How to Look Up a Liquor Licence in Ontario

Every bar, restaurant, nightclub, and venue that sells alcohol in Ontario must hold a Liquor Sales Licence issued by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). These licences are public record, and you can look them up in minutes using one of three methods.

Whether you are a consumer checking that a restaurant is legitimately licensed, a real-estate professional evaluating a commercial lease, or a supplier verifying a potential customer, this guide walks you through the fastest ways to find any Ontario liquor licence.

Method 1: Use This Tracker (Search by City)

Ontario Liquor Licence Tracker

This site re-publishes the AGCO's open data in a searchable, city-by-city directory. We currently cover 13 Ontario cities including Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Mississauga, London, Brampton, Kitchener, Niagara Falls, Windsor, Oakville, Scarborough, Etobicoke, and North York.

To look up a licence here:

Choose a city from the city directory on the homepage. Each city page lists licensed establishments alphabetically.
Find the establishment by scrolling or using your browser's built-in search (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F). Each listing shows the premises name, legal entity, address, licence number, endorsements, and key dates.
Click into the detail page for full licence information including the licence class, issue date, and any endorsements (such as patio, entertainment, or catering).

This is the fastest option if the venue is in one of the 13 cities we track. The data comes directly from the AGCO's Liquor Sales Licences open-data file, which contains roughly 17,453 active licence records province-wide.

Method 2: Search AGCO's Official Website

AGCO Open Data at agco.ca

The AGCO publishes downloadable data files of all Liquor Sales Licences and Applications Undergoing Public Notice. These spreadsheets contain every licence in Ontario, not just the 13 cities we cover here.

Steps to look up a licence via the AGCO:

Visit agco.ca and navigate to the Open Data section.
Download the Liquor Sales Licences data file (CSV format).
Open the file in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet tool.
Filter or search by establishment name, address, city, or licence number.

The AGCO's raw file contains every licence record in the province — active, expired, and otherwise. It includes fields for the licence holder (legal entity), premises name, municipality, address, postal code, licence number, licence class, endorsements, and dates. This is the authoritative source used by this tracker and all other third-party tools.

Method 3: Contact the AGCO Directly

AGCO Customer Service

Phone: 1-800-522-2876 (toll-free in Ontario)
The AGCO can confirm whether a specific establishment holds a valid, active Liquor Sales Licence. This is useful if you need real-time confirmation or need details not published in the open-data file (such as compliance history).

Calling is the best approach when:

You need the most up-to-date status (the open-data files are updated periodically, not in real time).
You want to confirm whether a licence has conditions, suspensions, or active enforcement actions.
The establishment is not in one of the 13 cities listed on this tracker.

What You Can Find in a Licence Lookup

Each AGCO Liquor Sales Licence record contains these key fields:

Licence number — the unique identifier assigned by the AGCO.
Licence holder (legal entity) — the corporation or individual legally responsible for the licence.
Premises name (trade name) — the public-facing name of the bar or restaurant.
Address and municipality — the street address and city where the licence is valid.
Licence class — typically "Liquor Sales Licence" for on-premises service.
Endorsements — additional permissions like patio service, live entertainment, catering, or off-site events.
Issue date and expiry date — when the licence was granted and when it must be renewed.

Why Would You Look Up a Liquor Licence?

People search for Ontario liquor licences for many reasons:

Consumers want to confirm a venue is legitimately licensed before hosting a private event there.
Real-estate agents and landlords verify that a commercial tenant actually holds the licence they claim.
Suppliers and distributors need to confirm a valid licence before selling product to an establishment.
Neighbours and community members want to check the status of a nearby business, especially if a new application is under public notice.
Journalists and researchers use the data for analysis of the food-and-beverage sector.
Executors and family members confirm a licence's status when a licence holder dies, before the business can be transferred or wound down — one piece of the wider job of settling a business owner's estate.

Browse Licences by City

Jump straight to a city directory to start your lookup:

Toronto Ottawa Hamilton Mississauga London Brampton Kitchener Niagara Falls Windsor North York Scarborough Etobicoke Oakville

Frequently Asked Questions

What information do I need to look up a liquor licence in Ontario?

You can search by city, establishment name, or street address. The AGCO's open data includes the legal entity name, premises (trade) name, full address, licence number, endorsements, and key dates for every active Liquor Sales Licence in Ontario. You do not need a licence number to start a search.

Is there a fee to look up an Ontario liquor licence?

No. Ontario liquor licence records are published as open data by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at no charge. You can look them up for free using this tracker, through the AGCO website at agco.ca, or by calling the AGCO at 1-800-522-2876.

How often is the AGCO liquor licence data updated?

The AGCO publishes updated open-data files periodically. This tracker refreshes from the AGCO's Liquor Sales Licences dataset and the Applications Undergoing Public Notice file. Data shown here was last updated June 2026. For the most current status of a single licence, you can also contact the AGCO directly.