The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) issues licences in BC for making and selling liquor and regulates the service of liquor in licensed establishments.
The branch alone is responsible for deciding if you will receive a licence.
The City plays a significant role. The LCRB is required to consider specific community needs in deciding whether to issue or change a liquor licence. For some applications, such as new liquor primary establishments, this includes asking the city to provide a resolution that considers the following:
Establishment's location
Person-capacity of the proposed establishment
Operating hours requested
Views of local residents and businesses
Proximity to other social or recreational facilities
Number of other licensed establishments in the area
Potential traffic, noise, and parking problems
Population density and trends
Impact on the community if the application is approved
Policy changes
July 2025 – Council approved updates to Vancouver’s liquor service hours policy, expanding the allowable operating hours for bars, pubs and nightclubs, and the liquor-serving hours for restaurants. In effect since September 2025, updated liquor service hours are outlined in the Licence By-law No.4450. Review Council report PDF file (2.3 MB)
Note Select your business type below to learn how the changes may affect your business.
Updated liquor service hours (effective September 2025)
Establishments are now eligible to apply to extend their operating hours. Allowable opening hours for establishments citywide are now 9am and allowable closing hours are extended based on location:
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.
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.
Effective December 2023, new liquor establishments are permitted and existing establishments may apply to increase the number of seats in their establishment.
Granville Entertainment District (GED)
In the GED, establishments may apply to build a patio; it must meet citywide patio requirements.
Effective December 2023, new liquor establishments are permitted and existing establishments may apply to increase the number of seats in their establishment.
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.
Updated liquor-serving hours (effective September 2025)
Restaurants are eligible to apply to extend their liquor service hours until 2am nightly.
Live entertainment
Your business may offer live entertainment until 1am. The Licence By-law was amended on July 25, 2017, and the Noise By-law was amended on May 2, 2018, to reflect this change .
Establishments are encouraged to offer low strength drink options and provide free soft drinks to designated drivers.
Effective May 2018
The following policy changes are in effect May 2, 2018.
Display drink size and strength
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 drinks available at the establishment. Learn more by reading the staff report, page 9 PDF file (1.4 MB).
Evening hours LP licence
Important note June 2022 - Food primaries with up a seating capacity up to 150 persons in the GED and DTES are now eligible to apply.
We are now supporting applications from existing restaurants with food primary liquor licences to operate under liquor primary licences after 9pm provided that they meet the our existing procedural and policy standards for liquor primary licences.
Restaurants with established track records of good business operation who obtain an evening hours liquor primary licence will be allowed to apply for an extended hours liquor primary licence after 3 months as opposed to waiting 6 months.
Shortened liquor service hours probation period for experienced operators
Restaurant operators that have an established track record of adherence to by-laws and terms and conditions of their business licence who open a new restaurant will be considered for exemption of a liquor service hours probation period.
As of December 2023, businesses that typically receive customers on site such as spas, barbers, and bookstores may apply for a non-traditional liquor licence.
Previously, only arts and culture businesses like art galleries and retail art dealers were eligible for a licence.
You may now apply to operate your lounge until midnight. If you want to operate until midnight, apply to the City for an amendment to your development permit, and to the Province for an amendment to your lounge endorsement. Contact the Development and Building Services Centre for further information.
Extended hours for special occasions up to six times per year
You may now apply for extended hours at your lounge for up to six special occasions per year.
Expanded seating
You may now apply for expanded seating at your lounge for area-wide cultural events.
Sell at artisans' markets
Artisans’ markets are now allowed to host up to three liquor manufacturers to sell and sample their products.
No additional liquor stores will be allowed in the DTES.
Existing liquor stores may expand or relocate in the DTES.
Relocations should not result in more than one store in Strathcona, and one in the combined sub-areas of Gastown, Victory Square, Industrial, Chinatown, and Thornton Park.
Have a provincial wine store licence may now sell wine on shelf
Note The Province is currently not issuing new wine store licences, so grocery stores will need to get provincial approval to move an existing wine store licence over to a store in Vancouver before they sell wine on shelf. See guidelines in Council report.
Note A grocery store that sells wine on shelf is not permitted to also operate a store-in-store model.
Store-in-store model for liquor retail in grocery stores
On April 17, 2018, City Council approved amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law to permit a new retail definition of a "Grocery Store and Liquor Store", which will permit grocery stores to operate a store-in-store model for liquor sales.
Existing liquor store location guidelines will remain in effect. Design criteria for liquor stores in grocery stores are in the guidelines. See the Liquor Store Guidelines in the Council report, appendix C PDF file (1.4 MB).
Liquor stores located in grocery stores will not be allowed to advertise in a way that minors in the grocery store can see or hear it. Read the Licence By-law PDF file (390 KB)
December 2023 - Council repealed the Liquor Licence Capacity and Location Policy and Guidelines and adopted the Policy on Establishments with Provincial Liquor Primary Licences (Appendix A PDF file (1.8 MB) to modernize the City’s regulatory framework for liquor establishments. This included removing distance requirements on all liquor establishment licences citywide including lifting the moratorium on new liquor establishments and seat expansions at existing establishments in the Granville Entertainment District and the Chinatown, Gastown, Industrial, Thornton Park, and Victory Square areas as defined by the Liquor Policy for the Downtown Eastside.
November 2023 - The sale of wine on shelves in grocery stores is now permitted for stores that meet provincial regulations and licensing and have a valid municipal business licence.
March 30, 2021 - Council adopted policy changes enabling one-time exceptions for occupant increases to the moratoria in the Granville Entertainment District and the Downtown Eastside and an occupant load increase of up to 30% of current occupant load for Liquor Primary establishments that are in conflict with our distancing policy.
Fall 2016 - Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts on draft actions for the Vancouver Liquor Strategy. Read the result summaries from our liquor surveys.
