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THE NEW SPECIAL OCCASION LICENCE PROCESS
The Special Occasion Licence Online (SOLO) website and online application process will be launching
provincewide in Spring 2015. Once rolled out, the new process will significantly improve customer
convenience while providing public safety authorities with the information they need to ensure safe
licensed events in BC communities.
WHAT’S NEW
As a result of the BC government’s Liquor Policy Review and work done by the Liquor Control and
Licensing Branch (LCLB) and BC Liquor Distribution Branch, government is preparing to move
applications, approvals and monitoring for Special Occasion Licences (SOLs) online. This will involve a
new website and application system (www.solo.bcldb.com) that will provide 24/7 access for customers,
LCLB staff and police.
One simple process
Effective Spring 2015 all SOL applicants will use the online system. Highlights include:
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BC Liquor Stores will no longer issue SOLs.
All liquor must be purchased from a BCLS or approved supplier, such as a BC brewery, winery or
distillery.
Applicants will no longer submit separate exemption requests, security plans or applications.
The SOLO system will review applications and sort whether reviewer approval is required based on the
event’s location and the number of people attending. Other licensing criteria may also trigger a review,
such as high drink prices to raise charitable funds or late hours of liquor service.
Applications will be approved automatically if they meet low risk criteria.
If review is required the application will be assigned to police / liquor inspectors, then a SOL Case
Manager and then returned with approvals to the applicant. Police and liquor inspectors will be able to
review and approve their SOLs concurrently – there is no requirement to wait for one or the other
reviewer to approve. This reflects current business practices and enables consultation prior to
approvals, if necessary, along with improved operational flexibility.
Reviewer Roles
Police will decide whether they need to review events in their area based on the number of attendees
for each SOL category (Private, Family and Public). Any events below established size thresholds will be
automatically approved by LCLB unless a policy exemption is required.
FACT SHEET: THE NEW APPLICATION PROCESS FOR SPECIAL OCCASION LICENCES
Liquor Inspectors will review and approve all SOLs where 500 or more people are attending. Each of
these applications will include a security plan – typed online or provided via file upload.
LCLB Case Managers will review applications for policy exemptions, eligibility and use of proceeds.
Updated Policies
The SOLO launch will coincide with several new policies and operating rules for SOLs, including:
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New SOL frequency limits – up to three events per month, up to 24 total per year, per applicant.
Applicants will be required to obtain local government/First Nation approvals in advance for
events on their lands or properties. Applicants without necessary approvals may have the
licence cancelled by police or the LCLB.
Local government and First Nations will be notified of all SOLs issued in their area. They are
encouraged to continue taking part in CAPE or Festival Committees, and may impose conditions
on SOLs under local bylaws.
Minor changes to the SOL Maximum Price Schedule for wine products.
Additional policy and rule changes will be announced closer to the online launch date.
Tools and Resources
SOLO will introduce a variety of new features to help manage and inspect SOL events, including:
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The ability to public safety officials to search for SOLs in an area or region based on size, date,
capacity, applicant and location.
A new help and contact page for applicants and reviewers.
In-person support for licence applicants via ServiceBC offices throughout the province.
The availability of a toll-free Support Centre for technical issues or general inquiries.
Improvements to LCLB’s existing systems that will improve SOL data entry for inspections.
NEXT STEPS:
Local government and First Nation notification – information needed
The LCLB is working to implement an email notification function for all SOLs issued in a municipality or
First Nation jurisdiction. Please send contact your information, including email address and name of a
recipient for municipal / First Nation SOL notifications, to [email protected]
Launch
The SOLO system will go live across different regions of the province in two – week stages. Each stage
will begin with application forms no longer being available at BC Liquor Stores, and people being
directed to the SOL website. Stores will accept paper applications already in circulation for an additional
two weeks after the online roll-out begins.
Detailed information on the launch dates and regions will be provided in the coming weeks. For more
information, please contact Brad McRobert, Manager, Special Occasion Licence program at (250) 9525741, toll free at 1 (866) 209-2111 or via email at [email protected].
