Ontario · Halton Region / Greater Toronto Area
Oakville is one of Ontario's most affluent municipalities, with a per-capita income and commercial property base that consistently ranks at the top of the GTA. CorpStart files your OBCA corporation (Articles, By-law, and Minute Book) typically within one to two business hours.
Numbered corporation
$299
+ $300 Ontario gov fee
$599 total
Oakville attracts sophisticated business owners (many coming from large corporate backgrounds) who are incorporating for the first time as they launch consulting practices, advisory firms, or investment holding companies. These clients typically want more than a rushed government form: they want correct Articles, a proper share structure, and a minute book that looks professional when their accountant or future investor picks it up. CorpStart delivers precisely that (meticulous preparation and same-day filing) at a price that's a fraction of what an Oakville Bay Street lawyer charges.
Nearby communities (Burlington, Mississauga, Milton, Bronte, Georgetown) are all in Ontario, so one Ontario corporation covers your operations across every one of them. You do not re-incorporate city by city.
Municipal licensing is a separate question from corporate registration, and the two get confused constantly. Depending on what you do, a municipality may still require its own business licence, and the fee is set by each municipality. Carrying on business outside Ontario is different again, and needs extra-provincial registration in that province.
Oakville licenses 5 of the business types we have researched. A food truck licence is called a Refreshment Vehicle Class A licence with a Refreshment Vehicle Operator licence under the city's own by-law, and costs $533 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 licence with a Refreshment Vehicle Operator licence | $533 |
| Taxi and rideshare driver licence | Taxi Driver's Licence | $206 |
| Salon, barber and tattoo licence | Personal Services Establishment licence | $274 |
| Contractor and trades licence | Building Renovator licence | $657 |
| Short term rental licence | Short Term Accommodation Operator licence | Not published |
Food truck licence: By-law 2015-075, replaced by By-law 2026-012 with effect from 4 January 2027. Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Taxi and rideshare driver licence: Business Licensing By-law; municipal enforcement licensing rates schedule. Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Salon, barber and tattoo licence: Business Licensing By-law; municipal enforcement licensing rates schedule. Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Contractor and trades licence: Business Licensing By-law; municipal enforcement licensing rates schedule. Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Short term rental licence: Business Licensing 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 Oakville, the city is right and we would like to know. See how Oakville 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 Oakville 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.
$299
+ $300 Ontario gov fee = $599 total
Named corporation
Named Corporation
e.g., Acme Holdings Inc. Choose your corporate name, includes NUANS pre-search.
$299
+ $300 Ontario gov fee, NUANS search included = $599 total
I'm leaving corporate to start a consulting practice in Oakville: what corporation structure should I use?
A single-director Ontario numbered or named corporation with a simple share structure (common shares only) is the typical starting point for a solo consultant. If you have a spouse you may want to include, a second class of shares is worth building in from the start, since amending share classes later requires a government filing. Do not assume the shares deliver income splitting: the tax on split income taxes dividends to a spouse at the top marginal rate unless they meet an exclusion, such as working in the business at least twenty hours a week, so confirm the position with an accountant before relying on it. CorpStart's questionnaire guides you through this choice.
Does CorpStart produce a minute book that an Oakville accountant will accept?
Yes. CorpStart produces a complete digital Minute Book including the Articles of Incorporation, By-law No. 1, Organizational Resolutions, Share Subscribe and Allotment, Share Register, and Directors Register. This is the standard documentation set expected by accountants and bankers. You receive it digitally and can print or bind it as needed.
How does CorpStart compare to using an Oakville lawyer for incorporation?
CorpStart is a document preparation service, not a law firm. We prepare and file your Ontario incorporation documents at a flat service fee plus the government fee: the same documents a lawyer would prepare, at a significantly lower cost. For straightforward incorporations without complex share structures, trusts, or shareholders agreements, CorpStart handles everything. For complex structures, we recommend engaging a lawyer for the strategic layer while we handle the filing.
Do I need an Oakville 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 Oakville'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, Oakville licenses food truck licence, taxi and rideshare driver licence, salon, barber and tattoo licence, contractor and trades 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 Oakville?
$533 in the first year. Oakville calls it a Refreshment Vehicle Class A licence with a Refreshment Vehicle Operator licence under By-law 2015-075, replaced by By-law 2026-012 with effect from 4 January 2027, which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $533 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 taxi and rideshare driver licence cost in Oakville?
$206 in the first year. Oakville calls it a Taxi Driver's Licence under Business Licensing By-law; municipal enforcement licensing rates schedule, which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $206 a year after that. That figure comes from the schedule effective 2025-01-01, which predates our check, so treat it as the latest published rather than a confirmed 2026 price. 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 Oakville?
$274 in the first year. Oakville calls it a Personal Services Establishment licence under Business Licensing By-law; municipal enforcement licensing rates schedule, which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $274 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 contractor and trades licence cost in Oakville?
$657 in the first year. Oakville calls it a Building Renovator licence under Business Licensing By-law; municipal enforcement licensing rates schedule, which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $657 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 Oakville?
Oakville does not publish the fee where an applicant can find it, so we do not publish a number either. It calls the licence a Short Term Accommodation Operator licence. 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 Oakville today
$299 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.