Calgary, Alberta
How do I look up a business licence in Calgary?
The City of Calgary licenses many home-service businesses and publishes licence information. A check takes a few minutes and tells you whether the business on your quote holds a current city licence.
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. Open the City of Calgary's business-licences page
The page explains which businesses need a licence and links the licence search. Search the exact name, then the trade name.
Official source: Business licences (City of Calgary; checked 2026-10-20).
3. Read the category and the expiry
A licence names the business, the category of work and the expiry. A category that does not match the quote is a question to ask.
4. Add the provincial checks
A deposit before the work is done may also need Alberta's prepaid contracting licence, and compulsory trades need certified tradespeople. The Alberta page lists each step.
Official source: Prepaid contracting licence (Government of Alberta; checked 2026-07-15).
5. If nothing comes up
Ask which municipality issued the licence and under which name. A business based outside Calgary may hold its licence there.
6. 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
Is a Calgary business licence the same as a trade certificate?
No. The city licence is permission to operate in Calgary; trade certificates come from Alberta's Apprenticeship and Industry Training and are checked by the tradesperson's name.
What does a Jay check add?
Jay searches the Calgary licence data, Alberta's prepaid contracting licence and the business registry for you, with the source and the time checked for each. The Full Check also reads your quote and insurance certificate against those records, and a person reviews every Full Check before it goes out.
Or ask Jay
Jay does these steps for you and writes up what the records show, with the source and date for each finding. The $39 Full Check (no tax added) also reads your quote and insurance papers, and a person reviews every Full Check before it goes out. The $19 Quick Check is opening soon.
Order a Full CheckSee a sample Full Check
Three quotes. One Jay check. Then 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 2026-10-20; sources last checked on the dates shown beside each step.