How to Start in Canada

How to Start a Brewery in Newfoundland and Labrador

Start a brewery in Newfoundland and Labrador: the federal excise licence first, then the NLC brewery licence and the pre-licensing inspection.

Written November 11, 2026 · 10 min read

Applies in: Newfoundland and Labrador

The short answer

Get the federal excise licence first, then the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) brewery licence. A brewery in Newfoundland and Labrador needs both: a brewer's licence from the Canada Revenue Agency under the Excise Act, and a brewery licence from the NLC. Neither one lets you brew for sale on its own. The NLC application also pulls in municipal approval, fire approval, accessibility approval, and a Food Establishment Licence, and it ends with a pre-licensing inspection. This guide covers only the Newfoundland and Labrador mechanics. The national steps that apply everywhere are in our How to Start a Brewery Business in Canada guide. Do not use another province's liquor regulator or fees for Newfoundland and Labrador — the regulator, the licence names, and the supply route are different here.

Step 1: Get the federal excise licence first

A brewer's licence is required to manufacture beer, malt liquor, wort, or yeast, and a licence is required for each physical business location where any manufacturing process takes place, any manufacturing apparatus or equipment suitable for producing beer is kept or used, or any products of brewing or fermentation are kept or stored. That is the rule in the Canada Revenue Agency's Excise Duty Circular ED200-1.

For each location, complete Form L1, Application for a Brewer's Licence, Form E110, Description of Premises to Accompany Application for Licence, and Form E111, Description of Vessels and Utensils, and submit them with a floor plan, a business overview, an operating plan, a sales plan, a financial plan, and the other supporting documents the circular lists to your regional excise office. The forms can be submitted electronically using Submit documents in My Business Account, or by mail. The applicant must provide financial security in the form of a surety bond before a licence is issued. If the application is approved, the CRA will issue a brewer's licence and charge a licence fee of $51.10. A brewer's licence is valid for one year from April 1 to March 31 and is automatically renewed, with an annual licence fee of $51.10 due each year by March 31. A person who makes beer only for personal use does not need a brewer's licence, but that exception does not cover a commercial brewery.

Step 2: Apply for the NLC brewery licence

A brewery licence may be issued to a person or company licensed under the laws of Canada to produce beer. The application is in the NLC's Brewery Licences — Guidelines and Application package. An application fee of $200 must accompany the application, and all licences are subject to an annual licensing fee — the package refers applicants to the NLC Licence Fee Schedule for the amount.

The NLC licence requirements are:

  • Completed application for a brewery licence
  • Completed Personal Data Sheets for all shareholders or directors
  • Current Certificate of Conduct for all directors
  • Written municipal approval
  • Written approval from the Provincial Fire Commissioner's Office
  • One set of floor plans, drawn to scale on paper no larger than 8.5 inches by 14 inches, outlining the proposed licensed area, including dimensions of clearly identified rooms, including storage
  • A current signed copy of a lease or purchase agreement
  • If incorporated, a Notice of Directors form, The Corporations Act (Form 6)
  • Written approval from the Canada Revenue Agency
  • Verification of a Food Establishment Licence
  • Written approval from Buildings Accessibility and Fire and Life Safety

Once all information is collected, a pre-licensing inspection will be conducted. Completed applications may be submitted by email to corporateservices@nlliquor.com, by fax to 709-753-8625, or by mail to the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation, P.O. Box 8750, Stn. A, St. John's, NL A1B 3V1.

Step 3: Plan the taproom separately

A taproom is not included in the brewery licence. The NLC package states that if you intend to include a tap room on your premises, you will require a Lounge Licence, which is a separate application. Do not plan taproom sales, seating, or hours around the brewery licence alone — the Lounge Licence is its own application with its own requirements, and the brewery licence on its own authorizes manufacturing, keeping for sale, and selling beer to the NLC, to a person licensed by the NLC to sell beer, or on the order of the NLC to a person named in that order.

Step 4: Set up the supply route and the reporting

Talk to the NLC Merchandising Department early. The package says that as you move through the process, it is important to consult with the Merchandising Department, which is responsible for the products approved and sold by breweries. For the listing process, contact the Category Manager (Beer), Nicole Gibbons, at (709) 724-1251 or nicole.gibbons@nlliquor.com. Product pricing is based on the NLC's pricing policy: a fixed and variable markup component is applied to your cost, which is the NLC markup. If approved, you may be eligible for a microbrewery discount as per the policy. For pricing, contact Igor Volobuiev at (709) 724-1187 or igor.volobuiev@nlliquor.com.

Licensed breweries are required to file a monthly commission report to the NLC that tracks inventory, production, and sales and details the amount of commission due to the NLC. Commission due to the NLC must be paid monthly in accordance with policy. Licensed breweries are also subject to audits by the NLC. Keep production records, inventory records, and excise records from the first batch, not from the first sale — the federal excise licence carries record-keeping and reporting duties that start when manufacturing starts.

Step 5: Clear the other agency approvals

Three other approvals sit inside the NLC package. To operate a brewery, a Food Establishment Licence is required, and Digital Government and Service NL conducts health inspections at all food establishments in the province, including breweries — for more information, call (709) 729-2104. The proposed brewery will also need approvals for Building Accessibility and Fire and Life Safety — for more information, call (709) 729-1038. An environmental assessment may be required; the package points to the provincial environmental assessment page. To discuss labelling requirements under the Food and Drugs Act, contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at (709) 772-4424. The package also points to BizPaL, the online service that gives a customized list of permits and licences from all levels of government, at bizpal.gov.nl.ca or (709) 729-2104.

