Ontario · Halton Region
Burlington occupies the western end of Lake Ontario between Hamilton and Oakville, with the QEW and Highway 403 meeting inside its boundaries. CorpStart files your OBCA corporation (Articles, By-law, and Minute Book) typically within one to two business hours.
Numbered corporation
$279
+ $300 Ontario gov fee
$579 total
Burlington businesses tend to sell to other businesses, and that changes what incorporating is for. A supplier bidding into a manufacturer's procurement process, a contractor working on commercial sites, and a consultancy invoicing a corporate client will all meet the same expectation: a corporation with proper minute book records rather than a sole proprietorship. Burlington also illustrates something worth knowing about municipal fees generally. Its 2026 schedule held most licence rates flat at a zero per cent increase while moving them from not taxable to taxable, so the same posted number costs more this year than it did last year.
Nearby municipalities (Oakville, Hamilton, Milton, Waterdown, Aldershot) all fall under the same Ontario Business Corporations Act. A single Ontario corporation covers your operations throughout the province with no additional municipal registrations.
Burlington licenses 3 of the business types we have researched. A food truck licence is called a Refreshment Vehicle Class A under the city's own by-law, and costs $392.70 in the first year. That is separate from incorporating, and the city will want proof your business is registered before it issues anything.
| Business type | What the by-law calls it | First year |
|---|---|---|
| Food truck licence | Refreshment Vehicle Class A | $392.70 |
| Salon, barber and tattoo licence | Personal Services licence | $261.12 |
| Short term rental licence | Short-Term Accomodation Owner/Operator licence | $300 |
Food truck licence: Business Licensing By-law 42-2008; 2026 Service Rates and Fees (By-law 92-2025). Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Salon, barber and tattoo licence: Business Licensing By-law 42-2008; 2026 Service Rates and Fees (By-law 92-2025). Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Short term rental licence: 2026 Service Rates and Fees (By-law 92-2025). Checked 2026-09-16. View the source
Fee schedules commonly reset in January, so follow the source before you budget. If a figure here disagrees with Burlington, the city is right and we would like to know. See how Burlington compares to other municipalities, or browse every licence type we track. Last checked 2026-09-16.
Three steps: no lawyers, no registry line-ups, no guesswork.
Answer our questionnaire
Tell us your corporation name preference, share structure, directors, and Burlington registered office address. Takes about 15 minutes. We flag issues before you pay.
We prepare and file
CorpStart prepares your Articles of Incorporation, By-law No. 1, and Organizational Resolutions, then files directly with the Ontario Business Registry. Most filings go out the same day.
Receive your Minute Book
Your Certificate of Incorporation, Articles, By-law, and complete digital Minute Book arrive by email. Your bank, accountant, and clients will recognise every document.
No hidden extras. The government fee is collected at cost and shown separately at checkout.
Most popular
Numbered Corporation
e.g., 1234567 Ontario Inc. Fastest option, no name search required.
$279
+ $300 Ontario gov fee = $579 total
Named corporation
Named Corporation
e.g., Acme Holdings Inc. Choose your corporate name, includes NUANS pre-search.
$279
+ $300 Ontario gov fee, NUANS search included = $579 total
Is an Ontario corporation enough if I work across the Hamilton and Halton border?
Yes. An Ontario corporation covers operations anywhere in the province, so working across Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville and Milton needs no additional provincial registration. What does differ municipality by municipality is licensing. The same trade can be licensed in one of those places and not in the next, and the fee can differ substantially even where both licence it.
Should I incorporate federally if I want to work in the United States?
Not for that reason alone. A federal corporation gives you name protection across Canada and makes it simpler to open offices in other provinces, but it does not change your position in the United States, where you would be dealing with state registration and cross border tax questions either way. For a Burlington business serving Ontario clients, an Ontario corporation is usually the faster and cheaper choice.
Do I need a Burlington business licence as well as incorporating?
They are two different things and incorporating does not replace the licence. Incorporating is a provincial filing that creates the company. A municipal licence is Burlington's permission to carry on a specific activity inside the city, and it is issued under the city's own by-law. Of the business types we have researched, Burlington licenses food truck licence, salon, barber and tattoo licence and short term rental licence. The city will normally want proof the business is registered before it issues a licence, so the order runs registration first and licence second.
What does a food truck licence cost in Burlington?
$392.70 in the first year. Burlington calls it a Refreshment Vehicle Class A under Business Licensing By-law 42-2008; 2026 Service Rates and Fees (By-law 92-2025), which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $392.70 a year after that. We last checked this on 2026-09-15, and Ontario fee schedules commonly reset in January, so confirm against the city before you budget.
What does a salon, barber and tattoo licence cost in Burlington?
$261.12 in the first year. Burlington calls it a Personal Services licence under Business Licensing By-law 42-2008; 2026 Service Rates and Fees (By-law 92-2025), which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $261.12 a year after that. We last checked this on 2026-09-15, and Ontario fee schedules commonly reset in January, so confirm against the city before you budget.
What does a short term rental licence cost in Burlington?
$300 in the first year. Burlington calls it a Short-Term Accomodation Owner/Operator licence under 2026 Service Rates and Fees (By-law 92-2025), which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $300 a year after that. We last checked this on 2026-09-16, and Ontario fee schedules commonly reset in January, so confirm against the city before you budget.
Learn more about Ontario incorporation
Full OBCA overview, what's included, and Ontario vs federal comparison.
The process is the same province-wide, but the tax angle and pitfalls differ by line of work and situation. Explore the guide that fits you.
Incorporate in Burlington today
$279 service fee + $300 Ontario gov fee. Submitted to the Ontario Business Registry within one to two business hours. No lawyers, no delays.
Start my corporationCorpStart is a document preparation service, not a law firm. The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed Ontario lawyer.