You will need:
Apply for this licence early to avoid unnecessary delays.
A manufacturer licence allows you to make wine, beer, or spirits. You can also:
There are three different manufacturer licence types - winery, brewery, and distillery.
Wineries can manufacture wine, cider, mead, sake, wine coolers, and fortified wines (wine to which spirits are added) to name a few.
You must have the equipment to produce a minimum of 4,500 litres on-site each year. This process must include fermentation and at least one other step such as: blending, crushing, filtering, aging, carbonation, or packaging.
Breweries can manufacture beer and beer coolers, malt-based seltzers, and sugar-based seltzers.
You must own and/or rent the equipment necessary to produce on-site. If you rent, you must have a minimum one-year lease.
You must own and/or rent the equipment necessary to produce on-site. If you rent, you must have a minimum one-year lease.
A co-packer licensee does bottling, blending, and flavouring of liquor on behalf of a licensed winery, brewery, or distillery. The product is always owned by the manufacturer and must be immediately returned to the owner once packaging is complete. The packaged product must not be stored on-site at the co-packing facility.
This licence does not authorize fermentation, distilling, sampling by patrons, or direct sale of liquor.
Winery: $550 + first year licensing fee (prorated up to $550)
Brewery: $550 + first year licensing fee (prorated up to $1100)
Distillery: $550 + first year licensing fee (prorated up to $1100)
Co-packer: $550 + first year licensing fee (prorated up to $1100)
The fees are prorated. The amount you pay depends on
Refunds for liquor licence fees may be available if the:
A local government or First Nation rejecting an application is not grounds for a refund. To request a refund, contact the client support team.
Review the Manufacturer Licence Terms and Conditions [PDF, 593KB] and guidelines for liquor advertising and promotion to understand the terms and conditions of your licence and endorsements.
The applicant needs to submit documents based on their business type:
The business types include:
Check below to see what's required for your business type.
An endorsement allows you to use your facility for different purposes. You can add the following to your licence:
The first three endorsements need to be approved by your local government or Indigenous Nation office. This will mean longer processing times.
Except for picnic area endorsements which are free, endorsements increase the renewal fee of your manufacturer licence.
Your application must include:
You must include a Personal History Summary as part of your application package.
As part of the Personal History Summary, attach the following documents, if required:
You must apply through the liquor and cannabis licensing portal.
The LCRB will review your application and, if eligible, issue Approval in Principle.
The Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) will also be notified of the AIP and will work with you to set up a manufacturer sales agreement.
When your construction is complete, your equipment is in place and you are ready to begin manufacturing, contact your local Liquor Inspector for a final inspection. At this stage in your application, you must have a Federal Excise Tax Licence prior to the final inspection.
If the inspection goes well, you may pay a (prorated) annual licence fee, and your manufacturer licence will be issued with an expiry date of March 31.
If you already have a licence and want to make changes, find out how to .
