Yes, you can get a cannabis licence in British Columbia right now. As of October 2026, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) accepts applications for cannabis retail store, producer retail store and cannabis marketing licences on a rolling basis. Growing and processing cannabis needs a separate federal licence from Health Canada.
B.C.’s system has more moving parts than most provinces. The LCRB licenses private stores, but it can’t consider an application until the local government or Indigenous Nation where the store will sit recommends it. The Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB), through BC Cannabis Wholesale, is the only wholesaler, and it also runs the government’s BC Cannabis Stores.
This guide covers every licence type and fee, what’s open, the steps from planning to opening day, the rules you’ll need to meet and how local approval works. Everything was checked against LCRB, LDB, Health Canada and municipal sources in October 2026.
Key takeaways
- B.C. store licences are open year-round, but each one needs a positive recommendation from the local government or Indigenous Nation.
- You don’t need to be a B.C. or Canadian resident to hold a store licence, but federal producers can’t own a regular retail store.
- Licensed growers can open a farm-gate store at their production site, and stores can deliver without a separate licence.
- A B.C. store licence can be transferred to a buyer, subject to LCRB screening and the per-owner limit.
- Rules differ by province and city and change often. Confirm everything with the LCRB and your local government before you sign a lease.
Who regulates cannabis businesses in British Columbia?
The LCRB: private retail and marketing
The LCRB, part of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, licenses and inspects private cannabis businesses under the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act and its regulations. Its fee schedule is Schedule 1 of the Cannabis Licensing Regulation, and day-to-day rules are in its terms and conditions handbooks for each licence class.
The LDB: wholesale and government stores
Under the Cannabis Distribution Act, the LDB is B.C.’s only non-medical cannabis wholesaler. Every licensed store must register with the LDB and buy through BC Cannabis Wholesale or its Direct Delivery Program. The LDB also operates BC Cannabis Stores and the province’s official online store.
Health Canada: production and medical sales
The federal Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations govern cultivation, processing, analytical testing, research and sale for medical purposes. You apply to Health Canada through its Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System (CTLS). Medical cannabis is sold by federal licence holders, not by provincial retail stores.
Local governments and Indigenous Nations
Cities, regional districts and Indigenous Nations decide whether to support a store, where it can go, its hours and whether workers need a local licence. The LCRB’s general manager weighs their recommendation but isn’t bound by it.
Cannabis licence types in British Columbia
The table lists every provincial and federal licence a B.C. cannabis business might need, with fees as published in October 2026. LCRB application fees are generally non-refundable, and a local government saying no is not grounds for a refund. The first-year licensing fee is paid at approval in principle, before the licence is issued.
| Licence type | What it lets you do | Application fee | Annual or renewal fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis retail store (LCRB) | Sell non-medical cannabis and accessories to adults at one store, buying from the LDB; includes delivery and curbside pickup | $7,500, plus a $1,500 first-year licensing fee | $1,500 annual renewal |
| Producer retail store, or farm-gate (LCRB) | Let a federally licensed cultivator sell at a store on or next to its production site, including its own cannabis and products from BC Cannabis Wholesale | $7,500, plus a $1,500 first-year licensing fee | $1,500 annual renewal |
| Cannabis marketing (LCRB) | Promote federal producers’ products to licensed stores and adults; required for producers that promote in B.C. | $500, including security screening | $200 annual renewal |
| Retail store licence transfer (LCRB) | Move an existing store licence to a new owner | $500, including screening and financial checks | Not applicable |
| Delivery | No separate licence; store and farm-gate licensees can deliver | No separate fee listed | No separate fee listed |
| Wholesale and Direct Delivery (LDB) | No private wholesale licence; eligible producers register with the LDB to ship straight to stores | Not published; markups set in the LDB Wholesale Pricing Guide | Not published; ask the LDB |
| Micro-cultivation, micro-processing or nursery (Health Canada) | Grow, process or propagate on a small scale | $2,058 screening fee | Higher of $2,500 or 1% of revenue up to $1 million, plus 2.3% above that |
| Standard cultivation or standard processing (Health Canada) | Grow or process at commercial scale | $4,109 screening fee | Higher of $23,000 or 2.3% of revenue |
| Sale for medical purposes (Health Canada) | Sell cannabis to registered medical clients | $4,109 screening fee (lower micro rate if combined with a micro or nursery licence) | Same as standard, with a possible exemption for medical sales |
| Federal security clearance (Health Canada) | Required for each key person on a federal licence | $2,076 per person | Not applicable |
| Analytical testing or research (Health Canada) | Test cannabis for licensed producers, or study cannabis | Not published on Health Canada’s fee pages; ask Health Canada | Not published; ask Health Canada |
| Consumption lounge | No LCRB licence class exists | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Local approvals (example: City of Victoria) | Rezoning for cannabis retail, if the site isn’t zoned for it, and a City business licence | $7,500 rezoning fee, if needed | $1,500 City business licence fee |
Health Canada’s screening and clearance amounts took effect April 1, 2026. Other LCRB changes, such as relocations, have their own fees in Schedule 1 of the Cannabis Licensing Regulation. See our licence cost comparison for how other markets compare.
