There are four types of licence:
- On-licence – for sale and consumption of liquor on the premises, eg hotels, taverns, night clubs, restaurants
- Off-licence – for sale for consumption off the premises, eg bottle shops, supermarkets, grocery stores
- Club licence – for sale and consumption of liquor on club premises to members of the club, their guests and members of affiliated clubs
- Special licence – for sale at specific occasions or events
A licence is issued to a named person, company or legal entity in relation to a premises or conveyance. Conveyances are vehicles such as aircraft, vessels, trains etc. A licence cannot be transferred from one person to another, or from one premises or conveyance to another.
Contact us if you plan on selling or supplying liquor to the public, as you will need to consider planning and building issues and any other rules specific to your area. You will also need to talk to us about any requirements for kitchen, bar and toilet facilities.
Having a licence
When liquor is being sold there is a requirement that a manager is appointed to manage the conduct of the sale of liquor. Managers must hold a manager’s certificate issued by a district licensing agency or the Liquor Licensing Authority.
Licences and managers’ certificates are issued for an initial period of 12 months and then renewed for a period of three years. While there is no obligation to do so, we will send out renewal application forms approximately two months before the licence or certificate is due to expire. However it is the licensee’s responsibility to ensure that an application for renewal is made before the licence is due to expire. We cannot accept applications for renewal after the licence has expired.
When businesses are sold, the new owner must apply for a Temporary Authority to allow them to continue trading under the terms of the existing licence while they apply for their own licence.