Do and Don'ts of Ontario's Liquor Laws
These are a few of the important rules covered under Ontario's liquor laws:
Don't:
- Let people under the age of 19 consume alcoholic beverages.
- Encourage excessive drinking or serve alcohol to anyone you suspect may already be intoxicated.
- Permit drunken, quarrelsome, violent or disorderly conduct.
- Permit anyone in a licensed establishment to hold, sell, distribute or use illegal drugs.
- Serve smuggled, homemade or watered-down liquor.
- Allow guests to take out or bring in liquor.
- Raffle liquor or hold contests that involve buying, drinking or winning liquor.
- Discount the price of alcoholic beverages.
- Sell liquor from a vending machine.
- Allow noise from the premises to disturb the neighbours.
- AGAIN - Never serve alcohol to people under the legal drinking age of 19 years
Do:
- Make sure that you understand the Liquor Licence Act and Regulations.
- Encourage responsible drinking.
- Have your Liquor Sales Licence or Special Occasion Permit available for review.
- Train your staff in responsible serving practices. Have all staff take the Smart Serve Responsible Alcohol Beverage Service Training program.
- Serve alcohol only within the allowed hours.
- Serve and promote food and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks.
- Sell only liquor that was bought on your licence or permit through the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), The Beer Store, or Ontario Wine Stores.
- Make sure that the number of people on the premises is within the lawful