Applications Permits and Licenses

Kennel License

Beach Vendor License

Please note that beach vendors will not be permitted this year (2022)

A beach vendor license requires:

• An annual license
• Approval from the Southwestern Public Health Unit
• Clearance from Fire and Building/By-law departments
• Proof of minimum insurance

See the Vendor By-law for full requirements.

Horse Drawn Carriages

Central Elgin offers Horse Drawn Carriage Licenses at a cost of $200 per Carriage Operator and $100 per Carriage Driver.

Please note the following requires for operating a Horse Drawn Carriage:

• All Drivers of a Horse Drawn Carriage must have a valid ' G' Driver’s License and only trained carriage drivers shall be employed.
• A maximum of five annual Horse Drawn Carriage Operator licences will be available each year.
• Every Horse Drawn Carriage Operator shall display at all times in the vehicle a copy of the Horse Drawn Carriage Operator and Driver Commitment pursuant to Section 3 of this Appendix.
• Each Horse Drawn Carriage shall be a four- wheel carriage with an adequate braking system that, at minimum, allows the Horse Drawn Carriage driver to obey traffic laws and maintain the safety of passengers and the Horse Drawn Carriage at all times.
• Each Horse Drawn Carriage must have a slow moving vehicle sign affixed to the rear of the Carriage.
• Each Horse Drawn Carriage shall be correctly balanced so that the weight of the vehicle is no hardship on the team of horses.
• All Horse Drawn Carriage equipment used must be well fitting, in good repair and suitable for use with draught animals.
• For day time operations between sunrise and sunset, the Horse Drawn Carriage shall be equipped with a slow moving triangle sign and proper reflectors to ensure the Horse Drawn Carriage is visible to other motorists.
• For night operations, the Horse Drawn Carriage shall have adequate running lights, brake lights and head lights installed and operational.
• Only well trained carriage horses demonstrated by experience in an urban setting shall be used for Horse Drawn Carriage operations.
• A horse shall work a maximum of six hours a day with appropriate breaks to eat and rest. In calculating the six -hour time limit, there shall be included any time in the same day during which the horse is used to draw a carriage for any purpose, other than for the purpose of getting to and from the stable area housing such horses.
• When the horse is resting as required under these conditions, the said horse hall have its harness removed throughout the period of rest; the horse shall be groomed; and the horse shall be provided water.
• Every owner shall allow every horse used in the operation of any carriage owned by him or her at least twenty-four (24) consecutive hours of rest in every seven days.
• No horse or team of horses shall draw more than one and one half times their own weight while pulling a properly equipped Horse Drawn Carriage.
• A licensed veterinarian shall certify, after due and proper inspection, the good health of each horse before it is placed into service. A minimum of two such health inspections shall be required for each horse each calendar year.
• Unless written approval is given by a licensed veterinarian, no horse having tendon cuts, fresh leg cuts, open sores or wounds or any disease or ailment shall be permitted to be in service on the streets within the Municipality.
• Each horse shall have its hooves properly trimmed and shod for street surfaces. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, every horse shall be shod with rubber shoes or with cork, leather or other form of buffer or padding on its hooves.
• Each horse shall be groomed daily and not have fungus, dandruff, or a dirty coat.
• No driver may use more than a light touch of the whip upon any horse, and no driver or other person may forcefully strike a horse or make movements or noise intended to frighten or harm a horse.
• No driver shall permit a horse to pull a carriage at a speed faster than a slow trot, except in emergency situations.
• No horse shall be subject to any condition or treatment, whether in service or out of service, which will impair the good health and physical condition of that horse.
• The Operator must immediately remove from a street any excrement dropped by a horse used to pull the horse drawn carriage, dispose of the material appropriately and wash the area down with water.
• The Licensee must establish in at least one location that is acceptable to the Municipality, the facilities to water and feed the horse and to provide suitable stabling facilities for their horses, as well as appropriate storage and transport for their equipment in areas defined and approved by the Chief Building Official.
•  Licensee may use a horse to pull a Horse Drawn Carriage only if that horse is stabled outside of the Municipality or on a property where the applicable zoning by- law permits a stabling use.
• The Municipality of Central Elgin does not provide stabling or storage facilities.
• Adequate water shall be provided in stables and stalls at all times while any horse is present.
• Ventilation adequate to ensure the health and comfort of horses shall be provided in stable and stall areas.
• Bedding in stalls and stables shall be kept at least six inches deep and shall not show wetness under the pressure of any horse' s hooves.
• Adequate and leak -free roofing is required for any stable or stall area in which horses are housed.
• Each individual horse shall have a stall large enough for the animal to safely turn around, but in no case shall any individual horse be kept in a stall less than 10 square metres in area.
  • Ceilings in stalls and stables must be at least three metres feet from the bedding and flooring.
  • Food shall be kept free of contamination.
• Horses must not be left unattended on County and Municipal and streets.
• Parking and loading arrangements must comply with the Municipality’s parking by- law. Operators may use designated areas as defined and approved by the Clerk.
• It shall be unlawful for any horse-drawn carriage to willfully impede the normal flow of traffic on any Municipality or County street at any time. Horse- drawn carriages will be required to pull immediately to the nearest curb area when one or more vehicles are unable to safely pass or continue in normal traffic flow.
• Drivers and Operators must cooperate fully with any By- law Enforcement Officer, Police officer, and/ or Ontario SPCA officials.
• Horses and equipment must be removed from County and Municipality streets when not in use.