Step 6: Pass the pre-licensing inspection before you sell

Once all information is collected, a pre-licensing inspection will be conducted. Do not brew for sale, sell to the NLC, or open a taproom until both the federal brewer's licence and the NLC brewery licence are in hand, plus a Lounge Licence if the plan includes a taproom, and the Food Establishment Licence verification the NLC asks for.

What the opened pages do not state

The NLC brewery package does not state the amount of the annual licensing fee — it refers applicants to the Licence Fee Schedule without giving a figure — so this guide states no annual fee. It does not state a processing time for a brewery licence application, so this guide gives none. It does not state the microbrewery discount rate or the markup rates, because both sit in NLC policy rather than in the application package, so this guide states neither. Get the current Licence Fee Schedule from the NLC before you budget.

Related guides:

A retail counter at the brewery: the Manufacturer's Retail Licence

The brewery licence covers manufacturing and selling beer to the NLC, to a person licensed by the NLC to sell beer, or on the order of the NLC. A brewery that wants its own retail licence at the premises applies separately for a Manufacturer's Retail Licence. An application fee of $125 must accompany the application, and the licence is also subject to an annual licensing fee under the NLC Licence Fee Schedule. The application needs a completed Manufacturer's Retail licence application, completed Personal Data Sheets for each shareholder, director, or officer who is in charge of the premises, a current Certificate of Conduct for each of those people, written municipal approval, one set of floor plans drawn to scale on paper no larger than 8.5 inches by 14 inches, outlining the proposed licensed area and including dimensions of clearly identified rooms, including storage, a current signed copy of a lease or purchase agreement or another document that verifies ownership or legal possession of the establishment, and, if incorporated, a Notice of Directors form, The Corporations Act (Form 6). Once all information is collected, an inspection will be conducted before licensing. Submit the completed application by email to corporateservices@nlliquor.com, by fax to 709-753-8625, or by mail to the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation, P.O. Box 8750, Stn. A, St. John's, NL A1B 3V1, Attention: Regulatory Services.

Starting a brewery in Newfoundland and Labrador, in six steps

  1. Get the federal excise licence firstApply to the Canada Revenue Agency for a brewer's licence with Forms L1, E110, and E111. The licence fee is $51.10 a year.
  2. Apply for the NLC brewery licenceA $200 application fee must accompany the application to the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation.
  3. Collect the other approvalsWritten municipal approval, Provincial Fire Commissioner approval, Buildings Accessibility and Fire and Life Safety approval, and verification of a Food Establishment Licence.
  4. Plan the taproom separatelyA tap room needs a separate Lounge Licence application.
  5. Set up the supply routeBeer is sold to the NLC, to a person licensed by the NLC to sell beer, or on the order of the NLC. Talk to the NLC Merchandising Department about listing.
  6. Pass the pre-licensing inspectionOnce all information is collected, a pre-licensing inspection is conducted. Do not brew for sale until both licences are in hand.

Questions people ask

Do I need a federal licence to start a brewery in Newfoundland and Labrador?

Yes. A brewer's licence from the Canada Revenue Agency is required to manufacture beer, and a licence is required for each physical business location where manufacturing takes place, brewing equipment is kept or used, or products of brewing are kept or stored. The NLC brewery licence does not replace the federal licence, and the NLC application asks for written approval from the Canada Revenue Agency.

How much does the NLC brewery licence cost?

An application fee of $200 must accompany the brewery licence application. All licences are also subject to an annual licensing fee, and the application package refers applicants to the NLC Licence Fee Schedule for the amount. This guide states no annual figure, because the package itself does not give one.

What documents does the NLC ask for with a brewery licence application?

A completed application for a brewery licence, completed Personal Data Sheets for all shareholders or directors, a current Certificate of Conduct for all directors, written municipal approval, written approval from the Provincial Fire Commissioner's Office, one set of floor plans drawn to scale on paper no larger than 8.5 inches by 14 inches, a current signed copy of a lease or purchase agreement, a Notice of Directors form if incorporated, written approval from the Canada Revenue Agency, verification of a Food Establishment Licence, and written approval from Buildings Accessibility and Fire and Life Safety.

Can I open a taproom at my Newfoundland and Labrador brewery?

Only with a separate licence. The NLC brewery licence package states that if you intend to include a tap room on your premises, you will require a Lounge Licence, which is a separate application. The brewery licence itself authorizes manufacturing, keeping for sale, and selling beer to the NLC, to a person licensed by the NLC to sell beer, or on the order of the NLC to a person named in that order.

How does the beer reach customers in Newfoundland and Labrador?

Through the NLC. The brewery licence application is made to manufacture, keep for sale, and sell beer to the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation, to a person licensed by the NLC to sell beer, or on the order of the NLC. As you move through the process, consult with the NLC Merchandising Department, which is responsible for the products approved and sold by breweries, and ask the Category Manager for Beer about the listing process.

Does a brewery in Newfoundland and Labrador need a Food Establishment Licence?

Yes. To operate a brewery, a Food Establishment Licence is required. Digital Government and Service NL conducts health inspections at all food establishments in the province, including breweries. The NLC application asks for verification of the Food Establishment Licence as part of the package.

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