Apply for a Caterer's endorsement

A caterer's endorsement is an add-on to a liquor sales licence. It allows you to sell and serve liquor at places where your liquor sales licence doesn't apply.

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iAGCO

You can include an endorsement when you apply for your liquor sales licence using our online iAGCO portal. Or, you can add one after your application has been approved.

Fees

There’s no fee for a caterer’s endorsement.

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Need help? Contact us now by email or telephone. 

Overview

If you have a liquor sales licence, you don’t need a special occasion permit to apply for a caterer’s endorsement. The catered event must be sponsored by someone other than you as the licence holder. This could be a wedding party or a company holiday event. Also, the event can’t be longer than 10 days, and the event can’t be held in a residence. 

Liquor not sold during a catered event must be returned to the licence holder’s inventory.  

With this endorsement, you can’t promote an event where you’re offering liquor for sale. 

As the licence holder, you’re responsible for complying with the liquor licence and control act, 2019, and its regulations. This includes complying with all health, fire and building regulations.

Eligibility

You must apply for or hold a liquor sales licence to apply for a caterer’s endorsement.

Fees

There is no fee for a caterer’s endorsement. 

Step 1: Prepare your application

Before you apply for a caterer’s endorsement, you’ll need to determine whether you’re catering an event at a place that is under your exclusive control. An area is under your control if you own, rent or lease the area and it’s covered by your liquor sales licence. If yes, you’ll need to provide the AGCO with a list of all areas under your control that you’ll be catering. Use the caterer's endorsemsent premises form to provide the list.

Note: If you’ve told the AGCO that you’ll be catering events in areas over which you have exclusive control, you don’t need to let us know about each individual event.

If the area isn’t under your exclusive control, you’ll need to provide the AGCO, local police, fire, health and building departments with these details:

  • the nature of the event and the name of the sponsor
  • the address where the event will be held
  • the dates and hours during which the event will be held
  • the estimated attendance for the event
  • the boundaries of the area where liquor will be sold and served

If you have a brew pub endorsement, you can sell beer you’ve manufactured under the endorsement at events which are operated under a caterer’s endorsement (also see conditions for brew pub endorsements).

Step 2: Apply online

If you hold a liquor sales licence and want to add a cater's endorsement, you will need to log in to your iAGCO account to apply.

Apply for a new endorsement now
 

If you do not hold a liquor sales licence, you’ll need to create an account on the iAGCO portal to apply for one. When applying, click "add secondary" on the first screen. 

Apply for a licence now

Step 3: Wait for a decision

Once you’ve submitted your application, the AGCO will review your application. The AGCO may ask you for more information.

Know your responsibilities

If you’ve been approved for a caterer’s endorsement, you need to run your catered event in the right way. As a licensee, you need to follow the standards, laws and regulations that apply to this endorsement. This includes any terms and conditions. Be sure to read:

For more information, see the responsibilities and resources for liquor licensees.