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Liquor Control and Licensing Branch
POLICY DIRECTIVE
No: 15 - 02
Date: March 31, 2015
To:
All LCLB staff
All LDB staff
All Local Government, First Nations, and Police Agencies
Re:
Special Occasion Licence policy changes & online implementation
The purpose of this policy directive is to announce amendments to the Special Occasion
Licence Program.
Background
As a result of recommendations from the Liquor Policy Review, the Liquor Control and
Licensing Branch is moving the Special Occasion Licence application and approvals
process online.
Beginning April 7, 2015 the online application process will be introduced gradually in
geographically-assigned phases. During the transition period both paper and online
applications will be accepted. At the conclusion of the implementation period all
applications will be processed online.
A number of policies are being amended to support the online transformation and to
improve consistency. This directive describes the application process, implementation
timeframes, approval requirements, and policy changes.
These changes will improve customer service, reduce the administrative burden on
families, charities and community groups, and allow the Branch to focus its monitoring
efforts on public safety issues and effective licensing of events.
Statutory Authority and Policy Rationale
Government has approved regulations setting out changes to the Liquor Control and
Licensing Act and Regulation. This regulation repeals the definition of ‘store manager’ in
the Liquor Control and Licensing Act and brings into force sections 3, 4 (a) to (f), 5, 17(b),
26 and 31 (f) and (l) of the Liquor Control and Licensing Amendment Act, 2014. The Act
is available at https://www.leg.bc.ca/40th2nd/1st_read/gov15-1.htm.
Several sections of the regulation have been amended. The new sections of the
regulations are available on the LCLB website at www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb.
These legislative and regulatory changes clarify the role of local governments and First
Nations in approving events, clarify record keeping and production requirements for
licence holders and allow holders of public special occasion licences to advertise.
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Policy
The Online Application and Approval Process
Beginning April 7, 2015, SOL applications will be submitted online at
https://solo.bcldb.com.
Applicants will create a user account to apply for family events or as representatives of a
group or organization for other events. Applicants will answer a series of eligibility,
operational and liquor service questions and will submit the application once it is
complete. Events with more than 500 patrons in the licensed area(s) must provide a
security plan prior to submitting an application.
Applications will be screened based on risk criteria. Applications that do not require
further review and approval by the Branch or police will be automatically approved.
Applications that require review will be forwarded to liquor inspectors, licensing staff or
police based on the number of people attending, hours of the event and whether the
licence requested requires a policy exemption.
Police will determine what events they wish to review, based on the number of patrons
attending and whether an event is family, public or private in nature. Size parameters will
be set based on a police department or detachment’s coverage area, which may include
various individual municipalities.
Liquor inspectors will review and approve any application with 500 or more patrons
attending in the licensed area. This will include a security plan review and approval,
which may be done in consultation with local police, Committees for Approval of Public
Events (CAPE committees) or other public safety agencies.
There is no separate SOL Policy Exemption application or fee for online applications.
Branch licensing staff will continue to review applications for the following exemptions:
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Application by a non-Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Application for more than 3 events per month or 24 events per year per applicant.
Application for late hours (after 10:00pm for outdoor events and 2:00am for indoor
events).
Application for a price exemption for charitable purposes or wine pricing for cost
recovery.
Eligibility for a reduced licence fee for limited hours of liquor service.
Once approved, the applicant will pay the licence fee and prepay applicable PST on
liquor revenues. Once payment is accepted a licence will be issued.
Applications received by the Branch with at least 14 days’ notice will generally be
accepted and reviewed with sufficient time to respond prior to the event. More complex
security plan and exemption applications may require additional time. Applicants remain
responsible for providing police and the Branch with sufficient notice to review and
approve online applications.
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Approval requirements
Local governments / First Nations
Local government or First Nations will no longer provide approval for all public SOLs as
part of the licence application process.
Events on local government or First Nation lands or premises will continue to require
municipal or First Nation approval. Applicants who fail to obtain required approvals may
have their licence cancelled on the request of a municipality, First Nation or local police.
Local governments and First Nations may continue to place limits or conditions on liquor
sales through bylaws that control the sale or service of liquor.
Local governments and First Nations are encouraged to continue to participate in
organizing and approval committees for community events and may request that the
Branch or police place conditions on those events.
