Payday Lenders - business guide
Before you apply
What is a payday lender?
A business offering short term, unsecured loans that are generally repaid by post-dated cheque or pre-authorized debit payment require a business licence as a payday lender.
Do you need a licence?
Examples of businesses that do require municipal licensing:
- Cash advance loan businesses
- Money lenders
- Payday advance
- Payday loans
- Short term loans
- Small dollar loans
- Pawnbrokers
- Selling used goods
Examples of businesses that do not require municipal licensing:
- Banks
- Cheque cashing companies
- Credit unions
- Financial institutions
- Lending institutions
If your business does not require a licence, you still require a Business ID and land use approval. Visit businesses not requiring a municipal licence for more information.
How much will it cost?
For business licence fees, see the Business Licence Fee Schedule. The business licence fee schedule is broken down by licence type. If your business requires multiple licence types, the highest category fee will be charged.
These fees do not include the costs related to required permits to meet land use approval, or any third-party approvals or inspections that may be required to obtain your licence.
| Business licence | Fee schedule | New licence | Fire | Planning* | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payday lenders | $172 | $66 | $41 | $344 |
How long will it take?
Timelines indicated are not a guarantee and depend on volumes, application completeness, and the applicant’s timely replies to additional information requests from the City.
Review information on timelines and the approvals process.
What are the rules?
Payday lenders
Payday lenders are considered a payday loan use if the advancement of money does not exceed $1,500 and is for a term of 62 days or fewer. Payday lenders are permitted to operate as a home-based or commercial business.For any commercial businesses, there must be 400 metres from any proposed payday lender to an existing payday lender.
Additional licence requirements for payday lenders
Payday lender businesses must display a sign regarding money management support and debt counselling, visible at the premises entryway.
Payday lenders must comply with the Provincial Fair Trading Act.
Pawnbrokers
If your business offers pawnbroker services, it must be located at least 400 metres from any existing pawnbroker. It must also meet the following rules of a pawnbroker licence.
A pawnbroker must not:
- Carry on the business of a second-hand dealer on the same premises.
- Aquire personal property through any source other than as a security for pledge or pawn to resale later.
- Aquire personal property for a pledge or pawn at a location other than the pawnbroker’s premises.
How to prepare your application
Once you know how and where your business will operate, you’re ready to apply.
For a smooth application, make sure you know the following information:
- Business Activities
- Location of Business
- Fee payment at the time of application*
- Ownership
- Name of Business
- Contact information for the business and owner
- If you are applying online, a myID account
- Two pieces of government issued identification
Apply for your licence and required permits
To apply online, you need a myID account. Create a myID account.
Apply in person
Once you have gathered all required documents, you can apply for your permit in person by visiting the Planning Services Centre.
After you apply
How to check the status of your licence
After you submit your application online, you will get a confirmation email with a Job Access Code (JAC).
To track your application and check its status, enter your Job Access Code in Vista.
If you need help or have questions, contact our Planning Services Centre.
What inspections do you need?
Once you apply for your business licence, outstanding approvals must be completed before the business licence is issued.
A business licence will often have multiple licence types associated with it. Below is a chart of all the related licence types that fall under this business activity. If your business requires multiple licence types, approval processes are only generated once per licence. For example, only one fire inspection is required even if multiple licence types require that inspection.
What are the required approvals?
| Licence Type | Land use | Police | Fire | Health | Provincial | AMVIC | ID card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Dealer - Premises | Required | Required | Required | Not required | Not required | Required | Not required |
| Payday Lender | Required | Required | Required | Not required | Required | Not required | Not required |
| Pawnbroker | Required | Required | Required | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Retail Dealer - Premises | Required | Not required | Required | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Secondhand Dealer | Required | Required | Required | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
Land use approval
All businesses in Calgary require land use approval. Each space in a building has its own specified, approved use that cannot be changed without an approval, permit or both.
To view the allowable uses within a land use district, refer to the Land Use Bylaw. To determine the land use district of a property, visit myProperty.
You can also refer to Commercial, industrial and mulit-residential for more information, or contact our Planning Services Centre at 403-268-5311 to investigate land use approval for your business.
Calgary Police Services approval
This licence type requires police security clearance recommendation.
Effective January 1, 2025, business licence applicants will now be responsible for obtaining and submitting their police security clearance independently through the Calgary Police Services (CPS) online system or through their local police authority within their jurisdiction, if they are not a resident of the City of Calgary. The City of Calgary will no longer facilitate police security clearance on behalf of applicants.
Previously completed police security clearance obtained within 60-days of application will be accepted.
You are required to provide two pieces of valid, government-issued identification, one of which must contain photo identification (ID) for the purpose of verifying the police security clearance.
You can show your ID:
- In person at the Planning Services Centre:
3rd floor
800 Macleod Trail S.E.
Calgary, AB
- By email: licencedivisionteam@calgary.ca
- By fax: 403-537-3034
Please reference your Business ID (BID) in the email or fax.
Please note: for licenses requiring a statutory declaration or a City-issued ID card, proof of identification must be shown in person.
This approval generally takes about two weeks.
Acceptable forms of government issued photo identification include:
- driver’s license
- passport
- Alberta photo identification card (issued through registry offices)
- firearms license
- Nexus card
- permanent resident card
- Secure Certificate of Indian Status card (federally issued)
- aviation document booklet
- certified refugee protection claimant document
(For youth between the ages of 12 to 15 years old who cannot provide any of the listed photo identification options, a student photo ID will be considered).
Acceptable forms of government issued identification include:
- provincial health care card
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- immigration documentation (includes valid document issued by Immigration and citizenship Canada)
- citizenship card
- citizenship certificate
Fire Prevention Bureau approval
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)
| Business Licence Approval Type | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Fire inspection | 5 business days |
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.
Provincial licensing approval
Certain business activities require provincial licensing in addition to your municipal business license. These activities have been identified as licence types on the chart above (see required approvals chart).
Contact Service Alberta at 1-780-427-4088 (or toll free in Alberta only at 1-877-427-4088) and provide details of the licence types you are currently applying for with The City of Calgary. Service Alberta will direct you to the appropriate provincial contact which will provide further direction in regard to fulfilling the provincial licensing requirements necessary for obtaining your municipal business licence.
Provincial licenses must be submitted to The City’s licence division to obtain the municipal license.
You can present your provincial licence:
- In person at the Planning Services Centre:
3rd floor
800 Macleod Trail S.E.
Calgary, AB
- By email: licencedivisionteam@calgary.ca
- By fax: 403-537-3034
Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC)
The Alberta government requires a license for certain motor vehicle business activities. You must contact the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC) at 1-877-979-8100 for details about obtaining a provincial licence.
AMVIC requires confirmation of City planning approvals before they will issue a provincial AMVIC licence. Once AMVIC issues your provincial licence, you must provide it to The City of Calgary, which will then release your municipal business licence.
Applicants can present the AMVIC license:
- In person at the Planning Services Centre:
3rd floor
800 Macleod Trail S.E.
Calgary, AB
- By email: licencedivisionteam@calgary.ca
Planning Services Centre
Hours:
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (MT)
Live chat:
calgary.ca/livechat
Call:
403-268-5311
In person:
Planning Services Centre,
3rd floor, Municipal building
800 Macleod Trail SE
Book an eAppointment for in person services at appointment.calgary.ca