A carnival or circus business provides a collection of side shows, mechanical rides, trained animal acts, games of chance or other forms of entertainment.

• If there are amusement rides, fireworks, food booths or animal acts, a copy of an itinerary must be submitted to the Business Licence Administration team at licencedivisionteam@calgary.ca.
• No additional licence for retail or food sales is required.
• Alcohol sales for an event operating at a temporary location require Alcohol Beverage Sales licence included on your licence and AGLC approval.

A market licence is needed for facilities that rent out stalls, tables or space to merchants, who are selling goods or services to the public, such as shopping malls or farmers markets.

• Individual kiosks located in malls fall under the market licence type and do not require a licence unless
  • they sell tobacco or alcohol,
  • if the mall or market does not have a market licence, or
  • if the business is open beyond the mall’s hours of operations.
• Individual stall or table operators within a traditional farmers’ market or flea market do not need a separate retail dealer licence.
• If a licence is not required, applicable approvals still need to be met.
• If you are a psychic practitioner operating at a market, you require a separate licence.

A person in the business of card reading, fortune telling, graphology, palm reading, phrenology, numerology or other similar activities.

• All psychic practitioners at markets require their own licence.
• A psychic practitioner practicing his or her business at a trade show with 10 or more psychic practitioners does not require a business licence when the trade show is licensed.
• Trade shows with fewer than 10 psychic practitioners require individual licences for each psychic practitioner participating in the event.
• Non-resident licence fees apply to any psychic practitioner who is based outside of Calgary and is not covered by a trade show licence.

Psychic practitioners may require additional licences if selling books/jewelry, offering personal services or selling herbs and vitamins.

A commercial exhibition with 10 or more participants for less than a month and for the purpose of having the participant’s exhibit samples, demonstrate products or services or sell products or services to the public.

• A trade show facility licence is required if these events are held on a consistent basis.
• Participants in a commercial exhibition are not required to be individually licensed, except for alcohol beverage sales and tobacco retailers. 

A concert is any outdoor music or dance festival, musical performance, or similar musical activity where:

• 5,000 or more tickets will be printed, or an event is likely to attract 5,000 or more people at any one time.
• Music is provided by paid or amateur performers or by pre-recorded means.
• The event is held at any place within Calgary where the general public are invited or admitted for a charge.

Concert facilities require a municipal business licence. 

An event for people to listen and dance to electronic and synthesized music (commonly referred to as a rave).

A business licence is required if:

• The event is taking place at a venue that does not commonly hold this type of event.
• Expected attendance for the event is 299 or more.

To apply for this licence type, you must provide:

• A signed Extended Dance Event application form, submitted 45 days prior to the date of the event.
  • Application fee (non-refundable)
  • Security plan
  • Emergency medical services plan
  • Letter of consent, signed by the venue owner or authorized agent
  • Transportation plan (if required)
  • Sound system plan (if required) 

• Two different forms of identification for a Calgary Police Service background check.

Land use approval must be obtained for the event. In most instances, the Land Use Bylaw prohibits operation of an extended dance event in a warehouse or industrial setting.

To apply for an extended dance event licence, email businesslicence@calgary.ca.

Contact our Planning Services Centre​ for more information

Business provide entertainment or amenities on the premises that are designed to appeal to erotic or sexual appetites or inclinations.

Application Requirements

• General application requirements
  • The business requires a Land Use Redesignation to a Direct Control district to allow for the use of adult mini-theater.
  • The City will determine which categories apply to a licence based on the description of business activities. Multiple categories may be required.
  • Two pieces of government issued identification for all adult residents/employees in the home, one must be photo ID.

Checklists

• Commercial: interior partitioning
• Commercial: office interior renovation
• Commercial: demising walls
• Commercial: interior partition removal

All businesses in Calgary require planning approval before they can open. We recommend that you review and apply for required permits prior to applying for your licence. 

Commercial Location Approval

The City of Calgary will need to review your proposed location and determine what approvals are required to operate legally and safely.

All businesses in Calgary require location approval before they can open.

To review what types of Planning approval are required for your business, refer to the location approval section.

You are required to provide two pieces of valid, government issued identification, one of which must contain photo identification (ID). When you apply for your licence online, you will be required to upload your ID.

Acceptable forms of government issued photo identification may include:

• driver’s license
• passport
• permanent resident card

Acceptable forms of government issued identification include:

• provincial health care card
• birth certificate
• marriage certificate

This licence type requires recommendation by the Calgary Police Service through the Police Information Checks unit. This is an internal process that is completed automatically by the Calgary Police Service and is initiated on your behalf through your business licence application.  

Previous police checks cannot be used as a substitute for this approval process.

An Alberta Health Services (AHS) location inspection is required to ensure public safety. Any business involving the sale, preparation, manufacturing or storage of food products requires this inspection. Any business involved in personal service such as aesthetics or massage is also required to have this inspection. Contact AHS at 1-833-476-4743 for more information and to book a date. 

Inspection results can be submitted:

• In person at the Planning Services Centre:
  3rd floor, Municipal building, 800 Macleod Trail S.E.
• By email: licencedivisionteam@calgary.ca

If AHS advised you that your business type does not require a health inspection, please record the name of the individual you spoke with, their telephone number, and the reason provided.  Please provide these details to The City’s Planning Services Centre.

Please be aware of all current provincial public health restrictions for in-person dining.

Most businesses that operate from commercial premises require an inspection from the Fire Prevention Bureau before the licence can be issued. 

If a business licence is for a low fire-risk licence type, it can be issued if only the Fire approval is outstanding. Low fire-risk businesses need to have the fire inspection within 30 days of their licence being issued.

Before you book your inspection, you must be ready for business, which means:

• Applicants must be in possession of the space/site
• The business is ready to serve customers (e.g. shelves are stocked and fixtures are in place)

To book your inspection contact 311 with your Business Identification (BID) number to request a Fire Inspection for Business Licence (call 403-268-2489 outside of Calgary) .

It can take up to 5 business days for an inspector to visit the space.

See the Fire Department Business Licence Checklist to see what is required for your inspection.

The Fire Prevention Bureau will notify the Licence Division with the results of the inspection.

This inspection must be performed by the Fire Prevention Bureau inspectors. This approval is in addition to any inspection done by the firefighting division, such as the occupancy inspection completed on your building permit.​​​​​

Businesses manufacturing or selling alcoholic beverages must also obtain a liquor licence from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC). The AGLC application takes approximately three weeks to process. Applicants can start the AGLC application process before their municipal business licence, however the AGLC liquor licence will not be issued until the Land Use Approval has been obtained.

aglc.ca