Start a Window Tint Business in Winnipeg: Nov 28–29 Class

To start a window tint business in Winnipeg, you need three things: real installation skill, a proper Manitoba business setup, and a plan to win your first customers. This guide walks through the Manitoba Companies Office, City of Winnipeg licensing, GST and Manitoba RST basics, and how to add tint to a shop you already run. It finishes with Tint Academy’s next hands-on class: November 28–29, 2026 at Slick Tint, 231 Oak Point Hwy, Winnipeg.

Register: Winnipeg Nov 28–29

Tint Academy has trained 7,500+ students over 10 years. If you want the Manitoba tint rules and full class details first, read our Winnipeg November 28–29 class guide. For installing in the cold, see 5 cold-weather window tinting tips.

Step 1: Learn to Install Before You Sell

Customers judge a tint business by the finished car: clean edges, no contamination, no lifting and a tidy interior. That comes from supervised practice, not from buying a roll of film. The Winnipeg class is built for beginners, detailers, automotive professionals and people planning to open their own business. No tinting experience is required.

Over two days you work through glass cleaning and vehicle preparation, film handling, hand cutting, heat shrinking, roll-down, framed, frameless and quarter windows, sedan and hatchback rear windows, trucks and SUVs, tint removal, sun strips and windshield banners. Day 2 also covers marketing, pricing and booking customers. See what a 2-day window tint training class covers and how to become a certified window tinter.

Our goal is not to tell you that you will be a master installer in two days. You leave with correct techniques, a professional tool kit, a 100 ft roll of ceramic automotive window film to keep practising on, online training and lifetime mentor support. Learn what the certificate means on our window tint certification page.

Step 2: Choose a Business Structure and Register Your Name in Manitoba

Manitoba’s Choose Your Business Structure page covers the three common options: sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation. Key points for a new tinter:

• Sole proprietorship under your own name: If you operate under your own given name (first and last name), you do not have to register a business name. The Province notes you must display a sign showing your name where you run the business.
• Any other business name: Reserve the name first, then register the business with the Manitoba Companies Office before the reservation expires. Both steps can be filed online.
• Partnerships and corporations: These must be registered with the Companies Office.

According to the Province, once your business is registered the Companies Office issues a 9-digit Business Number (BN). Current filing fees are listed on the Companies Office business name forms page. Whether to incorporate is a tax and liability decision, so speak with an accountant. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step 3: Check City of Winnipeg Licensing and Zoning

The City of Winnipeg licenses a specific list of business activities under its Community Safety Business Licensing By-law. The current list on the City’s permits and licences page includes bicycle dealers, flea markets, precious metals dealers, short-term rentals, used goods dealers and similar activities. Automotive window tinting is not on that list.

Planning to work from home or run a mobile service? The City’s business licence page says you do not need a business licence to work from home, but zoning requirements still apply. Contact the Zoning Branch of Planning, Property & Development before you set up a home bay or lease a unit. Commercial space can also bring building, fire and landlord requirements, so confirm everything with the City and your landlord first.

Step 4: Understand GST and Manitoba RST

• GST: The Canada Revenue Agency’s small supplier rules say most businesses do not have to register while taxable revenue stays at or under $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters. Once you exceed that threshold you must register and start charging GST. You may also register voluntarily before then.
• Manitoba retail sales tax (RST): Manitoba’s general RST rate is 7% (Manitoba Finance). Under Manitoba’s small-business registration notice, businesses with annual taxable sales under $30,000 do not have to register and collect RST. This only applies if they pay RST on their own purchases and show on invoices that RST is included in the price. The exception does not apply if you buy from out-of-province suppliers that do not collect Manitoba RST. Registration is online through TAXcess, and Manitoba Finance says there is no charge to apply.

Many tinters order film from outside Manitoba, so check your suppliers before assuming you qualify for the small-business exception. Confirm your situation with Manitoba Finance or your accountant.

Step 5: Know Manitoba Tint Rules Before You Quote

New installers can lose a customer’s trust by installing film that is too dark for the road. Before you quote windshields or front side windows, read the official Manitoba rules we summarized in the Winnipeg class guide. Then explain the legal options to each customer in writing.

