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Apply for a restaurant or retail food business licence

Restaurants and retail food businesses must have a licence to operate in Mississauga.

Restaurants sell food to be eaten on-site, like cafés, bars and pubs. Retail food businesses sell food that’s normally consumed off-site, like takeout restaurants, butcher shops and bakeries.

Your licence expires annually, one year from the date it’s issued. A renewal notice will be sent to your email address. If no email is available, it’ll be mailed to you.

Requirements

You must be 18 years of age or older to apply. You also must provide the following documents and approvals:

  • Business name registration, articles of incorporation or corporate profile report
  • Government-issued identification card, driver’s licence or Canadian passport
  • Zoning Certificate of Occupancy or building permit
  • Health clearance from the Region of Peel
  • Letter of authorization signed by the director, owner or business partner

You may also need a minor variance to operate your business.

Licence fees

A new licence costs $225.66.

A licence renewal costs $220.04.

How to apply or renew

You apply for or renew your licence online, in person or by mail. Only complete applications will be reviewed.

Online

To apply, choose the link according to how your business is registered:

You can renew your licence in the dashboard.

In person

  1. Complete the business licence application and gather the required documents and approvals.
  2. Book an appointment to visit the Licensing, Permits and Regulatory Services office, located on the ground floor at 950 Burnhamthorpe Road West.
  3. Bring your application and supporting documents to your appointment.
  4. Pay the licence fees.

By mail

Mail your completed business licence application, the supporting documents and a cheque payable to the City of Mississauga in the amount of the licence fee to:

Licensing, Permits and Regulatory Services
950 Burnhamthorpe Road West
Mississauga, ON L5C 3B4

Contact us

If you have any questions about licensing, call 311 (905-615-4311 outside city limits).

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