Learn About Your Responsibilities as a Licensee
Your responsibilities once you have a liquor licence
At your final inspection, your local liquor inspector will go over the requirements of the Liquor Control and Licensing Act and its Regulations and the specific terms and conditions of your licence - what your responsibilities will be as a liquor-primary licensee.
Among other things, these terms and conditions state that:
- You may not sell, serve or supply liquor to a minor. When you verify a customer’s age, you must ask for two pieces of identification.
- You may not allow an intoxicated person to enter or remain in your establishment.
- You may not sell, serve or supply liquor to an intoxicated person.
- You must not allow your establishment to become overcrowded (your licence will tell you the maximum number of people allowed at one time).
- You must post your liquor-primary licence in a prominent spot and keep a copy of your validated floor plans available for inspection.
- You must buy your liquor from the assigned BC Liquor Store (liquor bought from any other source is considered "illicit" liquor).
- You must record every liquor purchase in a register, to be ready for inspection at any time.
- You must follow strict limits on maximum drink size, and have a liquor price list available, showing the size of each drink you sell and its price.
- You may not agree to sell only one manufacturer’s products in your establishment exclusively, or to promote a particular product because of your association with a particular liquor manufacturer.
- You may not ask for, or receive, benefits (including money, items, products or services), for selling a particular liquor product.
- Certain promotional activities are permitted only if you document them in a Buy Sell Agreement LCLB300 – a contract between you and a liquor manufacturer/agent to promote his or her liquor products.
- More detailed information about the terms and conditions is available in the Liquor Control and Licensing Act, its Regulations, and in Liquor-Primary Licence Terms and Conditions: A Guide for Liquor Licensees in British Columbia.
