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Step 5 of 12

Get a municipal business licence

Yukon has no general territorial licence, but Whitehorse licences every business.

Time
1–2 hours
Cost
$176 a year in Whitehorse, plus a development permit (seen October 2026; confirm current fee)
City of Whitehorse — business licence ↗

Get a municipal business licence: step-by-step guide

Screenshots use a made-up example business. Official sites change, so yours may look slightly different.

  1. City of Whitehorse business licence page with the business licence information highlighted
    1. Each community sets its own rules. Whitehorse, for example, licenses every business and needs a development permit for a home business. Look up your own community in the same way.

Screenshots captured 2026-10-18. See something different? Report a problem

It depends on your municipality

We found no general Yukon business licence for a small retailer. Each community decides what it licenses.

In Whitehorse, a business licence costs $176 for 12 months, and a home-based business also needs a development permit. The City's rules don't allow retail sales at the lowest home-business level, so ask the City whether online sales shipped from home are allowed before you start.

Look up your own community rather than assuming Whitehorse's answer applies to you.

Be upfront about what you sell

Some products or business types carry extra by-laws or requirements, including food. Tell your municipality exactly what you will sell so you know before you start, not after.

Keep the licence

Save it. Banks and suppliers sometimes ask to see it.

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