Are cannabis licences open in British Columbia right now?
Yes. As of October 2026, the LCRB takes applications at any time through the Liquor and Cannabis Licensing Portal. There’s no lottery or application window. The LCRB doesn’t publish a fixed processing time; it posts current application assignment times on its website and says complete applications get assigned faster.
- Per-owner limit: One licensee can hold or have an interest in no more than eight cannabis retail store licences. The province consulted industry about raising that limit, and StratCann reported in 2024 that no decision had been made. The LCRB still lists eight as the maximum.
- Farm-gate limit: One producer retail store licence per federal cultivation licence.
- Buying a store: Retail store licences can be transferred, as long as the buyer passes the LCRB’s “fit and proper” review and won’t go over the eight-licence limit. Structural changes or a move have to wait until the transfer is complete.
- Local status: Some municipalities don’t allow cannabis stores at all, or only in specific zones, so local openness varies more than provincial openness.
How to get a cannabis licence in British Columbia, step by step
The graphic shows the usual path for a cannabis retail store. Producer retail stores follow the same steps, plus a federal cultivation licence number and a site next to your grow.
Federal producers start with Health Canada instead. You notify the local government, police and fire authority, have key people apply for security clearance, submit your application in CTLS and upload a site evidence package. Since March 12, 2025, micro-cultivators can grow on up to 800 square metres of surface area, which makes a small B.C. farm-gate operation easier to plan.
Requirements you’ll need to meet
Ownership and residency
You must be 19 or older and run a standalone business, such as a corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, society, Indigenous Nation or extra-provincial company registered in B.C. Citizenship and residency aren’t required. Federal producers can’t hold a regular retail store licence, and you must declare any financial, business or family ties to producers or other store licensees.
Background checks
Every owner, director, shareholder and partner fills out a Cannabis Screening Form. Supporting documents may include a police information check from the last six months, a statutory declaration about any charges or convictions and a driver’s abstract covering the past five years. The LCRB looks at whether each person is fit and proper; it doesn’t publish a single list of disqualifying offences, so disclose everything.
Capital and bonds
The LCRB doesn’t set a minimum capital or bond amount. It does run financial integrity checks, so keep records of where your money comes from.
Real estate and buffer distances
The store must be in a permanent building and can’t share space with another business. You’ll give the parcel identifier (PID) and full address, which can’t change after you submit, and show ownership, a lease or an agreement to lease. The lease must run at least 12 months from when you receive the licence. B.C. sets no provincial buffer; local governments set distances from schools, playgrounds, daycares, community centres and other stores.
Security plan
You need an audible intruder alarm and fire alarm, locked display cases, a locked storage room, secure perimeter locks and cameras covering sales and storage areas and every entrance inside and out. Product, packaging and labels can’t be visible from outside. Our dispensary security guide covers how to plan a system.
SOPs and insurance
The handbook expects written routines for ID checks, receiving, inventory, delivery and record keeping. The LCRB doesn’t publish an insurance minimum, but landlords and lenders usually require commercial liability cover.
Staff permits
The licensee and every worker who sells cannabis or supervises sales must complete Selling It Right. Some local governments add their own worker licensing on top. Our budtender training requirements guide explains how training works across provinces.
Local approval and zoning
In B.C., local support isn’t just a permit; it’s a precondition for the provincial licence. Once you apply, the LCRB contacts the local government or Indigenous Nation, which decides whether to recommend the store, often after gathering public comments. Check zoning, development permits and business licensing first, because local rules can add months.
Victoria shows how this plays out. The site must be zoned for cannabis retail or go through rezoning under the City’s storefront cannabis rezoning policy. After the LCRB refers the file, the City runs mandatory public notification and Council makes a recommendation. Once the provincial licence is issued, you apply for a City cannabis business licence.
Social equity and small-business programs
B.C. has no social equity licensing program or reduced fees for first-time applicants. It does have programs for small and Indigenous producers. The LDB’s Direct Delivery Program lets eligible B.C. cultivators producing less than 3,000 kg of dried cannabis a year sell straight to stores, with separate categories for farm-gate stores and for Indigenous Nations that have agreements with the province under section 119 of the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act. Federally, micro-class licences cost less, and Indigenous-affiliated applicants can ask Health Canada for a two-stage review.
British Columbia cannabis market at a glance
LDB cannabis sales dipped slightly from the year before, so a new store competes for a market that isn’t growing much. Study the stores near your site before you commit.
