• Contractors License School

The Government of Alberta licenses or registers businesses under the Fair Trading Act, Charitable Fund-raising Act, Cemeteries Act and the Cooperatives Act. This publication describes what businesses require a licence, how to apply for a licence or registration, how to conduct a business licence search and the role of corporate registry.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!Prepaid Contracting LicensesAt Schuettlaw, we have many clients who work in the construction industry and are inadvertently breaking the law because they take deposits or issue progress bills but are not authorized as prepaid contractors.The Law:In Alberta, all requirements for prepaid contracts fall under the Fair Trading Act which is a consumer protection legislation. The Fair Trading Act forbids any contractor from accepting any payment for home construction, maintenance, renovation or alteration from a consumer prior to the contract’s completion without a prepaid contracting license. This includes taking deposits for any part of the contract prior to its completion or issuing progress billings on a contract. While this is a blanket prohibition, there are several exceptions to the rule:. Contracts for the construction of commercial premisesThere is an exception that applies when constructing a building which will be used as a business, or which will primarily be used as a business. Therefore, when building hotels, shop buildings or a store for a customer, the legislation does not apply.

There is a fine distinction though. When a contractor is building an entire home, which contains an income generating suite, this type of construction would need to comply with prepaid contracting legislation because the dominant purpose of the home was for use as a residence for the owner. However, if a homeowner is renovating a basement to turn it into an income generating suite, the contract does not need to comply with prepaid contracting legislation as the primary purpose of the renovation is to create income for the homeowner. Contracts between tradesPrepaid contracting legislation is solely for the benefit of the consumer and it only applies to contracts made directly with the homeowner, their agent or some other person in possession of the property.

What’s important to knowThe business types appearing are only those required to be licensed or registered with the Consumer Services Branch of Service Alberta. Other business types may be licensed through other ministries or organizations or may not need licences at all.Licensing and registration don’t represent an endorsement of the company or charitable organization, nor do they guarantee the quality of goods or services offered.Contact the Consumer Contact Centre for more information.- Use one word searches for best results. The name must be an exact match to the legal entity for correct search results.This license information only includes active licenses in Alberta. Businesses that are no longer licensed will not be present on this list.

Contractors License School

If you are searching for a business that is active in Alberta but that does not appear to be currently licensed, please contact the Service Alberta Contact Centre at 1-877-427-4088 for confirmation.Business Name/d.b.a:(doing business as)License Type.