Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario waives license fee increase for convenience stores
For the second consecutive year, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is waiving its scheduled license fee increase for convenience and grocery stores, keeping 2026 fees at 2024 levels. Convenience store licenses remain $500, while grocery store licenses are $3,250—fees that have never risen since these sectors were first permitted to sell beverage alcohol.
“The waiver reflects our commitment to supporting licensees as alcohol sales continue to grow in the retail sectors of grocery and convenience stores in Ontario,” the agency said in a statement.
Based on CSNC’s count of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s (AGCO) publicly available licence data, there are currently 4,060 active convenience store licences and 1,117 active grocery store licences.
The AGCO also announced updates to its iAGCO online platform. Starting yesterday, licensees, registrants and authorization holders will receive correspondence via email as the default method of communication. Users can update their contact information directly within the platform to ensure timely receipt of regulatory and account updates.
Before March 30, 2026, AGCO correspondence could be sent via mail, phone, fax, or email depending on what was listed in a licensee’s iAGCO account. The changes are designed to streamline administrative processes, allowing licensees to focus more on day-to-day operations while staying informed about regulatory updates.
