Clothing Drop Box Operator Licence

  • All for-profit business and charitable and not-for-profit operators must obtain a Clothing Drop Box Operator licence.
  • All operators (for-profit and charitable/not-for-profit) must obtain a Clothing Drop Box Location permit for each box.
  • Permit stickers must be clearly displayed on each box.
  • Boxes must be placed in an area with lighting at all times to allow for safe operation of the boxes. Operators must provide photos to confirm that the boxes meet this requirement.
  • Clearly display a schedule on each box that outlines when the content will be picked up.

Sole proprietorships (individuals), partnerships or corporations.

Please review the application requirements and complete any required forms.

Identification

All applications must include two pieces of government-issued identification (one must be photo ID):

  • Canadian Passport
  • Driver’s Licence
  • Canadian Birth Certificate
  • Citizenship Card
  • Permanent Resident Card
  • SIN Card (Social Insurance Number)
  • Valid Work Permit

Note:

  • First and last names must match on all identification
  • We do not accept Health Cards
  • For sole proprietorship or individual applicants, one piece of ID must provide proof of work status
  • Identification is required for all officers/directors listed on the Articles of Incorporation, Corporate Profile or Federal Form 6

Documentation

Additional documentation may be required:

If you are applying as a corporation, please submit:

  • A copy of provincial business name registration or signed franchise agreement
  • A Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (level 2) for each officer/director issued by a Canadian Police Service within 280 days prior to the application.
  • A copy of Articles of Incorporation (certificate and articles) (Note: If there has been a change to the list of officers and directors, please provide a current Corporate Profile Report);
  • The Annual Return for Corporation Form which lists all current directors & officers of the Corporation. This must be:
    • original as copies will not be accepted
    • signed by an officer/director of the Corporation. The Form cannot be signed by a designate of the Corporation.
  • If you are applying as a designate for a corporation, please submit all corporation requirements as well as an original letter advising of signing authority on corporation letterhead, signed by a director of the corporation and dated within 30 days.

If you are applying as a Charity, Religious Institution or Non-profit Organization, you must also provide:

You can apply for a new business licence online or in-person.

Apply online

Save yourself time and apply online. Please have all required documents ready to upload before starting the application, as it requires 10-15 minutes to complete and cannot be saved. Download a step by step guide on how to submit a new application. Licence application fees can be paid online or by sending a cheque.

Submit Application

If you have already submitted an application and a representative has contacted you about uploading additional documents, you may do so using the upload token provided to you by the representative. Please note, you cannot upload additional documents using this tool if you do not have an upload token.

Upload Documents for Existing Request

Apply in-person

In-person services are available at the Licence and Permit Issuing Office, 850 Coxwell Avenue, 3rd Floor.
You must bring hard copies of all application requirements. Applications will not be started unless all requirements are provided. Digital copies of documents will not be accepted.

Payment can only be made by debit, credit or cheque. Cash will not be accepted.

Walk-in Services

Walk-in services are available for new applications Monday – Wednesday starting at 8:30AM subject to capacity. The office is closed from 12:30PM – 1:30PM daily.

Appointments

Appointment services are available on Fridays only.

Book Appointment

Please arrive 10-15 mins early to check in and be on time for your appointment or you may be turned away and asked to re-book for another day and time, subject to availability.

Application fee: $224.51

  • The application fee is non-refundable and is required upon submittal of a complete application.

Licence fee: $396.43

  • The licence fee is due upon approval of the application.

Total fee (Application fee + Licence fee): $620.94

Boxes without a permit

If a clothing box does not have an easily visible permit sticker:

  • The City will post a notice on the box
  • If the box is not removed within three days, the City will remove it and immediately dispose of the box and contents. The box and contents will no longer be held for 30 days.

Boxes on public property

Clothing drop boxes placed on the City’s right-of-way (streets, boulevards, sidewalks) will be removed immediately.

Boxes with a permit

The City can revoke a permit if the owner/operator has unpaid fines. The City also has the authority to remove any box that contravenes the Clothing Drop Boxes Bylaw and dispose of the box and content immediately.

ML&S shall deny an application for, or a renewal, for all businesses required to be licenced under this chapter that has:

    1. Been convicted at any time of a sexual offence against a minor or a person with a disability under any of sections 151 to 153.1 of the Criminal Code;
    2. Been convicted of any sexual offence under the Criminal Code in the preceding ten years;
    3. Been convicted of an offence under the following Criminal Code sections in the preceding five years:
      1. 84 to 117.15 (Firearms and Other Weapons);
      2. 264.1 to 286.1 (Offences Against the Person);
      3. 321 to 378 (Offences Against Rights of Property);
      4. 379 to 462 (Fraudulent Transactions, Wilful and Forbidden Acts of Certain Property, Offences Relating to Currency);
      5. 462.3 to 462.5 (Proceeds of Crime).
    4. Been convicted at any time of an offence under the following Criminal Code sections:
      1. 83.01 to 83.33 (Terrorism);
      2. 219 to 248 (Major Offences Against the Person);
      3. 267, 268, 270.01, 272, 273 (Major Assaults or Major Sexual Assaults).
    5. Been convicted of an offence under the following Controlled Drugs and Substances Act sections in the preceding ten years:
      1. 5 (Trafficking);
      2. 6 (Importing and exporting);
      3. 7 (Production);
      4. 7.1 (Possession for use in production or trafficking).
    6. Been convicted of any offence under section 4 (Possession or obtaining) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in the preceding five years;
    7. Been convicted of five or more offences under Chapter 545 or 546 of the Toronto Municipal Code in the preceding three years;
    8. Any overdue by-law fines, unless the applicant provides proof that such fines have been subsequently paid.