Police
Police may place conditions on a licence, similar to the previous practice on the paper
SOL Application Form. Failure by the Licensee to comply with police conditions may
result in suspension or cancellation of a licence but may not result in enforcement action
by LCLB.
LCLB
Liquor Inspectors and Branch licensing staff will review and approve applications and
may place terms and conditions on a licence. Failure by the Licensee to comply with
these terms and conditions could result in monetary penalties or the suspension or
cancellation of the licence.
New Policies
Frequency
The General Manager limits the frequency and location of events to ensure that licences
are used for special or infrequent events. Each separate day at each licensed location is
considered one event.
Effective April 7, all applicants are limited to three (3) events per month, and up to 24 per
year without a policy exemption.
Applicants will continue to pay a separate licence fee for each individual day, per
location.
The Branch may limit the number of licences issued to an applicant when licences are
used frequently or for events that are routine and not temporary in or infrequent in nature.
Maximum Liquor Price Schedule
Effective April 7, 2015 the maximum price for wine is amended to $7.00 per 5 ounce
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serving. Different serving sizes or bottle prices must be pro-rated to the maximum price
amount.
Applicants for Family, Private and Public events may apply to charge more than $7.00
per serving for wine if required for cost recovery purposes. The online application system
will request additional information from the applicant, including the product type and
reasons for charging a higher purchase price. This request will be reviewed by licensing
staff.
The current price schedule for beer, ciders/coolers and spirits is unchanged.
Events at Multiple Dates and Locations
An applicant may submit a single online application for an event that consists of multiple
licensed locations at different addresses within the same municipality or First Nation.
Fees will be calculated based on a per day, per location basis.
Applications for events with multiple locations in different municipalities or First Nations
lands will have to submit additional applications for licensed locations in each respective
municipality or First Nation lands.
Record keeping and production requirements
Effective immediately, all licensees are required to keep the following documents on site
during the event and provide them to liquor inspectors or police upon request:
- The Special Occasion Licence,
- A copy of the licence application and any records submitted with the licence
application,
- Any written permission required for events on municipal or First Nations lands or
premises, and
- Records of the liquor purchased for sale or service under the Special Occasion
Licence.
Advertisement for Public Events
Effective immediately, public events are permitted to advertise to the general public, and
may include the availability of liquor in those advertisements.
Third parties that advertise or promote a public event may advertise that the event is
licensed or that liquor is available, and may include the types of liquor and prices.
Advertisements must comply with section 57 (4) of the Liquor Control and Licensing
Regulation, including:
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Compliance with the Code for Broadcast Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages
published by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
References to liquor products are limited to products that are listed or otherwise
approved for sale by the Liquor Distribution Branch; and
Depiction of packaging or labelling is limited to products that have been approved
by the Liquor Distribution Branch.
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Advertisements must also comply with any terms and conditions for Special Occasion
Licences.
The prohibition on liquor advertising remains in effect for private and family events.
Implementation
Transition to the online application process will be done in three stages. At the start of
each stage all BC Liquor Stores in that area will no longer provide paper application
forms to customers. Applicants will be directed to the online website and can purchase
their liquor in-store prior to obtaining a licence. Paper application forms will no longer be
accepted after May 20, 2015.
Applicants that cannot access the internet from home may access the online application
website from any publicly accessible computer with internet access. Additional points of
service at ServiceBC Centres are planned and will be introduced between April 7 and
June 15, 2015.
The SOLO implementation dates and regions are:
April 7 – 19
April 20 – May 3
May 4 – May 17
Vancouver Island and Northern BC
Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley
Southern Interior
The Branch will make every attempt to facilitate application reviews and approvals during
the transition period. However, applicants will remain responsible to apply with adequate
notice for approval, particularly if Branch or police review is required.
Further Information
The online application, including general help, contact information and user account
setup is available at www.solo.bcldb.com. Support for the online application is available
toll free at 1-855-999-7656.
General information, detailed policy manuals and further information regarding Special
Occasion Licences are available on the Branch website at www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb.
If you have any other questions regarding these changes, please contact the Branch toll
free in Canada at 1-866-209-2111 or 250-952-5787 if calling from the Victoria area.
Original signed by:
Douglas Scott
Assistant Deputy Minister and General Manager
Liquor Control and Licensing Branch
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