Alcohol Limits and Minimum Age by Province at the Canadian Border

Quick answerReturning residents (after 48 hours or more) and visitors may bring one of: 1.5 L of wine, 1.14 L of spirits, or 8.5 L of beer or ale without duty or tax. You must be 18 if you enter in Alberta, Manitoba or Quebec and 19 in every other province and territory.

Free toolPlanning a shopping trip? Use the duty and tax calculator to estimate tax on your other purchases and to check your alcohol against the free allowance.

The free allowance

Type	Free allowance	Rough equivalent
Wine	1.5 L (53 fl oz)	About two 750 mL bottles
Spirits	1.14 L (40 fl oz)	One standard 40 oz bottle
Beer or ale	8.5 L (287 fl oz)	About 24 cans or bottles of 355 mL

You get one of these, not all three. For visitors, the CBSA also lists 1.14 L of wine and spirits combined as an option. Mixing types for returning residents means you are over the free allowance.

Who qualifies

Returning residents qualify only after being outside Canada for 48 hours or more. After a shorter trip alcohol is not part of any exemption and duty, taxes and provincial charges apply to all of it. Alcohol cannot be used as a gift under the visitor gift exemption.

Minimum age by province or territory

The age is set by where you enter Canada.

Province or territory	Minimum age
Alberta	18
Manitoba	18
Quebec	18
British Columbia	19
Saskatchewan	19
Ontario	19
New Brunswick	19
Nova Scotia	19
Prince Edward Island	19
Newfoundland and Labrador	19
Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut	19

Provincial rulesThe CBSA says amounts over the free allowance are subject to duty, taxes and provincial or territorial levies, and may need a provincial or territorial permit. This guide does not list those levies or permit limits; check with the liquor authority of the province where you enter.

What happens if you bring more

You pay regular duty and taxes on the excess, plus any provincial or territorial charges. Alcohol and tobacco that is not properly declared is seized permanently, according to the CBSA.

Examples: is it within the free allowance?

For a returning resident after 48 hours or more (the allowance is one category), or a visitor.

What you bring	Within the allowance?
Two 750 mL bottles of wine (1.5 L)	Yes, exactly at the wine limit
One 750 mL wine and one 750 mL whisky	Not for a returning resident: wine and spirits are separate categories and you only get one
A visitor with 375 mL of wine and 750 mL of spirits (1.125 L combined)	Yes: visitors may bring 1.14 L of wine and spirits combined
One 1 L bottle of whisky	Yes (limit 1.14 L)
One 1.75 L bottle of vodka	No: 0.61 L over the spirits limit
A 24-pack of 355 mL beer (8.52 L)	Technically 0.02 L over the 8.5 L limit. The CBSA describes the allowance as about 24 cans, but the written limit is 8.5 L. To stay strictly inside it, bring 23.
Two 750 mL bottles of spirits (1.5 L)	No: 0.36 L over. Duty, taxes and provincial charges apply to the excess; this guide cannot calculate them reliably.
750 mL of wine after a 30-hour trip	No allowance under 48 hours: duty, taxes and provincial charges apply to all of it
An 18-year-old entering Ontario with a bottle of wine	Not allowed: the minimum age is 19 in Ontario. At Alberta, Manitoba or Quebec the minimum is 18.

Planning a purchase: a quick method

Confirm your trip is 48 hours or more (otherwise there is no alcohol allowance).
Pick one category: wine, spirits or beer.
Add up the litres: bottle size in mL, divided by 1,000, times the number of bottles.
Check your age against where you will enter Canada.
If you are over, decide whether to leave the extra behind. Excess is charged regular duty, taxes and provincial levies.

FAQ

Can I bring two 750 mL bottles of wine?

Yes, that is about 1.5 L, the free allowance for wine. You cannot also bring spirits or beer duty-free on the same trip.

Can I bring wine and a bottle of whisky?

Not both free of duty. Residents choose one category. Visitors may bring 1.14 L of wine and spirits combined, not 1.5 L of wine plus 1.14 L of spirits.

What if I am 18 and entering Ontario?

The minimum age in Ontario is 19, so you cannot use the free alcohol allowance.

Does a one-day shopping trip to the US get an alcohol allowance?

No. Alcohol is not included in exemptions for trips under 48 hours.

Is a 1.5 L magnum of wine allowed?

Yes. The wine allowance is 1.5 L, so one magnum is exactly at the limit.

Can two adults pool their allowances?

The CBSA says exemptions cannot be combined with another person's. Each adult's allowance is their own, so each adult must carry and declare their own bottles.

Official sources

Data checked against official sources: October 17, 2026. Rules change; confirm with the CBSA before you travel.