How to Get a Liquor Licence in Saskatchewan

The short answer

Saskatchewan does not issue liquor licences — it issues liquor permits, and the issuer is the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA). The Liquor Licensing Branch processes permit applications for restaurants, taverns, manufacturers, U-brew/U-vin operations, and special use facilities such as private clubs and sporting outlets, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permits, General Information. You complete the Commercial Liquor Permit Application Package, pay a $525 non-refundable application fee, and allow about 15 business days after all required documents are in. This guide covers the Saskatchewan classes and the Saskatchewan package only — it does not re-cover the Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, or Quebec licence routes.

1. Pick the permit class

The Alcohol Control Regulations, 2016 establish these classes of permits: retail store, restaurant, tavern, special use, U-brew or U-vin operation, manufacturer, and special occasion permits, according to Saskatchewan, Alcohol Control Regulations, 2016. The commercial classes work like this:

• Restaurant. The primary business and source of revenue in the premises is the preparation and sale of food for consumption on the premises. A ratio of at least one dollar of food sales for each dollar of beverage alcohol sales, calculated on a monthly basis, must be maintained. A reasonable number of meal choices, enough to constitute a person's lunch or supper, must be available in the restaurant area at all times, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permits, General Information.
• Tavern. The primary purpose of the business is the sale of beverage alcohol for consumption on the premises. Light meals and non-alcoholic beverages must be available to patrons before 11:00 p.m.; after 11:00 p.m., pre-packaged snacks such as chips or peanuts are sufficient, and non-alcoholic beverages must still be available, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permits, General Information.
• Special use. The establishment does not focus on food or beverage alcohol service but has a special use set out in the regulations — bingo halls, casinos, catering, cooking class premises, home delivery, military messes, northern camps, university premises, airports, fairs, private clubs, public transportation, salons and spas, special care facilities, sports facilities, sports stadiums, theatres and concert premises, hotel and motel lobbies, public markets, and outdoor venues, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permits, General Information.
• Manufacturer. The primary purpose of the establishment is the manufacture of beverage alcohol: the manufacture of craft alcohol by fermentation or distillation, the manufacture of beverage alcohol by fermentation or distillation, or the bottling of beverage alcohol. Types of manufacturers are craft winery, craft distillery, craft brewery, craft cidery, craft refreshments, winery, distillery, brewery, cidery, refreshments, and bottling, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permits, General Information. The craft manufacturer permit is separated into Craft Manufacturer Type 1 and Type 2, with Type 1 doing a greater amount of on-site manufacturing from raw inputs.
• U-brew/U-vin operation. The business provides goods, facilities, and services to people manufacturing beer, wine, cider, or coolers for personal consumption, or for consumption by others at no charge in a private place.
• Retail store. Beverage alcohol is sold in closed containers for consumption off the premises. The applicant must be the owner of the interest in a retail store permit, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permits, General Information.

Pick the class that matches what the premises will actually do most of the time. A restaurant that earns most of its money from alcohol is a tavern application, not a restaurant one, and the food-sales ratio is measured monthly.

2. Check the municipal position

SLGA no longer issues capacity certificates for permitted establishments. Building capacity is regulated under the National Fire Code of Canada, so contact the local fire or building inspector to determine the capacity of the premises, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permits, General Information. If there is currently no permitted establishment or liquor store in the municipality, SLGA may be required to notify the municipality about the application, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permit Application Package.

3. Build the application package

The Commercial Liquor Permit Application Package, last revised July 2025, is the form set. Complete the documents that pertain to the specific permit application — failure to submit the required documents with the application, or on request by SLGA, may delay processing, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permit Application Package. The package includes the application form, a corporate information form, a personal history and consent to obtain and release information, a certification and declaration by the applicant, and a floor plan guide. The Commercial Liquor Permittee Policy Manual and the Saskatchewan Alcohol Manufacturer Policy Manual set out the requirements and responsibilities for each permit type and endorsement.

4. Pay $525 and submit

Attach a cheque or money order for $525.00, non-refundable, made payable to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, or call to pay by credit card. Once SLGA has the application package and the $525.00 non-refundable application fee, an SLGA representative will contact the applicant about any further requirements, including the total permit and endorsement fee amount due, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permit Application Package. Submit the form by email to LiquorLicensing@slga.com, by mail to Box 5054, 2500 Victoria Ave, Regina SK, S4P 3M3, or by fax to (306) 787-8981.

