Provinces Sign Direct-to-Consumer Agreement Allowing Customers to Buy Liquor from Other Provinces – BC Says “Yes” but Not Until 2027

On July 21, 2026, premiers from nine provinces signed the “Operating Agreement on Direct-to-Consumer Sales of Alcoholic Beverages”. The agreement is designed to remove long-standing interprovincial trade barriers on liquor sales. Signatories include, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

What Does the DTC Agreement Allow?

Under the agreement:

• DTC purchases must be for personal use only
• Alcohol must be manufactured in the producer’s home province and be a product the producer is authorized to sell in that province
• Orders can be delivered directly by producers or through third-party shipping services
• Provinces will set requirements covering minimum age, pricing, delivery and licensing
• Destination provinces can apply fees, markups and taxes
• In BC, participating out-of-province producers will require an Out of Province Direct To Consumer Authorization administered by the BC Liquor Distribution Branch

Eight Provinces Are Already Implementing DTC Sales

According to a Canadian Free Trade Agreement news announcement, eight of the provinces, excluding BC, began implementing their DTC frameworks when the agreement was announced. BC has committed to implementing DTC for all types of alcohol by February 2027.

As reported by the Vancouver Sun, Premier David Eby has said that BC needs additional time to work through the implementation. BC already allows DTC sales of qualifying Canadian wine from wineries in other provinces and territories. It also has a separate agreement with Alberta that allows BC wineries to sell directly to Alberta consumers.

Thrive Advisors: BC Liquor Licenses and Much More

Whether you’re starting a new liquor business or operating an existing one, Thrive Liquor & Cannabis Advisors provides BC liquor license application support, guides retail liquor strategy and conducts compliance audits to help businesses maintain their LCRB licensing requirements.