After you’re licensed: staying compliant
- Renewal: Renew each year through the licensing portal and keep your Selling It Right certificates current.
- Reporting and tracking: Send monthly sales reports to the LCRB through the portal. The LCRB passes them on to Health Canada’s Cannabis Tracking System. Our seed-to-sale tracking guide explains how this data is used.
- Inspections: The LCRB inspects every new store before licensing and can return at any time. Follow the Cannabis Retail Store Terms and Conditions Handbook.
- Delivery: Deliveries run from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., stay in B.C., need the recipient’s name and signature and can’t go to minors or intoxicated people. Keep delivery records for six years.
- Supplier rules: You can’t favour one producer exclusively or accept payments or perks for shelf space or promotion.
- Changes: Relocations and other changes need LCRB approval before you make them.
Our dispensary compliance checklist turns these into daily and monthly routines.
Your British Columbia licence checklist
- Choose your path: retail store, farm-gate store, marketing licence, federal production licence, or a mix.
- Call your local government or Indigenous Nation about zoning, buffers, hours and its recommendation process.
- Set up your business and get a Business BCeID early, since it can take weeks.
- Lock in the site with a lease of at least the required length and confirm the PID.
- Prepare a floor plan, site plan, exterior photos, store name and signage.
- Have every associate complete the screening form and order police checks and driver’s abstracts.
- Submit and pay on the Liquor and Cannabis Licensing Portal.
- Answer local consultation questions quickly and attend Council if invited.
- After approval in principle, pay the licensing fee and finish your build-out and security.
- Book the LCRB inspection with no cannabis on site.
- Get Selling It Right for yourself and every sales worker.
- Register with the LDB, place your first order and set up monthly reporting.
For new cannabis businesses: get found on WhereLeaf
Once your licence is issued and you’re open, add your store to WhereLeaf so adults using our dispensary finder can see your hours, location and delivery area. Our listing packages add more visibility if you want it, and our supplier directory lists fixture, security and POS vendors. A listing helps shoppers find you, but you still need to follow B.C.’s advertising rules.
Comparing markets? See all our cannabis licence guides by state and province.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a cannabis store in B.C.?
The provincial and sample local fees are in the table above. They’re a small share of the total: rent during the approval wait, build-out, security, opening inventory from the LDB, staff wages and legal help usually cost far more, and these vary widely by city.
How long does it take to get a cannabis licence in B.C.?
The LCRB doesn’t promise a timeline, and local approval often sets the pace. In Victoria, for example, the City advises allowing six to eight weeks for rezoning, four to six weeks for public notification and about 10 working days for the City business licence, on top of the provincial review.
Can I deliver cannabis in B.C.?
Yes. Licensed stores and farm-gate stores can deliver using their own staff, a delivery person or a common carrier. Couriers must be 19 or older, and delivery people need Selling It Right. Read our guide to starting a cannabis delivery business for the business side.
Do I need to live in B.C. to get a cannabis licence?
No. The LCRB says citizenship and residency in B.C. or Canada aren’t required. You still need a B.C.-registered business, a BCeID and screening for every associate.
Can a licensed producer open its own store in B.C.?
Yes, through a producer retail store licence, but only at or next to its cultivation site. Processing-only licence holders aren’t eligible, and producers can’t hold a regular retail store licence elsewhere.
What happens if my local government doesn’t support my store?
The LCRB can’t move forward without a positive recommendation, and the application fee generally isn’t refunded. That’s why it pays to talk to planners before you file.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm everything with the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) before you apply.
Sources
- Government of B.C. (LCRB): Apply for a Cannabis Retail Store Licence (2026)
- Government of B.C. (LCRB): Apply for a Producer Retail Store Licence (2026)
- Government of B.C. (LCRB): Apply for a Cannabis Marketing Licence (2026)
- Government of B.C. (LCRB): Transfer a Cannabis Retail Store Licence (2026)
- Government of B.C. (LCRB): Cannabis Licences (2026)
- Government of B.C. (LCRB): Delivering Cannabis (2024)
- BC Liquor Distribution Branch: 2025/26 Annual Service Plan Report (2026)
- BC Liquor Distribution Branch: Direct Delivery Information for Suppliers
- Health Canada: Cannabis Transactional Fees for Licence Holders (2026)
- Health Canada: Cannabis Annual Regulatory Fee and Exemption (2025)
- Health Canada: Overview of the Licence Application Process (2026)
- Health Canada: Summary of Changes Following the Streamlining of Regulations (2025)
- City of Victoria: Cannabis Licensing
- StratCann (news backup): BC Continues to Debate Increasing 8-Store Cap for Cannabis Retailers (2024)
- StratCann (news backup): BC Cannabis Sales Level Off as Direct Delivery Sales Continue to Soar (2026)
Last updated: October 2026. Laws and prices change; always check your state or provincial regulator.
