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Free tool · For founders

Which licences does your new business need?

Pick your municipality and business type. You'll get the licences, permits and registrations that can apply, who issues each one, the published fee and a direct link to the City's own page.

Toronto: 33 business types · 92 requirements · last verified Oct 31, 2026

Step 1: Where will the business operate?

Pick the municipality. We add cities as we verify their requirements.

Municipality

City of Toronto

York Region

Peel Region

Halton Region

Durham Region

Step 2: What kind of business?

Search by name or a common term, like “barber”, “pizza shop” or “Airbnb host”.

Step 3: What you'll need

Toronto · Café / Coffee Shop

5 requirements to open a café or coffee shop in Toronto

Issuers
2
Provincial
0
Last verified
Oct 31, 2026

  1. 01Eating or Drinking Establishment licence

    If applicable Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Municipal Licensing & Standards

    If customers can eat or drink on-site. Required where food or drinks are prepared or served for immediate consumption on-site (take-out and limited entertainment may be included). An approved Zoning Review for Business Licence is needed before applying unless taking over a recently licensed business in the same category.

    Fees as published

    • Application fee: $268.32
    • Licence fee: $268.32
    • Total fee (Application fee + Licence fee): $536.64
    • Renewal fee: $362.96 (as listed on toronto.ca, page modified July 27, 2026)
    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

  2. 02Take-out or Retail Food Establishment licence

    If applicable Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Municipal Licensing & Standards

    If everything is sold exclusively for consumption off-site. Required where prepared food/drinks or pre-packaged food/drink items are offered exclusively for consumption off-site; zoning approval is required for most new applications.

    Fees as published

    • Application fee: $197.60 (inclusive of GST)
    • Licence fee: $197.60 (inclusive of GST)
    • Total fee (Application fee + Licence fee): $395.20
    • Renewal fee: $261.04 (as listed on toronto.ca, page modified June 3, 2026)
    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

  3. 03Notify Toronto Public Health of a new food premises (DineSafe inspection)

    Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Toronto Public Health

    Anyone intending to operate a food premises (fixed, mobile or home-based), including buying an existing one, must notify the Medical Officer of Health before starting; premises are inspected and results posted on DineSafe.

    No fee published on the source page.

    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

  4. 04Accredited Food Handler Certification for staff

    Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Municipal Licensing & Standards

    Staff who handle food in licensed eating or drinking establishments — including servers, hosts, bartenders and cooks — must hold Accredited Food Handler Certification.

    No fee published on the source page.

    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

  5. 05Sidewalk Café Permit (optional, for a patio on the City sidewalk)

    If applicable Municipal

    Issued by: City of Toronto — Municipal Licensing & Standards

    Only needed to put seating on a public sidewalk; applicants must already hold a valid municipal business licence where food and drinks are served, and must show $2,000,000 in liability insurance and a site plan.

    Fees as published

    • One-time application fee: $1,016.55 per application
    • Effective January 1, 2025 the square metre area permit fee is $44.14 + HST/sq m. No application or permit fees for small frontage cafés (no more than 0.8m x 5.5m with a 2.1 m pedestrian clearway) (as listed on toronto.ca, page modified June 3, 2026)
    View on toronto.ca — City of Toronto page(opens in a new tab)

    Last verified:

This is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with the municipality before opening.

Read the full guideLicences and permits to open a café or coffee shop in Toronto, with FAQs
Partner

Need to register the business? We can help.

Most licence applications ask for a registered business name or corporation. Our partner, Markham Office, helps founders with business registration in Ontario.

Visit Markham Office (partner site) (opens in a new tab)

Get notified when requirements change

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FAQ

About the Licence Checker

Is the Licence Checker free?
Yes. There's no account and no payment. You only give us an email if you ask to be notified about a municipality or a change.
Where does the information come from?
Each item was researched from the municipality's own website and links to the exact page it came from (for Toronto, toronto.ca). Provincial items are included where the City's pages reference them. Every item shows the date we last checked it, and fees are quoted as the page published them.
Is this legal advice?
No. This is general guidance, not legal advice. Your exact requirements depend on your location, zoning and how you operate. Confirm requirements with the municipality before opening, and speak to a lawyer or licensing consultant if your situation is unusual.
Which municipalities are covered?
Toronto (33 business types) today. Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Pickering, Ajax and Oshawa are marked "Coming soon" — pick one to be notified when it's ready.
Is FileSignal part of the City?
No. FileSignal is an independent service and is not affiliated with any government. We link to each issuer's page so you can confirm everything at the source.
What do you record when I use the checker?
Anonymous usage events — that the checker was used and which municipality and business type were looked up — so we know which guides to build next. No name or email is collected unless you submit a form.