approval

Provincial Approval is required if:

Prepayment for any portion of the contract is received;
You buy, sell, lease, repair and or maintain automobiles, trucks, or recreational vehicles; or
You manufacture or process food products intended for human consumption

Invoicing for Business Licenses

A Business License is valid for the calendar year of the application date. The calendar year runs from January 1 of the current year to December 31 of the same year. After September 1, any new applications for a Business Licenses will be pro-rated to half (50%) of the yearly fee.

If you are no longer operating a business within the Town of Pincher Creek, it is your responsibility to either contact the Town, or to sign at the bottom of your invoice, verifying that you are no longer operating a business. Closed businesses will not be invoiced.

Fees are due and payable by the last week in February of the current calendar year. Anyone operating a business without paying the associated fees is in violation of the Business License Bylaw (1550) To obtain a Business License, an Application Form must be filled out and the fee is to be paid in full. Business License forms are also available at the Town Office.

A table of the Business License Fees can be found at the bottom of the page.

Home-Based Businesses in Pincher Creek

Do you operate a Home-based Business? Are you aware that in the Town of Pincher Creek, anyone operating a business from a residence requires a Business License to operate a home-based business?

Requirements for Home Based Businesses

The intent for home based businesses is to keep the impact and effect on the neighborhood to a minimum. The development permit fee for a home based business is a one-time fee, unless either the location of the business changes, or the nature of the business changes. If either of changes occur, the applicant must re-apply and pay the applicable fee. There are two classifications for home based businesses: Home Occupations (Class One) and Home Offices (Class Two).

Home Office (Class One | Permitted Use Occupation)

A Home Office is a “desk and phone” type of operation performed by a person who occupies a Dwelling as his or her private residence. A Home Office may include, but is not limited to, the offices of accountants and bookkeepers, business and professional consultants, artist studios and catalogue and internet sales people. An application for a Home Office is a Permitted Use in all residential districts, and shall be approved provided all conditions are met. The business must not require more than two business related visits to the home per day or nine visits per week.

Home Occupation (Class Two | Discretionary Use Occupation)

A Home Occupation is a business, occupation, trade, profession, or craft performed by a person who occupies a Dwelling as his or her private residence. A Home Occupation usually results in clientele coming to the residence for services. A Home Occupation may include, but is not limited to, hairdressing, dressmaking, domestic crafts, music and/or dance instruction, bed and breakfast establishments, a day home, and tutoring.

An application for a Home Occupation is a Discretionary Use in all residential districts, and therefore the application process includes a Development Permit. Additionally, as with all development permits, the application must be advertised for 1 week in a local paper and written notification must be circulated to adjacent landowners. Anyone claiming to be affected by the business has the right to appeal within the 2 week appeal period.

After the 2 week appeal period, the application can be approved or denied at the discretion of the Approving Authority. The Approving Authority will review the application and the impact on the surrounding neighbourhood and community. When applying for a Home Occupation, both the applicant and the Approving Authority must consider the following issues:

“How will the business affect the neighborhood?”
“What sort of tools or equipment will be used?”
“How much noise and traffic will the business create?”
"What goods will be stored at the residence?”

Important Information to Include on Your Application Form:

Ensure that the explanation of what activity will occur at the residence is very clear and descriptive. Ensure that you accurately describe the frequency of business related vehicle trips coming to the business per day. Business related vehicle trips include applicants, customers, and deliveries.
Any materials stored in the home must be listed, as well as any vehicles which will be parked at the home. Anything over 1 ton or any heavy equipment or machinery to be used for the business must be parked at an approved site and not at the home.

It is important to include as much detail as possible when completing an application form, as this information will determine the impact on the neighborhood and will aid in the reviewing process.

Click here for a Home Occupation Application Form

Please review Section 5: Home Occupations in the Land Use Bylaw (1547) for further information. You may also contact Planning & Development with any further questions.

Optional Add-on: Alberta SouthWest Regional Business License

Save money on “out of town” business license fees! When you renew your annual community business license, pay $80.00 to “add on” a Regional Business License which authorizes you to do business in other Alberta SouthWest partner communities.

The Regional Business License is ideal for trades, sales, and service. Please note that to qualify for the Regional Business License your primary business location must be within one of the Alberta SouthWest partner communities. Visit www.albertasouthwest.com or contact bev@albertasouthwest.com

Town of Pincher Creek Business License Fee Schedule

Type of License	Yearly Fee	Weekly Fee (if applicable)
Resident Business License	$ 125.00	$ 50.00
Home Occupation Business License	$ 125.00
Mall Rate	$ 1200.00
Non-Residential Business License	$ 325.00	$ 165.00
Alberta Southwest Regional Alliance Business License	$ 80.00
Garage Sale (per sale)	$ 10.00
Transfer of License (administration fee)	$ 10.00
License Change (administration fee)	$ 10.00
A $ 25.00 penalty shall be assessed on all license invoices not paid on or before Februrary 28 of each year.