Ontario Alcohol Delivery Rules: What You Check at the Door

Delivery moves the service point from a bar to a doorstep, and the rules travel with it. A few extra ones come along for the ride. This page covers the licence behind the delivery, and who may carry the order. It then works through the hours, the three checks at the door, and the record every order leaves behind.

Delivery is module 5 of our free Smart Serve course, and the Smart Serve test draws questions from it.

Two classes of delivery licence

Part VI of O. Reg. 746/21 (Licensing) sets two classes of licence to deliver liquor: the general delivery licence and the affiliate delivery licence.

Section 111 says the licence lets the licensee deliver liquor for a fee, and take or solicit orders for the sale of liquor for delivery. The AGCO's General Delivery Licence Guide calls a delivery licensee an agent for the customer, or for the establishment or retail store directing the delivery. The licensee does not sell the liquor.

The general delivery licence covers most delivery businesses. Section 113 limits where the liquor comes from: a retail store, a holder of a licence to sell liquor, a holder of a by-the-glass endorsement, or a holder of an auction permit.

The affiliate delivery licence started on July 1, 2026, for businesses affiliated with a licensed grocery store or a licensed and eligible convenience store. Section 114.2 keeps that licensee buying from the affiliated store only.

Both classes work in the same order: customer first, liquor second. Sections 113 (3) and 114.2 (3) bar the licensee from buying the liquor before the customer orders. Section 114 adds a food rule to the general delivery licence. Where a liquor sales licence holder or a by-the-glass endorsement holder sold the liquor, food must be included and delivered with it.

Who may carry the order

The AGCO guide sets three conditions on any individual purchasing or delivering liquor:

• at least 18 years of age
• carries a copy of the General Delivery Licence
• holds a valid certificate for a training course approved by the AGCO's Board

That certificate rule is the same one that covers bar and retail staff. The certification guide lists the roles the AGCO names.

Delivery hours are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The permissible hours of delivery are Monday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. You may only deliver inside that window, even where the store trades longer hours, such as 24 hours. Some licences carry conditions that limit the hours further.

A licensed bar or restaurant runs on a different clock, so do not borrow its closing time. Delivery stops at 11 p.m.

Three checks at the door

The doorstep is the service point. Three checks decide whether the order changes hands.

Age. A licensee cannot deliver liquor to, or allow a delivery to be accepted by, anyone under 19 years of age.

Identification. If a person appears to be under 19, the licensee must inspect that person's identification. Valid ID must be current, reasonably appear to have been issued by a government or the LCBO, and include a photo of the person and their birth date.

Sobriety. Licensees must make sure they do not supply or deliver liquor to anyone who is or appears to be intoxicated. Our course teaches that judgment in module 4.

Read the age rule again. It names the person who accepts the delivery, not only the person who ordered. A 25-year-old can pay online and still fail the check at the door if a 17-year-old opens it.

Liquor goes to a residence or private place only. The licensee must also make sure it is not opened or tampered with during delivery.

An order you cannot leave

Liquor that cannot be delivered goes back to the store it came from, for a refund. You do not leave it on the step, and you do not take it home.

Storage follows the same idea. A licensee may store liquor a customer ordered. It must be stored securely, and reached only by the licensee, its employees, and contractors. Storage in a dwelling is not permitted, so the driver's apartment is not a warehouse.

The record behind every order

Every order carries a record. It includes the licensee's name and address, plus:

• the customer's name and address
• the date of purchase and the date of delivery
• the name and address of the grocery store or convenience store it came from
• the kinds and quantities of liquor and food, and the price paid
• the delivery address
• the name of the person delivering, with their licence number where that person is a General Delivery Licensee or their employee or contractor
• confirmation of delivery

The licensee keeps each record for at least one year from the date of delivery. For deliveries from a retail store, the licensee also keeps the store's copy of the order for one year.

What the test asks about delivery

The two ages come first. A question may put an 18-year-old at the door and call the delivery legal because the driver was also 18. Those are different rules. Delivery staff are at least 18. The person accepting delivery is 19 or older.

Hours are the other favourite. A question may say the store trades 24 hours, or that the customer ordered at 11:30 p.m. Neither fact moves the window.

Watch the record question too. Retention runs one year from the delivery date, not the order date.

Practice these until they come back without effort. The free practice test mixes delivery questions with the rest of the paper, and the mock test guide shows how the full 33-question paper runs in one sitting. For the wider law behind a refusal, read server liability in Ontario.