Ontario · Eastern Ontario
Kingston sits where Lake Ontario becomes the St. 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
Selling to Queen's, a hospital or a federal department means dealing with procurement, and procurement asks for a corporation, insurance and a vendor number before it asks anything about your work. That tends to push Kingston businesses toward incorporating earlier than their revenue alone would justify. On the municipal side, Kingston is the one city we have researched that advertises a licence fee as a range rather than a price: its Food Vendor licence is published as $92 to $401 depending on a refreshment vehicle classification the city does not publish. If you are budgeting for a mobile food business here, that range is not a number and you will need to call.
Nearby municipalities (Gananoque, Napanee, Amherstview, Odessa, Bath) all fall under the same Ontario Business Corporations Act. A single Ontario corporation covers your operations throughout the province with no additional municipal registrations.
Kingston licenses one of the business types we have researched, but does not publish its fees where an applicant can find them. We record that gap rather than estimating around it. The licence is still 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 | Food Vendor licence, food carts, stands, kiosks and trucks | Not published |
Food truck licence: Business Licence By-law; Fees and Charges By-law. Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Fee schedules commonly reset in January, so follow the source before you budget. If a figure here disagrees with Kingston, the city is right and we would like to know. See how Kingston compares to other municipalities, or browse every licence type we track. Last checked 2026-09-15.
Three steps: no lawyers, no registry line-ups, no guesswork.
Answer our questionnaire
Tell us your corporation name preference, share structure, directors, and Kingston 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
What does a food cart or food truck licence cost in Kingston?
The city publishes the 2026 fee as $92 to $401 depending on the refreshment vehicle classification, and then publishes neither the classifications nor what each one costs. A fourfold range with no rate card is not a price, so the honest answer is that you have to ask the licensing office directly. We would rather say that than guess at a figure and have you budget on it.
Does incorporating help when bidding on institutional contracts?
Usually yes, and often at the registration stage rather than the decision stage. Universities, hospitals and government departments commonly require a corporation with proof of insurance before a supplier can be set up at all, which means a sole proprietorship can be filtered out before anyone reads the proposal. In an institution heavy economy like Kingston's, that is a practical argument rather than a tax one.
Do I need a Kingston 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 Kingston'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, Kingston licenses food truck 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 Kingston?
Kingston does not publish the fee where an applicant can find it, so we do not publish a number either. It calls the licence a Food Vendor licence, food carts, stands, kiosks and trucks. We last checked on 2026-09-15. Contact the city's licensing office for a current figure rather than relying on an estimate.
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 Kingston 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.