LCRB Fee Renewal Error

Dear ABLE BC members and industry colleagues,

The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) has recently discovered a system error that has mistakenly mischarged some licensees for their liquor license renewal fees. Impacted licensees have already been contacted, but we are sharing this message to help the LCRB reach our affected members. The error has now been corrected.

A small number of licensees were overcharged, and these licensees can expect a refund to be mailed out this month.

Unfortunately, most of the impacted licensees were undercharged. The LCRB will be contacting these licensees throughout July with further communication and invoices for amounts owing.

The median amount that ABLE members were undercharged is $300.

We understand that any additional fees present a challenge to many of our members right now. The LCRB has already taken measures to fix the error and they are offering an extended period for payment.

The LCRB understands that this notification comes at a time when our members are still recovering from the impacts of the pandemic. As such, undercharged licensees will have until March 31, 2023, to make necessary payments for outstanding balances. The extended period is intended to help businesses plan for and mitigate any immediate financial impacts.

The LCRB also waived licensing fees for many members during the pandemic, and government introduced permanent wholesale pricing to liquor and food primary establishments.

The LCRB has fully reviewed the system and repaired the root causes. The LCRB is committed to working with licensees in ways that are fair and transparent, and they sincerely apologize for this error.

If you have any questions, please contact the client support team:

Email: LCRBLiquor@gov.bc.ca

Phone (Victoria): 250-952-5787

Phone (Toll-free): 1-866-209-2111