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Expanding liquor establishment operating hours

The survey will close on Sunday, March 9, 2025. 

Your input will be considered along with feedback from partner agencies and local businesses and organizations, Council priorities and compliance with provincial regulations. Staff will bring forward a report with recommendations for Council’s consideration in the spring. 

Paper copies of the survey and information board are available by request by contacting licensing.policy@vancouver.ca. Requested paper copies are available for pick up and completed surveys for drop off at the Development and Building Services Centre (515 W 10th Ave). Alternatively, you can provide your feedback by calling 311 (604-873-7000 outside Vancouver). 

The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.

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Closing hours for bars, pubs and nightclubs Downtown

The latest time that bars, pubs, and nightclubs can close depends on where they are located in the city and how close they are to residential areas.

The latest closing hours in Downtown range from 1 am to 3 am. Businesses may choose to close earlier.

Downtown: the downtown peninsula and Chinatown, Gastown, Victory Square, Thornton Park, and Industrial areas of the Downtown Eastside, as shown in the map below. To zoom in on the map, view the map in PDF format (PDF, 5.7 MB).

Map of Downtown. To request detailed descriptions of the boundaries for the existing closing hours, please contact us using the email on the project page.

Of the 121 establishments located Downtown:

  • 63% are in areas where closing at 3 am any night of the week is allowed (red areas of the map above).
  • 29% are in areas where closing at 2 am on weeknights (Sunday to Thursday) and 3 am on weekends (Friday and Saturday nights) is allowed (blue areas of the map above).
  • 8% are in areas where closing at 1 am on weeknights and 2 am on weekends is allowed (light green areas of the map above).


1.  

Do you agree or disagree with 3 am being the latest closing time allowed for all bars, pubs and nightclubs located Downtown every day of the week?


Note: currently, bars, pubs and nightclubs must apply to both the Province and City to change their hours. This application process will still be in effect even if the latest closing hours allowed are extended. More information about the application process is in the information boards.

Closing hours for bars, pubs, and nightclubs outside Downtown

The latest that most bars and pubs located outside of Downtown can close is:

  • 1 am on weeknights (Sunday to Thursday)
  • 2 am on weekends (Friday and Saturday nights)


Map of outside Downtown. To request detailed descriptions of the boundaries for the existing closing hours, please contact us using the email on the project page.

To zoom in on the map, view the map in PDF format (PDF, 7.4 MB).

Of the 86 establishments located outside Downtown:

  • 93% of them are in areas where these are the latest closing hours (light green areas of the map above).
  • 7% are in areas where the latest closing hours are 3 am any night of the week. No changes are being considered in these areas (red areas of map above).
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3.  

What are your main concerns regarding later closing hours for bars, pubs and nightclubs? Select up to 3.

4.  

Which benefits of later closing hours for bars, pubs and nightclubs are most appealing to you? Select up to 3.

Alcohol in restaurants

The latest hour that restaurants can serve alcohol to customers is as follows:

  • 1 am on weeknights (Sunday to Thursday)
  • 2 am on weekends (Friday and Saturday)


The hours are the same for restaurants in all areas of the city. The City is considering a change to allow restaurants to serve alcohol until 2 am all days of the week. 

5.  

Do you agree or disagree with restaurants being allowed to serve alcohol until 2 am any night of the week?

Note: currently, restaurants must apply to both the Province and City to change their alcohol service hours. This application process will still be in effect even if the latest closing hours allowed are extended. More information about the application process is in the information boards.

6.  

What are your main concerns regarding later alcohol service hours at restaurants? Select up to 3.

7.  

Which benefits of later alcohol service hours at restaurants are most appealing to you? Select up to 3.

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