Allow adequate time for processing — approximately 15 business days after submitting all required documents. Applying for a liquor permit does not guarantee approval.

5. Pay the annual permit and endorsement fees

Permits may be issued for up to three years. Permit and endorsement fees may be paid up front or annually; if the annual payment option is chosen, the permit is only valid for year two and three when the fee for those years is received, according to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permit Application Package. The annual permit fees are $525 in a city, $263 in a town, and $158 in a village, hamlet, resort, or seasonal location for restaurant, tavern, special use, manufacturer, U-brew/U-vin, and retail store permits. An interim or provisional permit costs $100. Annual endorsement fees include lounge at $315 in a city, $158 in a town, and $105 in a village, hamlet, resort, or seasonal location; the same figures apply to the tavern endorsement and the craft alcohol off-site off-sale endorsement. Fees to transfer a permit are $105 per transfer.

6. Operate under the permit conditions

Each permit holder must operate the establishment in accordance with municipal, provincial, and federal laws. The permit classes carry their own key conditions of operation and available endorsements, set out in the application package and the policy manuals — read the section for your class before opening, because the conditions differ between a restaurant, a tavern, and a manufacturer. SLGA also processes amendments to liquor permits, extensions of permitted areas, and changes to the physical layouts of outlets.

7. Certify everyone who sells or serves: Serve It Right Saskatchewan

Before the permit is issued, and before any employee starts work, get Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS) certification in place. SIRS is the social responsibility training course provided by Tourism Saskatchewan, and certification is mandatory under section 7 of The Alcohol Control Regulations, 2016. Every owner who will be actively involved in the sale or service of beverage alcohol must hold a valid SIRS certificate before the permit is issued, and every employee involved in the sale or service must hold one before starting work — managers and supervisors, bartenders, servers, hosts, security, retail sales staff, and home delivery staff. Kitchen staff, bus persons, and cleaning staff who are not directly involved in selling, serving, or delivering alcohol do not need it. Certification is valid for five years, and SLGA may hold renewal of a permit if the owner has not obtained a valid SIRS certificate. Keep the certificates on file: permittees may be asked to produce a list of employees who have completed the training.

What the opened pages do not state

The SLGA pages opened for this guide do not state how a permittee orders stock or how wholesale supply works in Saskatchewan, so this guide does not describe a supply route. They do not publish a step-by-step background-check procedure beyond the personal history and consent form in the package, and they do not state a processing time for an interim or provisional permit, so neither is printed here. The maximum regulated hours for each class are referred to but not listed as a table on the pages opened, so no hours are printed here — check the permit itself and the regulations for the hours that apply to your class.

Related guides

• How to Get a Liquor Licence in Manitoba — Manitoba's LGCA service and manufacturer licences, for comparison with Saskatchewan's permit classes.
• How to Get a Liquor Licence in Alberta — Alberta's AGLC licence classes, a different provincial system.
• How to Get a Liquor Licence in Quebec — Quebec's RACJ permit route, another provincial model.
• How to Start a Brewery Business in Canada — the national brewery picture, including the federal excise licence that comes before any provincial permit.
• How to Start a Brewery in British Columbia — British Columbia's manufacturer licence route.
• How to Start a Restaurant Business in Canada — the national restaurant picture, including food premises and municipal rules.

Sources

• Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permit Application Package — $525 non-refundable application fee, about 15 business days processing, submission routes, permit fees up to three years, annual permit and endorsement fees, transfer fee, no guarantee of approval.
• Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permits, General Information — permit classes, restaurant food-sales ratio, tavern food rule, special use list, manufacturer types, retail store rule, no capacity certificates.
• Saskatchewan, Alcohol Control Regulations, 2016 — the classes of permits established under the regulations.
• Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Commercial Liquor Permittee Policy Manual — Serve It Right Saskatchewan as mandatory training under section 7 of The Alcohol Control Regulations, 2016, owners certified before the permit is issued, employees certified before starting work, the roles covered, the five-year validity, and renewal held if the owner is uncertified.