View the fact sheets below to find the permits that relate to your business.
If your industry is not listed below, please contact the Economic Development Team.
What you are trading will determine the types of permits you need. We have compiled industry-specific guidelines to assist you in progressing your business.
View the fact sheets below to find the permits that relate to your business.
If your industry is not listed below, please contact the Economic Development Team.
For cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars.
Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Hospitality Businesses Guidelines
For beauticians, hairdressers and more
Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Personal Services Guidelines
For small businesses who are making and creating, such as a micro brewery or food and beverage production
Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Small Industry Manufacturing Guidelines
For nightclubs and live music venues
Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Music Venues Guidelines
For businesses such as escape rooms, indoor golf, indoor rock climbing and more.
Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Recreation and Entertainment Guidelines
Industry Guidelines
The guidelines are designed to help you understand the permits required for your particular business sector:
The fact sheets are designed to help you understand the types of permits required from the City of Ballarat
The City of Ballarat’s Economic Development Team is dedicated to supporting businesses, small, large, or just starting. By providing us with the information about your business at the start, we can direct you to the right people in the City of Ballarat to progress your vision.
The team is available to assist you to:
Phone: 5320 5500
Email: economicdevelopment@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Online application form: Small Business Application
The team will then be in contact with you to discuss your business over the phone or to arrange an in person meeting.
Subscribe to our Economic Development e-newsletter to receive information about:
City of Ballarat business development and networking events
Other opportunities for businesses supported by City of Ballarat
The types of permits you will need will vary based on what your business vision is, together with where you would like to operate your business from.
The Economic Development Team is available to guide you through which permits you may need.
To run your business from home while leasing your property, you need to get permission from your landlord first.
Get in touch with our Economic Development Team and let us know what your vision is, so we can ensure that your neighbourhood is not adversely affected by your business.
Once we understand what your plan is, we will confirm if we think you need a planning permit, by checking some key criteria.
This criteria includes:
Note:
This may be a mobile food van or mobile dog wash
Operating on private land
If your business will operate on privately owned land, please touch base with our Economic Development Team, so we can understand your vision and support you in obtaining the appropriate permits
Operating on City of Ballarat land
If you would like to operate a business on land that is controlled by the City of Ballarat, you will need to apply for an Itinerant Trading Permit
To apply, you will need to provide:
To apply for an Itinerant Trading Permit
View and print the Application for Itinerant Trading Permit
Fill out the form and return:
Via email info@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Via post to Regulatory Services, City of Ballarat, PO Box 655, Ballarat VIC 3353
In person to Customer Service Officer at The Phoenix, 25 Armstrong Street South, Ballarat
This may occur if your property was utilized for a different purpose and there has been a modification in the intended use.
It is important to investigate whether you need a planning permit before you proceed.
Our team will assess the classification of your business within the Planning Scheme and determine if it is allowed at your chosen property. We will then evaluate your business vision against the property's planning controls to advise you on whether you should apply for a Planning Permit.
Please contact our Economic Development team, who can support you in seeking advice from our Planning team on the most appropriate action for your property and business vision.
For more information, refer to the resources on this page
Artistic and cultural performances are an important part of our creative and vibrant city, and the City of Ballarat aims to improve and encourage such performances.
Visit or Busking permit page to apply or for further Information.
Industry Guidelines
The guidelines are designed to help you understand the permits required for your particular business sector:
The fact sheets are designed to help you understand the types of permits required from the City of Ballarat
The City of Ballarat’s Economic Development Team is dedicated to supporting businesses, small, large, or just starting. By providing us with the information about your business at the start, we can direct you to the right people in the City of Ballarat to progress your vision.
The team is available to assist you to:
Phone: 5320 5500
Email: economicdevelopment@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Online application form: Small Business Application
The team will then be in contact with you to discuss your business over the phone or to arrange an in person meeting.
Subscribe to our Economic Development e-newsletter to receive information about:
City of Ballarat business development and networking events
Other opportunities for businesses supported by City of Ballarat
Setting a good first impression is important, as well as ensuring that your business is not detrimental to your neighbourhood and is a safe space for your customers.
Once you have confirmed whether you need a planning permit, you may like to consider what your business will look like to your customers.
This page discusses signage and construction requirements
This could include tables and chairs or signage on the footpath.
To trade from a City of Ballarat managed land, you will need to apply for a permit.
If you have recently purchased a business with an existing outdoor trading permit, you will need to apply again.
Outdoor trading activates public spaces and creates vibrancy to our streetscapes, however we need to balance community use of the footpath and precinct too.
Outdoor trading covers three broad categories:
If your vision goes beyond the above-listed points, impacts existing City of Ballarat assets and contributes to activation of a streetscape please make contact with the Economic Development team, to discuss your concept in more detail.
For more information, refer to the resources on this page
Any permit issued will expire 31 July 2026.
*The Council's adopted budget can lead to changes in these fees.
You will need:
Apply for your permit:
The City of Ballarat will notify you of the outcome of your application as soon as possible
Like most businesses, you may want an exterior sign to help customers find you.
The City of Ballarat need to make sure that signs don’t unduly detract from the environment, so a planning permit is sometimes required before signs can be installed.
When you talk about your business concept with the Economic Development Team, they will take your signage vision into account. They can assist you in determining whether you need to apply for a Planning Permit.
If you would like to place signage such as an A-Frame or flag on a City of Ballarat managed space, for example the footpath, you will need to apply for an Outdoor Trading permit.
Complete the online Outdoor Dining or Trading Application
For more information view or download the Footpath Trading fact sheet
If you live within a residential area and you are operating a business from home be mindful that you can only display signage at your house that is smaller than 0.2sqm (approx. 40cm x 50cm)
Please speak with the Economic Development Team if you would like to enquire about signage for your home based business.
Modifying your building can help give your business character and brand, however it is important to ensure the structural integrity of your build, together with the impact that your construction will have on the precinct.
Planning and Building assessments will look at different aspects to the application.
A Building Permit will cover things like the structural integrity of the build, fire safety features within a building and accessibility to and within a building.
Every building is classified and designed according to what it can be used for, ultimately to ensure the safety of the building occupiers and other property.
If you plan to change a building’s layout, configuration, occupant numbers or use, these works will require a building permit to be obtained.
A building surveyor is responsible for issuing a building permit at the start of a building project and an occupancy permit or final certificate on completion of the building works.
The surveyor should be included at the start of the process. Your appointed building surveyor will liaise with the City of Ballarat, so that City of Ballarat’s Building Service Department are aware that the correct building permits have been obtained to occupy the building.
After the building permit is issued, the building surveyor will carry out inspections at different stages during the project to make sure the building work meets minimum Building Code of Australia requirements.
View or download these commonly used fact sheets may help you in understanding the permits required for your business:
A planning permit will consider the impact of your business to the precinct you are operating within.
Not all businesses require a planning permit, but it is important to investigate whether you need a permit before you proceed.
Industry Guidelines
The guidelines are designed to help you understand the permits required for your particular business sector:
The fact sheets are designed to help you understand the types of permits required from the City of Ballarat
The City of Ballarat’s Economic Development Team is dedicated to supporting businesses, small, large, or just starting. By providing us with the information about your business at the start, we can direct you to the right people in the City of Ballarat to progress your vision.
The team is available to assist you to:
Phone: 5320 5500
Email: economicdevelopment@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Online application form: Small Business Application
The team will then be in contact with you to discuss your business over the phone or to arrange an in person meeting.
Subscribe to our Economic Development e-newsletter to receive information about:
City of Ballarat business development and networking events
Other opportunities for businesses supported by City of Ballarat