To view full Terms and Conditions pertaining to Horse Drawn Carriage Licenses please view By-law 2714 - Being a By-law to Provide for Licensing & Regulations of Various Business in Central Elgin.

Please contact the Communications and Legislative Coordinator for more details.

Kennel License

Lottery License

• bingo events with prize boards of up to $5,500;
• raffles with prizes of up to $50,000;
• break open ticket events with tickets sold in our municipality (cannot be combined with another licensed gaming event at the same time);
• bazaar gaming events; and

Please view the Lottery Licensing page for further details.

Port Stanley Outdoor Seasonal Vendor Licence

Central Elgin offers Port Stanley Outdoor Seasonal Vendor Licenses at a cost of $250.

Please note a license requires:

• The location for the outdoor seasonal vendor must be assigned by the Municipality to the Licensee
• Operation hours are between 10am until sunset daily from Victoria Day weekend through Labour Day weekend only
• Vendors can not set up prior to 9:30am
• Vendors are not allowed to encroach on the beach, the clear passage or pedestrians or other designated public arenas
• Vendors cannot occupy public benches or block pedestrians access to benches
• Vendors must place their own refuse in a suitable container that is cleared at the end of the day by them, and the area restored to its original state free of waste
• Clearance from Fire and Building/By-law departments
• Insurance coverage in an amount not less than 5 million dollars per occurrence, in the name of the Owner, and shall name the Municipality of Central Elgin as additional insured thereunder

To view full Terms and Conditions pertaining to Port Stanley Outdoor Seasonal Vendor Licenses please view By-law 2714 - Being a By-law to Provide for Licensing & Regulations of Various Business in Central Elgin.

Please contact the Communications and Legislative Coordinator for more details.

Refreshment Vehicle Licence

Central Elgin offers Refreshment Vehicle Licenses (except for in Port Stanley where this is prohibited) at a cost of $250. 

Location of Refreshment Vehicle must be zoned to permit an Eating Establishment (as defined in Section 1. 1 of By-law 2714).

Please note that every application must be accompanied by:

• A photo and detailed scaled drawing of refreshment vehicle

• Site plan drawn to scale that depicts the lot on which it is proposed to place the Refreshment Vehicle including particulars of the location of the Refreshment Vehicle in relation to the lot limits of the lands and to any improvements on the lands

• Southwestern Public Health Food Safety Inspection Report

• If the vehicle is fitted with propane or natural gas, a current certificate issued within 30 days of the licence application by a provincially - authorized propane or natural gas fitter

• Consent in writing of all owners of each lot on which it is proposed to operate the Refreshment Vehicle

• Legal description and municipal address of the lot on which the Refreshment Vehicle is proposed to operate including, a copy of an instrument that evidences ownership of the lot

• Confirmation from the Central Elgin Planning Office that the proposed location of the Refreshment Vehicle complies with the applicable Zoning By-law

• Confirmation from the Municipality's By-law Department and Municipality Building Department that any signs comply with the Municipal Sign By-law, where applicable

• Confirmation from the Municipal Fire Department that the Refreshment Vehicle complies with the Fire Department inspection and approval to ensure compliance with the Fire Code (this may also require installation of a kitchen (fire) suppression system)

• Insurance coverage in an amount not less than 5 million dollars per occurrence, in the name of the Owner, and shall name the Municipality of Central Elgin as additional insured thereunder

To view full Terms and Conditions pertaining to Refreshment Vehicle Licenses please view By-law 2714 - Being a By-law to Provide for Licensing & Regulations of Various Business in Central Elgin.

