Alcohol Permits

Alcohol permits are required for any event that provides alcohol of any kind. There is a degree of difficulty in applying for and procuring an alcohol permit; acquiring the permit from the government under normal circumstances is feasible, however there are more regulations when the event is on McGill campus. You must begin as early as possible, as much as one month in advance, as it can be a prolonged process. It is recommended the applicant is fluent in french, as many of the documents required are exclusively in french.
This guide will cover exclusively how to obtain a liquor permit for on-campus events. If you wish to host an alcohol-inclusive event off campus, simply follow the procedure outlined by the Quebec government. For a more tl;dr version, review How to get a Liquor Permit

Note: The EUS cannot help in the acquisition of alcohol in any way.

General Guidelines

There are two bodies whose approval you require: McGill and La Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ). It is a delicate process, and must be completed in full to be successful.
The EUS has 36 available dates annually divided by the following:

• 12 dates from May to September
• 12 dates from September to December
• 12 dates from December to May

Any students wishing to volunteer at events serving alcohol must be server trained.

Applying for a Permit

Types of Permits

• Reunion Permit: Valid for one day only
  
• Periodic Reunion Permit: Valid for a reoccurring series of dates

Before you apply

1. You are applying at least four weeks in advance
   
2. You have booked a space that is either permanently eligible (Shatner Building, Thomson House, Faculty Club), or can be temporarily eligible to provide alcohol
   
3. You have spoken to one of the execs regarding the event
4. You have trained servers available for the event

Once you have completed the above criteria, you can begin the process to acquire approval from McGill to apply to La Régie to obtain the liquor permit.

Beginning the Application

Full guidelines for RACJ can be found here and for McGill, here. Review these pages thoroughly.

1. Begin the McGill Online Events Application. You must wait for McGill's confirmed approval before continuing.
2. Fill out La Régie's application for a liquor permit
   1. This is presuming you have thoroughly read La Régie's guide
3. Fill out this application declaring the capacity of the space rented

McGill's House Rules

If you are to host an event on campus, the liquor permit acquired must also abide by McGill's House Rules. These include, but are not limited to:

• Non-alcohlic beverages must be available, visible, and served in the same container as the alcoholic beverages
• Prices charged must not be sold lower than the retail cost of the beverage
• Organizers cannot advertise neither the sale of alcohol nor the price of the alcohol
• Security personnel should be present to maintain the safety of patrons and take care of those who have lost control (this does not mean McGill security, though they will be made aware of the event by virtue of the liquor permit application)
• Outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the event
• Any persons deemed intoxicated may not be served
• Alcohol cannot be sold to minors or those who may be purchasing on behalf of a minor
• The University may refuse or cancel any request for liquor permits

Faculty Permits

From time to time, for charity events such as Breast Cancer Blues Pub, and the Iron Ring Wine & Cheese reception, the engineering faculty (not to be mistaken with EUS) will get the permit on your behalf. However, if you do use Faculty's permit, you must purchase their alcohol.