Step 6: Add Tint to a Shop You Already Run

Already running a detailing, ceramic coating, PPF, wrap, wheel, auto glass or dealership service business? Window tint can become another service for customers who already come through your door. The Winnipeg course’s business portion covers adding tint to an existing automotive business, working from a shop or mobile, approaching dealerships, and building repeat and referral work. One detailer’s experience is in adding window tint to a detailing business.

Step 7: Win Your First Winnipeg Customers

• Get found locally: Set up a Google Business Profile, even if you do not have a storefront. See how to create a Google Business Profile without a shop.
• Quote clearly: List the film, the windows covered, the legal shades for each window and your aftercare instructions. Pricing and quoting are covered in class.
• Hand back a clean car: Slip-solution streaks on door panels and glass are a common complaint after tint jobs. A spotless handover is how you earn reviews and referrals.
• Plan for winter: Prairie cold affects curing and how you work. Read the cold-weather tips before you book December jobs.

Comparing training budgets? See how much window tint training costs. For other provinces and cities, read our start-a-business guides for Calgary and Montreal.

Watch: Remove Streaks After a Tint Job

In this Tint Academy video, Adam shows a simple post-install cleanup. Mix a capful of Jax Wax Rinseless Wash into a spray bottle, wipe the door panel with a microfiber cloth, and clear dryer-sheet residue and streaks off the back glass with a damp microfiber towel. It is a small step that helps customers leave happy.

The written version is in how to remove streaks after window tint.

Winnipeg Window Tint Course: November 28–29, 2026

Dates	Saturday & Sunday, November 28–29, 2026
Time	9:00 AM – 5:00 PM each day
Venue	Slick Tint, 231 Oak Point Hwy, Winnipeg, MB R2R 1T7
Format	2-day hands-on window tint certification, about 80% practice, including real vehicles
Included	Professional tint tool kit; 100 ft roll of ceramic automotive window film; Tint Academy certification; online window tint course; business, pricing and marketing training; supplier access; lifetime mentor support; student community; future observation/re-attendance opportunities
Experience	None needed. Beginners are welcome.
Tuition	$1,299 CAD regular. Limited Early-Bird: $1,097 CAD full pay (save $202; contact the team first). $350 deposit today, $1,197 CAD total, with the remaining balance due at class. Applicable taxes are extra.

To ask about the $202 Early-Bird rate, contact the team before you register and mention the Winnipeg Nov 28–29 class. If a discounted seat is still available, the team will confirm it and send you the correct payment link.

Register for the Winnipeg Class

Questions? Call or text: 289-201-2070 (Canada)

FAQ: Starting a Window Tint Business in Winnipeg

Do I need a City of Winnipeg business licence to tint windows?

Automotive window tinting is not one of the business activities on the City’s current licence list. Working from home does not need a business licence, but zoning rules still apply. Confirm your location with the City’s Zoning Branch.

Do I have to register a business name in Manitoba?

Not if you are a sole proprietor using your own first and last name, though you must display a sign with your name. Any other business name must be reserved and then registered with the Manitoba Companies Office. Partnerships and corporations must also be registered.

When do I need to charge GST?

Under CRA rules, most businesses must register once taxable revenue exceeds $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters. Below that, you are a small supplier and may register voluntarily.

Do I need to register for Manitoba RST?

Manitoba lets businesses with annual taxable sales under $30,000 skip RST registration if they pay RST on their purchases and show on invoices that RST is included. If you buy film from out-of-province suppliers that do not collect Manitoba RST, you are not eligible for that exception. Check with Manitoba Finance.

When is the next Winnipeg window tint course?

November 28–29, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Slick Tint, 231 Oak Point Hwy, Winnipeg, MB R2R 1T7.

How much does the Winnipeg window tint course cost?

Regular tuition is $1,299 CAD. A limited Early-Bird rate of $1,097 CAD full pay is available by contacting the team first. A $350 deposit plan totals $1,197 CAD, with the balance due at class. Applicable taxes are extra.