Auto & Parking · 7 min read · Last updated
Toronto's Public Garage licence is a family licence for the automotive premises trades: body shops and car repair shops, car washes, gas stations, car dealerships and public garages all license under it. The businesses differ, but the licensing logic is shared — premises-heavy, zoning-sensitive, with environmental practices in view. Here's the full picture.
The City of Toronto lists this under its “Business” category: “A licence is required to operate body shop/car repair shop, car wash, gas station, car dealership or public garage.”
Who needs this licence?
One licence category covers five automotive business types: body shops and car repair shops, car washes, gas stations, car dealerships, and public garages. If your business repairs, washes, fuels, sells or stores vehicles from a premises in Toronto, you are almost certainly inside this family — and the licence attaches to the premises-based operation, so each location operates under its own licensing.
The boundaries are practical. Renting vehicles to the public is the separate Car Rental Business licence; charging the public to park is the Commercial Parking Lot licence. Hybrid operations — a dealership with a service department, a gas station with a car wash — should describe every activity on the premises when applying, so the licence matches the business actually being run.
What documents do you need?
- Two pieces of government-issued identification for the applicant, at least one with a photo
- Corporate documents or business name registration, with identification for the signing officer
- Proof of the premises — the full signed lease or the deed
- The City's supporting-documents checklist items for the category, which can include confirmation that the premises and its activities comply with applicable requirements
For automotive premises, the premises documents do the heavy lifting — make sure the lease actually permits the automotive use you intend, because landlords restrict these uses more often than applicants expect.
Zoning and premises requirements
Zoning is the first gate and the hardest one. Automotive uses — repair, fuel, washing, sales lots — are permitted only in zones that allow them, often with conditions about lot layout, access and outdoor storage of vehicles. A unit that housed retail will not automatically permit a body shop, and outdoor display or storage of cars is its own zoning question beyond the building. Verify the zoning position for the exact property before leasing, buying or moving equipment in.
Inspections and approvals
These premises earn real scrutiny because of what they handle. Fire safety is prominent — fuels, solvents, compressed gases and paint products put Toronto Fire Services' review of storage and handling front and centre, especially for gas stations and body shops. Municipal Licensing & Standards inspects for licensing compliance, and environmental practices are part of operating standards: waste fluids, used oil, solvents and wash water need to be stored, handled and disposed of properly rather than finding their way to drains or soil.
Fit-out construction — hoists, spray booths, wash tunnels, fuel infrastructure — carries its own permits and inspections on separate tracks; the business licence does not absorb them.
How much does it cost?
The City charges an application fee and an annual renewal fee, set in its licensing fee schedule for the category and confirmed during the application. Fees are paid to the City directly, and each licensed premises carries its own.
How to apply
Apply to Municipal Licensing & Standards, which issues the licence under Chapter 545 of the Municipal Code — online through the City's business licence portal, available since January 2026, or in person. Lead with the premises: zoning confirmation, lease or deed, and an accurate description of every automotive activity on site.
Permits2Go's workspace prepares the licence package alongside any building-permit applications for the fit-out, which for garages is usually where the real timeline lives.
Renewals and staying compliant
Renew annually before expiry, and keep the licence aligned with the operation: adding a service bay to a dealership, or a wash line to a gas station, changes what the premises does and should be reflected with the City. Ownership changes and premises moves need reporting, and a new location means a new application — the licence stays with the premises-based operation it was issued for.
Quick quiz: test what you learned
Three questions, all answered in this guide. Click an answer to check it.
1. Which businesses fall under Toronto's Public Garage licence family?
The category covers the five automotive premises types; renting vehicles and charging for parking are separate licence categories.
2. Why do these premises get strong fire-safety and environmental attention?
Flammables and waste fluids define the risk profile: Toronto Fire Services reviews storage and handling, and proper disposal of fluids is part of operating standards.
3. What should a hybrid operation, like a dealership with a service department, do when applying?
The family licence works when the application reflects the full operation — undisclosed activities surface at inspection time as compliance problems.
Skip the paperwork
Tell Permits2Go about your business and it assembles the licence application for you — document checklists, e-signatures and a guided workspace for Toronto, with more cities on the way.
This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. Licensing requirements, by-laws and fees change and vary by municipality — always confirm the current rules with the City before you apply.