Apply to sell or serve alcohol at a private event

A private event is when your guest list is invite-only, is not publicly advertised and takes place anywhere other than a licensed establishment or private place (for example, a corporate boardroom or a residence). At a private event, you can’t want to make money from the sale of liquor. Private events can include “stag and does”, bridal showers, wedding receptions, anniversary parties, birthday parties, or funeral receptions. Note: liquor cannot be sold at a residence.

Types of private event permits

There are two types of private event permits: 

1. No-sale permit: You need this permit when you’re serving liquor at no charge to guests. You can’t charge for liquor or charge by selling tickets or making guests pay an admission fee. 

2. Sale permit: You need a sale permit if you’re charging money for liquor. This includes directly, such as a cash bar. This also includes indirect sales, such as charging a fee to get in, liquor tickets, or collecting money for liquor before the event. Any money you get from sales can only go toward the cost of the alcohol. If you’d like to advertise, raise money or make money from your special event, you need to apply for a public permit.

    

• No-sale permit: $50 per day.

• Sale permit: $150 per day.

Here’s what you need to fill out a liquor permit application for a private event:

• The name of the person responsible for the event
• Event name and details
• Dates and times (start and end time) – hours need to be between 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the following day, except New Year’s Eve (December 31) where the end time may be up to 3:00 a.m.
• Location 
• Roughly how many people will attend 
• How many people the location can hold – the building or fire department provides these standards for many indoor events; for outdoor areas, you can figure out capacity by dividing the size of the permit area by 12 square feet, or 1.11 square metres per person
• If liquor will be sold

You’ll need to provide other information for outdoor events, such as:

• Notification letters you’ve submitted to municipal authorities, including local building departments, the city clerk, police, fire, and health authorities – these need to include date, time, and location of the event 
• Detailed sketch showing the physical boundaries of the space (if you’re using a tent, marquee, pavilion, or tiered seating, you’ll need to contact your local building department for this)

• Letter of support (this applies only when a foreign government representative is holding the event)

   

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If your event is at a place where you need to let municipal authorities know, you need to do that at least 30 days (up to 60 days) before your event. Check your municipality’s timeline by visiting their website.

To get a liquor permit, you need to create an account on the iAGCO portal. Once you’ve set up your iAGCO account, you can:

• Apply for your liquor permit
• Check the status of your application
• Ask for changes and print the permit once it’s approved

Apply for a permit now

Once approved, you need to prepare for and run your event in the right way. Read the next section to make sure you follow the standards and regulations established by the Registrar. 

As a permit holder, are responsible for meeting all Registrar’s Standards that apply to your permit, all applicable laws and regulations (including the Liquor Licence Control Act), and any Terms and Conditions that may be applied to your permit.

Advertising

You can't advertise, raise money or make money from selling liquor when you have a liquor permit for a private event.

Where to buy alcohol for your event

Your liquor permit includes a number. You’ll need to provide this number to the cashier when you buy your liquor. For details on where you can buy liquor for your event, see Section 15 (Purchase of liquor to be sold, served) of Regulation 747/21.

Event inspections

An AGCO inspector may come to inspect the place and event.

If you’re hosting a large event, an AGCO inspector will contact you to confirm the details and do a walkthrough with you before the event.

Other important information

You must follow all the conditions that come with having a liquor permit. Otherwise, a police officer or AGCO Inspector can take away your liquor permit and shut down your event. 

For more information about liquor permits for private events, including understanding what you need to do as the holder of a liquor permit, you must read: 

• Liquor permit guide
• Risk-based permitting
• Ontario regulations under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019, regarding liquor permits
• Registrar’s interim standards and requirements for liquor 
• Monetary penalties

To make a change to your permit after it’s been issued, submit a change request on the iAGCO portal. You may need a new permit depending on the type of change.