Intoxicating beverages

For information about importing or mailing intoxicating beverages, consult the federal Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act and your provincial liquor board or commission.

You may ship intoxicating beverages within Canada only if you are a Parcel Services contract customer or a Solutions for Small Business (SfSB) cardholder. The sender is solely responsible for ensuring that the contents, packaging, and labelling of the shipment comply with all applicable federal, provincial, and municipal laws and regulations.

You must select the Proof of Age option (signature required on delivery).

In addition, you must be one of the following:

  • Be a provincial liquor board or commission mailing to a manufacturer, distributor, or person in the same province
  • Be a manufacturer of such beverages mailing to:
    • A provincial liquor board or commission
    • A distributor of such beverages in Canada
    • An individual in the same province
  • Be a distributor of such beverages mailing to:
    • A provincial liquor board or commission
    • A manufacturer or distributor of such beverages in Canada
    • An individual in the same province
  • Be a peace officer mailing to a test laboratory, or a test laboratory mailing to a peace officer, in each case to carry out a lawful investigation.
  • Be a permitted party 1 mailing intoxicating beverages  2 from one province 3 to an individual in another province, in accordance with the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act and the laws of the origin and destination provinces. Requirements for shipping intoxicating beverages vary by province. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that:
    • You are legally allowed to mail intoxicating beverages.
    • Your shipment complies with all applicable federal, provincial, and municipal laws and regulations.
    • The intoxicating beverages are for the recipient’s personal consumption only and are not for resale or any other commercial purpose.

1 Those allowed to mail intoxicating beverages will vary by province.

2 As defined in the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act. Certain provinces have further restrictions on what they classify as “intoxicating beverages”.

3 As defined in the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act.

Special restrictions

If you are an eligible shipper, the following special restrictions apply.

If the intoxicating beverage contains up to 70% alcohol by volume (for example, 140 proof), you may ship it by air or ground in a container of 5 litres or less.

You can only import intoxicating beverages into Canada by mail when:

  • They are imported by, or mailed to, a licensed distiller or a body authorized by the destination province’s board, commission, officer, or another governmental agency.
  • The alcohol content is no more than 24% alcohol by volume (for example, 48 proof)

You may export intoxicating beverages from Canada by mail only if you meet the applicable export requirements and the international destination postal administration allows these mailings.

Please note:

The legal age for certain goods may differ from the age of majority, depending on the province or territory. It is your responsibility to select the correct age under the Proof of Age option.