You are eligible if you have a valid driver's license and don't owe money to the City. We're unable to issue you a business license if you don't meet these requirements.
UNSURE IF YOU OWE?
- Check if you owe court fees, property taxes or parking tickets. Call the Treasurer's Office at 616-456-3020
- Check if you owe taxes to the City. Call the Income Tax Department at 616-456-3415
COLLECTION REGULATIONS
Collection within the City is restricted to specific times:
- After 7:00 am on weekdays
- After 9:00 am on weekends
Three or more verified complaints of these types of violations could lead to revocation of your license:
- Excessive noise of waste hauler activities at one location
- Operation during prohibited hours
STORAGE REQUIREMENTS
Storage of waste in a residential district is prohibited. Any business with a residential address listed on the application must also submit a letter verifying that they will not be storing any materials at the residence.
INSURANCE REQUIREMENT
You'll need liability insurance for $1,000,000 combined single limit that meets these conditions:
- $1,000,000 per occurrence
- Covers motor vehicle, bodily injury, and property damage
- City of Grand Rapids listed as additional insured
We'll ask you to upload a copy of the certificate of insurance in the online application. Don't have a copy? Don't worry. You can check the option to have your insurance agent send the certificate. Make sure to list the City of Grand Rapids on the policy as additionally insured, as well as adding the comment, "The City of Grand Rapids is additional insured".
VEHICLE LIST REQUIREMENT
You'll need to attach a completed Vehicle List(PDF, 18KB) to your application. Use as many copies of the list as you need. Include all of this information about each vehicle in your list:
- Year and make of vehicle
- VIN number
- State of Michigan license plate number
Have questions? Give us a call at the number listed in the Contact Us section of this page. There are many things that you need to do to apply for the license. We recommend reviewing the Solid Waste Haulers License Checklist(PDF, 181KB) for more details.
There is a $430 application fee for new licenses. The fee for renewal applications is $187. Application fees are non-refundable. Here's a look at our accepted payment methods:
Mailed Payments
IN PERSON PAYMENTS
- Cash
- Check
- Money order
- Credit or debit cards (Visa, Discover, or MasterCard)
Make sure you have the appropriate payment ready. Refer to step 3 for accepted payment methods.
It takes us 5-10 business days to process applications. Keep in mind that it may take longer to process your application if we find that you need to make changes.
We'll call or email you to let you know that your license and vehicle decals are ready. You can either pick them up from the office or we'll mail it to you. Your license is valid through the season.
Make sure to display your license openly on the property where all customers can see. Apply your decals to all vehicles.
All licenses are good for one year from when they are issued. Make sure to note your expiration date so you renew your license on time next year.