Despite these screening criteria, if a licence has been previously issued or renewed and the applicant’s or licensee’s record discloses no new breach of the screening criteria, the licence may be issued or renewed without the matter being referred to the Toronto Licensing Tribunal.

These screening criteria do not apply to any offence for which a licensee or applicant has been granted a criminal record suspension (i.e. a pardon) by the Parole Board of Canada.

Your licence will expire annually on the anniversary of the date that the licence was first issued. The expiry date is written on your licence for your reference.

A courtesy notice will be mailed to your mailing address on file identifying any documents required to renew the licence. As a licensee you are responsible for ensuring that your business licence is valid while operating. If you have not received your renewal notice and your licence is about to expire, please contact us at mlsbusinesslicence@toronto.ca for additional information.

The renewal fee is $262.20

Find your outstanding business licence or permit renewal invoice.

Existing licensees must renew their licences online or in-person. Licence renewal fees can be made in-person, paid online or by sending a cheque.

If you fail to renew your licence according to the bylaw, your licence will be cancelled and you will have to reapply.

Renew Licence

Renew In-Person

Walk-in renewal services are available Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Licence and Permit Issuing Office, 850 Coxwell Avenue, 3rd Floor starting at 8:30AM subject to capacity. The office is closed from 12:30PM – 1:30PM daily.

Renewals Forms

Declaration

Licence holders will also be required to sign a declaration that declares all existing and upcoming permits applied for have received permission by the property owner to do so.

Confirmation of Active Drop Box Permits

Confirmation of Active Drop Box Permits in alphabetical order by street name.

 

To submit complaints about clothing drop boxes or operators of clothing drop boxes that are not following City bylaws, residents can contact 311. If there is a complaint or information about a possible violation, Bylaw Enforcement Officers investigate, educate and/or take enforcement actions.

The goal is to resolve issues and ensure that residents and business are following bylaws. Each issue is addressed on case-by-case basis to make sure reasonable, fair and appropriate actions are taken. For example, in some cases the issue may be resolved through education. In other cases, further enforcement action may be required.

If clothing drop boxes or operators of clothing drop boxes do not comply with bylaws, they are guilty of an offence. If they are issued a ticket and convicted, they may have to pay a fine for the offence set out in the table below.

If they are issued a summons to court and convicted of an offence under Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 395, Clothing Drop Boxes, they may have to pay a fine of not less than $500 and no more than $100,000. In addition they may also have to pay a special fine designed to eliminate or reduce any economic advantage or gain from contravening the Bylaw .

If they are issued a summons to court and convicted of an offence under Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 545, Licensing, they may have to pay a fine not exceeding $25,000 if they are an individual or a fine not exceeding $50,000 if they are a corporation.

Offence Bylaw Provision Fine
(Erect/display/locate or place) more than two (2) clothing drop boxes at a municipal address. 395-2D(1) $500.00
Clothing drop box obstructs or is located within one metre of a required parking space 395-2D(2) $500.00
(Erect/display/locate or place) clothing drop box on any centre
median, traffic island or centre boulevard or otherwise within the
road allowance.		 395-2D(3)(a) $500.00
Clothing drop box is affixed to a utility pole, tree or other public property. 395-2D(3)(b) $500.00
(Erect/display/locate or place) clothing drop box within three (3) metres of a driveway entrance or exit or side property line. 395-2D(3)(c) $500.00
(Erect/display/locate or place) clothing drop box within one (1) metre of a municipal sidewalk. 395-2D(4)(8) $500.00
(Erect/display/locate or place) clothing drop box within nine (9) metres from the edge of the nearest traffic control device. 395-2D(4)(b) $500.00
(Erect/display/locate or place) clothing drop box within nine (9) metres of the nearest paved portion of an intersection. 395-2D(4)(c) $500.00
Clothing drop box is not placed in an area with adequate lighting at all times. 395-2D(4)(d) $500.00
Clothing drop box does not display the name of the operator and owner. 395-2E(1) $500.00
Lettering of clothing drop box operator and owner is smaller than 100 mm x 75 mm and/or not of a contrasting colour. 395-2E(1) $500.00
The amount dedicated to charities, community organizations or religious institutions is not stated as a percentage of sales or is stated in lettering smaller than 80 mm x 60 mm and/or not of a contrasting colour. 395-2E(2) $500.00
A charitable registration number/proof of status is not identified on the clothing drop box and/or is identified in lettering smaller than 100 mm x 75 mm. 395-2E(3) $500.00
A permit is not displayed. 395-2E(4) $500.00
A pick-up schedule is not clearly displayed. 395-2E(5) $500.00
Clothing drop box is not maintained in a state of good repair. 395-2F(1) $500.00
Clothing drop box is located in an area that is unkempt. 395-2F(2) $500.00

Article XLII – Clothing Drop Box Operator

Item Short Form Wording Provision Creating or Defining Offence Set Fine
18 Fail to Notify of Change to List of Clothing Drop Boxes 545-502B $200.00
19 Operate in Location Other Than Endorsed 545-504A $200.00
20 Fail to Display Name of Operator 545-505A(1) $200.00
21 Fail to Display Required Words Below Name of Operator 545-505A(2) $200.00
22 Clothing Drop Box Not Clean 545-506 $200.00
23 Clothing Drop Box Not in Good Repair 545-506 $200.00
24 Clothing Drop Box Not Free From Graffiti 545-506 $200.00
25 Areas Adjacent to Clothing Drop Box Not Free From Litter 545-506 $200.00