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Liquor licences

Access Canberra issues liquor licences and permits in the ACT and performs regulatory functions under the Liquor Act 2010 (the Act).

If you’re selling liquor in the ACT, you may need a liquor licence or permit.

  • A liquor licence authorises sale of liquor at a particular premises, like a bar or café.
  • A liquor permit authorises sale of liquor at a particular event, like a festival or marketplace.

Read about liquor permits.

A list of issued liquor licences and permit locations in the ACT can be viewed on the interactive liquor licences map.

Liquor licence types

If you have a liquor licence, depending on the licence type, you can sell liquor for consumption:

  • on the premises in open containers, for example with the bottle top removed or served in a glass, or
  • off the premises in sealed containers, for example a case of beer, or a bottle of wine.

All licences are issued with licensed times. This means you can only sell liquor during those times.

There are 6 types of licence.

General licence

A general licence authorises you to sell liquor:

  • at a single premises, and
  • in open containers for drinking on premises, or in sealed containers to drink off premises.
Example: Flexibility for bottle shops under a general licence

Orlando has a bottle shop where his customers can sit and buy a glass of wine that they can pair with food from a limited menu. They can then buy bottles of wine to take away.

Orlando applied to Access Canberra for a general licence that allows him to sell liquor for consumption on the premises in open containers and sell packaged liquor (in closed containers) for consumption off the premises.

Caterers licence

A caterers licences authorises you to sell liquor while you’re catering. You can sell liquor:

  • in open containers where you’re catering, and
  • where the main activity at the premises is serving food for eating on site.

On licence

An On licence has 3 subclasses that authorise you to serve open containers on site:

  • a bar licence: serving liquor for drinking is the main activity at the premises
  • a nightclub licence: dancing and entertainment are the main activity at the premises
  • a restaurant and café licence: serving food for eating is the main activity at the premises.

Club licence

A club licence authorises you to sell liquor in specific parts of a single premise. You can sell open containers for drinking on site, or sealed containers to drink off site.

You can only sell liquor on the premises to club members and their guests.

Off licence

An Off licence authorises you to sell liquor at a single premise, like a bottle shop, in sealed containers for consumption off site.

Micro-producer off licence

A Micro-producer off licence authorises you to sell liquor you’ve produced at a single premises, like a winery or brewery, for drinking off site.

To qualify, you:

  • can’t have previously held an Off liquor licence
  • can only conduct business on the licensed premises in which the only liquor sold is liquor produced on the premises
  • must declare the estimated gross price paid or total gross sales of liquor produced in the first 12 months does not exceed $100,000.

Report purchase information

Special licence

A special licence authorises you to sell liquor at a single licenced premises between restricted times or outside conditions covered by a general liquor licence.

Special licences are typically considered where no other licence type fits your business requirements. If you believe you need a special licence, email ACliquor@act.gov.au.

Before you apply

When you apply, you’ll need to have gathered some documentation first.

Provision of lease advice

Before applying for a liquor licence, complete a Provision of lease advice form.

This form seeks to confirm the liquor licence you’re applying for is permitted under the conditions of your crown lease.

Close associates and influential people

When you apply for the licence, you need to identify any ‘close associates’ or ‘influential persons.

Definitions for each are defined in Division 1.3 of the Act.

Police checks

You will need a police certificate for each person identified in your application.

Certificate must have been issued within 3 months of applying.

If you’re applying as a corporation, you’ll need to provide a company police check.

Apply for:

Risk assessment management plans

For licenced premises where liquor is consumed on the premises you must complete a Risk Assessment Management Plan (RAMP).

A RAMP details the procedures, practices and arrangements you’ll have in place at the premises, and includes anything prescribed by the Liquor Regulation 2010.

A RAMP may contain information about:

  • what lighting you’ll use in the premises;
  • noise mitigation you’ll have in place;
  • security measures you’ll have in place; or
  • any other information relevant to upholding safe and responsible sale of alcohol.

Applications for Off licences, restaurant and cafes don’t need a RAMP unless requested by the Commissioner of Fair Trading.

Read our guide to help you complete a risk assessment management plan (PDF 1.4MB).

Draft a RAMP online

Apply for a licence

To apply for a liquor licence:

  1. Complete an Application for liquor licence (PDF 337KB) (Word 109KB)
  2. Attach:
    • police certificates for all people you identified in the application
    • approved plans, certificates of occupancy
    • the Provision of lease advice certificate from Access Canberra
    • a RAMP if applicable.
  3. Submit your application and documents:
Example: When you don't need a liquor licence

Christina has a barber’s shop. She offers free beers to her adult customers while they are getting their hair done.

