Trades & Contractors · 5 min read · Last updated
Cruising Toronto streets with a truck, collecting scrap metal, used appliances or other secondhand items? That is a licensed activity: the City requires a licence for businesses that collect secondhand goods with a vehicle on City streets. Here is who the category catches, what to file and how the licence stays valid.
The City of Toronto lists this under its “Business” category: “Businesses the collect secondhand items with a vehicle on City streets.”
Who needs this licence?
The licence covers businesses collecting secondhand items with a vehicle on City streets — scrap collectors, used-appliance and metal pickup operations, and curbside collection businesses generally. The two triggers are the vehicle and the public streets: it is the roaming, vehicle-based collection of used goods that the City licenses here.
It is distinct from running a second-hand shop, which is its own licensing world — a business that both collects on the street and resells from a store should expect to hold the class each activity requires. Charity donation drives and private clean-outs arranged off-street are different situations again; when in doubt about a hybrid model, sort the licence question before the routes start.
What documents do you need?
- Government-issued identification for the applicant, two pieces with at least one photo
- Business name registration or corporate documents
- Details of the vehicle or vehicles used for collection
- A police reference check where the City requests one for the category
Second-hand trades attract closer identity scrutiny than most categories — collected goods can turn out to be stolen goods, and the City licenses accordingly. Complete, consistent identification paperwork is not a formality here.
Zoning and premises requirements
The licence is about collecting on City streets with a vehicle, so there is no premises requirement for the collecting itself. Where the collected goods go matters, though: sorting or storing them at a property has to respect that property's zoning, and running the operation from home must fit home-occupation rules — a driveway full of collected goods usually does not.
Inspections and approvals
Enforcement happens where the business does: on the street. Municipal Licensing & Standards officers can check that a collection vehicle's operation is licensed, so the licence and the business paperwork should travel with the vehicle. Expect record expectations to be part of compliance — knowing what was collected, and where, is the second-hand trade's basic discipline.
How much does it cost?
The licence has an application fee and an annual renewal fee, set in the City's licensing fee schedule. The City confirms the current amounts during your application, and fees are paid to the City directly.
How to apply
Apply to Municipal Licensing & Standards, the division issuing business licences under Chapter 545 of the Municipal Code. The City's online Business Licence & Permit portal has accepted applications since January 2026, with in-person service still available. File identification, registration and vehicle information as one package.
Permits2Go assembles that package with you — useful when the operation runs several vehicles and the paperwork multiplies.
Renewals and staying compliant
Renew annually before expiry so collection routes never run on a lapsed licence. Update the City when vehicles change or the business restructures, and if a storefront resale side is added later, deal with its licensing before opening day, not after.
Quick quiz: test what you learned
Three questions, all answered in this guide. Click an answer to check it.
1. What triggers Toronto's Second Hand Goods Collector with Vehicle licence?
The category is defined by the combination: secondhand goods, a vehicle, and collection on City streets.
2. How does this licence relate to running a second-hand shop?
Street collection with a vehicle and shop-based dealing are different licensed activities.
3. Where does enforcement of this licence mostly happen?
A roaming business meets enforcement in the field — which is why the licence paperwork should travel with the vehicle.
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.