Resources

Licensing

Want to find out about where to get a lottery licence for your community group's charity bingo?

Starting your own business and need a licence?

Need to find out more about the rules governing a real estate agent's licence?

MACA can help you.

Business Licences

Under the Business Licensing Act, Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) issues business licences to:

  • Businesses operating on a territorial-wide basis; and
  • Businesses operating outside community boundaries.

MACA also issues business licences in those communities that do not issue their own business licences.  These communities include:

  • Colville Lake
  • Jean Marie River
  • Dettah
  • Kakisa
  • Enterprise
  • Lutselk'e
  • Fort Good Hope
  • Nahanni Butte
  • Fort Resolution
  • Trout Lake
  • Rae Lakes
  • Tsiigehtchic
  • Hay River Reserve
  • Wekweti

All other Northwest Territories (NWT) communities issue their own business licences.  Businesses operating in these communities must obtain a business licence from these community governments.

MACA issues about 400 new business licences every year in the NWT. To get one for your business, you need to fill out an application, pay a fee and provide proof of Worker's Compensation Board coverage.

If you wish to open a pawnbroker's shop or a second hand store there are other regulations, under the Pawnbrokers and Second Hand Dealers Act, that you must comply with in addition to those covering all other businesses.

Lotteries and Bingos

MACA licenses and regulates charity bingos, Nevada tickets, casinos and raffles under the Lotteries Act, which covers gambling permitted under the Criminal Code of Canada.

Lottery licensing authority now rests with 12 NWT communities, including:

  • Aklavik
  • Behchoko
  • Deline
  • Fort McPherson
  • Fort Smith
  • Hay River
  • Inuvik
  • K'asho Got'ine
  • Norman Wells
  • Paulatuk
  • Tsiigehtchic
  • Tuktoyaktuk
  • Tulita
  • Ulukhaktok
  • Wha Ti
  • Yellowknife

MACA handles lottery licences for all other communities. Lottery licence applications and guidelines are available on our forms page.

Real Estate Agents

We can provide you with information about getting your Realtor's Licence. MACA also has the information you need if you just want to know more about the regulations, under the Real Estate Agents' Licensing Act, governing the real estate industry in the North.

For more information about applying for any of these licences, e-mail Tina_Ouellette@gov.nt.ca or call (867) 873-7672 or Michael_Gagnon@gov.nt.ca or call (867) 873-7125. If you are in Yellowknife, our office is on the 6th floor of the Northwest Tower.