Please contact the Communications and Legislative Coordinator for more details.

Temporary Outdoor Patio Licence

Central Elgin offers Temporary Outdoor Patio Licenses at a cost of $1,000. 

Every application must be accompanied by a drawing detailing the dimensions, siting, and pedestrian or vehicular traffic flows in immediately abutting areas, for review and approval by the Director of Infrastructure & Community Services

Please note:

• Temporary licences may be granted to use the full municipal sidewalk fronting the correspondence business all the way to the curb line, provided that a 1.5 m clear width pedestrian walkway is created in the parallel parking stall area along the roadway's edge
• Temporary licences may be permitted on a parallel parking area as long as a clear pedestrian path is maintained on the existing municipal sidewalk
• Temporary licences may not be permitted if there are no on-street parking stalls fronting the business or for any health and safety reason in the sole and absolute discretion of the Municipality
• Permission for the licence onto landscaped and hardscaped areas and in parking areas on private commercial property, subject to the following requirements:
  • The patio shall not disrupt emergency vehicle access, general vehicular circulation through the majority of the parking area, pedestrian accessibility throughout the development, including the number of accessible parking spaces, garbage collection, or any other necessary service vehicular access to the property
• A building permit may be required depending on the proposed extended patio and pedestrian walkway
• Temporary licences or pedestrian corridor located on the municipal parking stalls on municipal streets shall include design features as listed in section 1.8 of Appendix 'E' of By-law 2714

To view full Terms and Conditions pertaining to Temporary Outdoor Patio Licenses please view By-law 2714 - Being a By-law to Provide for Licensing & Regulations of Various Business in Central Elgin.

Please contact the Communications and Legislative Coordinator for more details.

Fireworks

Lottery

Through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the Municipality can issue lottery licenses to eligible organizations for:

• bingo events with prize boards of up to $5,500;
• raffles with prizes of up to $50,000;
• break open ticket events with tickets sold in our municipality (cannot be combined with another licensed gaming event at the same time);
• bazaar gaming events; and

Please view the Lottery Licensing page for further details.

Noise Exemption

The Noise By-law regulates and prohibits noises likely to disturb the public. Council considers noise exemption requests during regular meetings. You must submit the completed application form, and other required information to the Clerk at least 10 business days before the Council meeting that considers your request.

Road Occupancy Permit

A temporary road occupancy permit is required for any activities within the municipality's right-of-way that may occupy or close a road, including:

• Parades and Events
• Road Construction
• Landscaping and Trench Work
• Driveway Construction

Find information about obtaining a permit on the Roads and Sidewalks page.

Special Event

Special events can include:

• Exhibitions
• Concerts or Festivals
• Other organized events held for profit or otherwise

For more information please view the Special Events Policy.

Submit an application for a special event with required documentation at least 60 days before the proposed event. 

Alcohol

If the event involves the use or sale of alcohol, applicants are required to provide proof of current liability insurance in the minimum amount of five million dollars along with a copy of the liquor license, AGCO Special Occasion Permit, and a list of trained servers for municipal facilities.

Apply for Special Event Permit

Tent

A building permit is required for tents and groups of tent, except for tents that are:

• Not more than 60 metres-squared in aggregate ground area (aggregate ground area is the sum of the total area of all tents on site)
• Not attached to a building
• Constructed more than 3 metres from other structures

To learn more please visit the Building Permit page.

Building and Septic Permits

Entrance Permit

Road Occupancy Permit

• Parades and Events
• Road Construction
• Landscaping and Trench Work
• Driveway Construction

Find information about obtaining a permit on the Roads Permits page.

Fire Permit

Planning Applications

Noise Exemption

Sign Permit