Victoria, British Columbia
How do I check a contractor's business licence in Victoria, BC?
Want Jay to do these checks for you? A person reviews every check.
No tax added. Report by 8 p.m. Pacific the next day.
Every business in Victoria needs a business licence. Most contractors hold a Greater Victoria licence bought where their office is, and the city's open list leaves those out. So the easy way to check is to ask the contractor, then ask the city.
The free steps
1. Start with the exact name on the quote
Write down the business name exactly as the quote prints it, including Ltd., Inc. or a number. A trade name, a numbered company and a sole proprietorship can all be registered under other words, so if a search shows nothing, ask the contractor which name and number appear on their registration or licence before you read anything into it.
2. Read what Victoria requires
The City of Victoria says every business in the city needs a business licence. Licences run from January 16 to January 15 the next year.
Official source: Business licensing (City of Victoria; checked 2026-11-08).
3. Ask which town issued the licence
Contractors can buy an inter-municipal licence that counts in all 13 towns of the Capital Regional District. They buy it from the town where their office is. So a contractor in Saanich or Langford may hold their licence there. Ask for the town and the licence number.
Official source: Starting a business (inter-municipal business licence) (City of Victoria; checked 2026-11-08).
4. Confirm with the city
Victoria's open licence list leaves out mobile, home-based and out-of-town businesses, so most contractors are not on it. Call business licensing at 250-361-0572 or email businesslicence@victoria.ca with the exact name. Write down the date and the answer.
5. Match it to the BC registry
Search OrgBook BC for the same name. The licence name, the registry name and the quote should line up.
Official source: OrgBook BC: search registered BC organizations (BC Registries, through OrgBook BC; checked 2026-10-20).
6. Electrical or gas work: check Technical Safety BC
Search the business doing electrical or gas work in Technical Safety BC's contractor search.
Official source: Find a licensed contractor (Technical Safety BC; checked 2026-10-20).
7. Know what the free search cannot show
A licence or a registration says the business holds permission under that name today. It does not show whether past work was good, whether the insurance is in force, or whether the quote covers what you think it does. Those are the insurance and quote steps, and they take a few minutes more.
Questions people ask
The contractor is not on Victoria's open licence list. Is that a problem?
Not by itself. The city's list leaves out mobile and out-of-town businesses, which is most contractors. Ask which town issued their licence and confirm it with that town.
What does a Jay check add?
Jay searches the public records for the exact name on your quote, with the source and the time checked for each one. Her report says plainly when a record is not found. The $25 Company Check looks at the company before you get a quote. The $39 Full Check also reads your quote and insurance papers, and $59 buys both on one contractor. A person reviews every Full Check before it goes out.
Or ask Jay
Jay does these steps for you and writes down what the records show, with the source and date for each one. No quote yet? We check the contractor's public records before you contact them. Have a quote? We check your quote, the contractor's insurance and public records. A person reviews every check.
Check first. Then pay the deposit.
Information, not a verdict. A record that is not found is not evidence of wrongdoing, and nothing here is legal, insurance or safety advice.
Published 2026-11-08; sources last checked on the dates shown beside each step.