Christina doesn’t need a liquor licence as the supply is ‘ancillary to’ (not the main part of) her business’ services.

Public consultation

After you submit your application, Access Canberra will:

The consultation period lasts for 30 days.

Access Canberra won’t approve your licence until the Commissioner for Fair Trading has considered all public comments. The Commissioner has up to 90 days from receiving a completed application to make a decision.

Your liquor licence certificate will be sent to the email address you nominated in your application.

Using your licence

As a licensee you have a responsibility to only promote liquor consumption in a safe and legal manner.

Responsible service of alcohol training

You and all liquor service and crowd control employees must hold a valid Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certification.

An ACT RSA certificate is valid for 3 years. Employees can renew once they’ve completed an ACT approved refresher RSA training program.

RSA training is available through Access Canberra approved providers.

View the Registered training organisations approved to conduct responsible service of alcohol training in the ACT (PDF 135KB) (Word 46KB).

A valid interstate RSA certificate is taken to have expired 3 years after the day the person satisfactorily completed the course. They only need to do an ACT approved refresher course when it expires.

Intoxicated people and incident reporting

The Liquor (Intoxication) Guidelines 2017 (No 1) helps identify if a person is intoxicated.

Any incidents on the premises need to be reported within 24 hours by completing the Liquor - Incident Reporting form.

Reasons for incident reporting include:

  • refusing entry or service to someone
  • altercations such as fights or assaults
  • confiscated documents such as fake IDs
  • medical assistance rendered to someone
  • removing someone from the premises.

If any false documents are confiscated from someone, they need to be given a receipt.

The receipt must include:

  • what the document is
  • why it was seized
  • the date and time it was seized
  • the name and address of the premises where it was seized
  • if the document is moved off premises, where it’s located.

Personal contact details of the employee or crowd controller are not required and the receipt does not need to be signed. Upload the receipt to the incident form.

Any seized documents must be sent to the Commissioner for Fair Trading within 7 days:

The Commissioner for Fair Trading, Access Canberra, GPO 158, Canberra ACT 2601.

Signage and responsible promotion

As a licensee you have a responsibility to only promote liquor consumption in a safe and legal manner.

View the Liquor (Responsible Promotion of Liquor) Guidelines 2022 (No 1) or read the Responsible promotion of liquor principles (PDF 140KB).

Your premises needs to be fitted with appropriate signage. You can print and display the following signs:

Amend a liquor licence

Once approved, licences can only be used within the conditions they were approved for.

You need to apply for an amendment to your licence if you are:

  • changing, adding or removing influential persons or close associates
  • changing or dissolving a partnership
  • extending or reducing trading times
  • changing the subclass on an On licence
  • altering your premises

To amend your liquor licence:

  1. Complete an Application to amend a liquor licence or permit (PDF 343KB) (Word 109KB)
  2. Submit your application and any supporting documents:

Pay an instalment

Liquor licence have no expiry date. Fees are typically due every 3 months (quarters), unless paid in advance.

You can pay your instalment/annual fee online.

Pay an instalment or annual fee

Transfer your licence to someone else

The transfer process is very similar to the application process for a new licence. The person or corporation you’re transferring to needs to meet the same application requirements.

You also both need to sign the consent to transfer declaration.

  1. Complete the Application for transfer of a liquor licence form (PDF 351KB) (Word 103KB)
  2. Submit your application and supporting documents:

Request extended trading

You can request extended trading hours for special events if you have:

  • a General licence
  • an On licence
  • a Club licence
  • a Special licence.

You can apply for extended trading for a maximum of 6 occasions in a 12-month period.

Example: Extending trading hours for special events

John wants to open late for a special Oktoberfest event he’s holding at his club. He’s already talked to his community and neighbours about his event.

Because John wants to close later than the hours on his liquor licence, he must apply to Access Canberra for an extended trading authorisation. This lets him keep selling alcohol until the end of the event.

In his application John describes the event, the date and period during which he wants to sell liquor. He also describes how he will limit the impacts of later trading on his club’s neighbours.

There is no charge to John for this application, but he can only extend his trading hours 6 times in a 12-month period.

Request extended trading

Request approval for a young people’s event

If you want to hold a young people’s event in an adults-only area at a licenced premises, you need to apply for approval.

Example events could be 16th birthday events or an under 18’s sports award ceremony.

Complete the Application for a young people's event in an adults only area at licensed premises form and pay the fee.

Surrender your licence

If you no longer need your liquor licence, you need to notify Access Canberra.

Surrender a liquor licence