Ontario · Niagara Region
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
Seasonality shapes business here in a way it does not in most Ontario cities, and St. Catharines licensing reflects that sharply. Its food truck and mobile vending programme runs only from 1 June to 30 September, applications open only during March, and a season costs about $2,556.28 once the monthly park permit is counted. It is also the one municipality we have researched that charges outsiders more, with a non-resident paying $567.60 for the licence a resident pays $184.58 for. If your business is seasonal and Niagara based, the calendar matters more than the incorporation paperwork, and both need planning further ahead than people expect.
Nearby municipalities (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Thorold, Niagara Falls, Welland, Lincoln) all fall under the same Ontario Business Corporations Act. A single Ontario corporation covers your operations throughout the province with no additional municipal registrations.
St. Catharines licenses one of the business types we have researched. A food truck licence is called a Hawkers and Peddlers Business Licence with a Food Truck and Mobile Vending Cart Park Permit under the city's own by-law, and costs $2,556.28 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 | Hawkers and Peddlers Business Licence with a Food Truck and Mobile Vending Cart Park Permit | $2,556.28 |
Food truck licence: 2026 Fees, Food Trucks and Mobile Vending Carts programme. 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 St. Catharines, the city is right and we would like to know. See how St. Catharines 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 St. Catharines 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.
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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
I want to run a food truck in St. Catharines. What does it actually cost?
Roughly $2,556.28 for a season, which is the second highest mobile food cost we have found in Ontario, and the season is only four months. That is a Hawkers and Peddlers licence at $184.58 for a resident, an environmental fee of $546.30, and a park permit billed at $456.35 a month. The city publishes those lines separately and never totals them. Applications open on 1 March and close on 31 March, so missing that month means waiting a year regardless of what you are willing to pay.
Does being based outside Niagara cost me more?
For the mobile vending programme, yes. A non-resident pays $567.60 for the Hawkers and Peddlers licence against $184.58 for a resident, which is roughly three times as much for the same permission. It is the only resident pricing differential we have found in any Ontario municipality, and it is worth knowing before you decide where to register a seasonal business.
Do I need a St. Catharines 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 St. Catharines'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, St. Catharines 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 St. Catharines?
$2,556.28 in the first year. St. Catharines calls it a Hawkers and Peddlers Business Licence with a Food Truck and Mobile Vending Cart Park Permit under 2026 Fees, Food Trucks and Mobile Vending Carts programme, which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. We last checked this on 2026-09-15, 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 St. Catharines 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.