How to get a Special Occasion Liquor License in BC
Getting a special occasion liquor license for your event can be a daunting task especially if you’ve never gone through the process before. In this article I’m going to give you a quick overview and provide you with a few additional websites that will clear up any additional questions you may have.
- Pickup a Special Occasion Liquor License form from a BC Liquor Store or the RCMP station.
- The form is short and asks for the date and address of your event, number of people you expect to attend, hours you intend to operate, and amount of alcohol you estimate will be required or sold.
- The person filling out the form will also needs to attach a copy of their “Serving it Right” certificate. There used to be two versions of “Serving it Right” and the person has to have their Licensee version, however there is only one “Serving it Right” certificate.
- Submit your form at least 3 weeks before your event is scheduled. Take your form down to the RCMP where it will be stamped and approved.
- For a private event the cost is $25, for a public event the cost is $100.
- If you are selling liquor at your event there is an additional tax of 10% as well on all estimated liquor sales. This includes any pre-owned liquor that is going to be sold at the event as well.
This article provides just the basic overview of the process. Depending on your unique situation the process may differ slightly.
Additional Resources: