General
Liquor primary patio seats
The 20% limit on Liquor Primary (LP) patio seats is no longer in effect, if a Good Neighbour Agreement is signed and community impacts such as noise are managed.
If you have a patio and would like to increase the number of seats, apply to the City for an amendment to your development permit, and to the Province for an amendment to your liquor licence.
Contact the Development and Building Services Centre for further information.
Downtown Eastside (DTES)
In the DTES, establishments with existing patios may increase the number of seats on their patios by moving them from inside to the patio with no net gain in liquor seats.
Granville Entertainment District (GED)
In the GED, establishments may apply to build a patio; it must meet citywide patio requirements and there must be no net gain in liquor seats.
Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Contact the Licence Office at 604-871-6988 for further details about patios in the DTES and GED.
Non-alcoholic dance halls
Effective May 31, alcohol-free dance halls will be permitted to operate throughout downtown Vancouver on zoning-compliant sites. These alcohol-free dance halls will help provide musicians and other live performers with more rehearsal and performance spaces. Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Hours extensions
We will issue up to six approvals for LP hours extensions at one time. Contact the Licence Office at 604-871-6988 for more information.
Offer standard size drinks
Establishments are encouraged to offer standard size drinks.
Low strength drink options
Establishments are encouraged to offer low strength drink options and provide free soft drinks to designated drivers.
General: Effective May 2018
The following policy changes are in effect May 2, 2018.
Display size and strength of drinks
To help patrons be better informed when making drink choices, establishments that serve alcoholic beverages are required to publish drink sizes and strengths.
This can either be the standard drink equivalent or percentage of alcohol by volume (ABV), and must include all wine, beer, and spirits available at the establishment. Learn more by reading the staff report, page 9 PDF file (1.4 MB).
Downtown East Side (DTES)
Liquor Primary Licences
The moratorium on new liquor primary licences, seat relocations and seat expansions remains in effect. New liquor primary licences will be considered for live performance venues; liquor service will be restricted to pre-booked events.
Liquor stores
Existing liquor stores may relocate within the area provided that only one store is in Strathcona and one combined store is in the sub-areas of Gastown, Victory Square, Industrial, Chinatown, and Thornton Park.
Granville Entertainment District (GED)
A working group on safety and security in the GED was established to review GED related policy changes. Effective May 2, 2018, the following have been enacted:
- Require all clubs and bars to provide updated patron management plans to the City annually
- Liquor establishments will be allowed to have licensed outdoor patios with no net gain in liquor seats – applications will be reviewed by the City on a case by case basis
- The moratorium on conversion of Food Primary to Liquor Primary seats remains in place and includes no additional liquor primary seats on Granville St between West Georgia to Drake streets. Limited exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis for:
- Live performance venues
- Seat relocations
- Creative solutions for net seat reductions in the GED
- A last entry hour pilot will not be implemented in the GED
