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Liquor licences

Changes coming 1 July 2025

From 1 July 2025, certain licensed businesses will get lower fees on their liquor licenses.

Certain licensed restaurants and cafés, and businesses with a General Licence, will have their annual fees reduced by 50%. You don't need to do anything to get this. The discount applies to businesses if you are a:

  • licensed restaurant or café with an occupancy between 81 and 150 people
  • business with a General Licence with an occupancy between 21 and 150 people.

Eligible venues with occupancies between 151 and 350 people may also access a 50% discount on their annual fee. The venues must showcase artists, musicians and other cultural activities. You’ll need to apply to receive this discount.

These changes are in addition to discounts already available. You can apply for current annual licence fee discount for supporting local entertainment industry now.

Overview

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

View a list of ACT locations with liquor licences and permits on the interactive liquor licences map.

Liquor licence types

There are 6 types of licence.

Depending on the licence type, you can sell liquor for consumption either:

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

We issue all licences with licensed times. This means you can only sell liquor during those times.

General licence

A general licence authorises you to sell liquor:

  • at a single premises
  • 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 that customers can drink on the premises in open containers and sell packaged liquor (in closed containers) to drink off the premises.

Caterers licence

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

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

On licence

An On licence has 3 licence 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 to drink 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 cannot have previously held an Off liquor licence
  • you can only sell liquor that you produce on the licensed premises
  • you 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.

You might need a Special licence if no other licence type fits your business requirements. If you believe you need a special licence, email ACliquor@act.gov.au.

Before you apply

Check if your business does not need a licence

The following businesses do not need a liquor licence.

  • A business providing traveller accommodation that supplies liquor to a member of the travelling public in accommodation operated by the business. For example, supplying liquor in the accommodation minibar or room service.
  • A florist or gift maker business that packages liquor with flowers, food or other gifts, where the liquor supplied with each package:
    • is not more than 1.5L
    • has a value not more than half the sale price of the package.
  • A hairdressing or barber business that supplies liquor without charge to drink at the business where the supply is ancillary to the business’ services
  • A nail or beauty salon business that supplies liquor without charge to drink at the business where the supply is ancillary to the business’ services
  • Any of the following if the supply of liquor is not more than 2 standard drinks per person each day:
    • a hospital
    • a home or residential care service provider
    • a retirement village
    • a hospice
    • a limousine or tour business if all of the following apply:
      • the business provides services to no more than 12 adults
      • the supply does not exceed 2 standard drinks per person
      • the supply is ancillary to the business’ services and without charge.
  • A business declared by the Minister to be exempt
  • Raffles and lotteries for charitable fundraising that supply liquor as a prize, but only where the liquor supplied to each winner of the raffle or lottery is not more than 1.5L.
Example: When you do not need a liquor licence

Christina has a barber’s shop. She offers a complimentary beer to her adult customers while they’re getting their hair done.

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

What you'll need

To apply, you’ll need a:

  • provision of lease advice certificate
  • police check certificate for each person named in your application
  • risk management plan if customers will drink liquor on your premises.

Provision of lease advice

This form checks if the crown lease for your premises allows the type of liquor licence you want to apply for.

Complete a Provision of lease advice form.

Close associates and influential people

When you apply for the licence, you need to name any 'close associates' or 'influential persons'. Definitions for each are in Division 1.3 of the Act.

Police checks

You’ll need a police check certificate for each person named in your application.

The 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.

This plan includes procedures, practices and arrangements for the premises. It includes anything prescribed by the Liquor Regulation Act 2010.

It may include information about your:

  • lighting
  • noise management
  • security measures
  • safe and responsible sale of alcohol.

Applications for Off licences, restaurant and cafes do not need a RAMP unless the Commissioner of Fair Trading asks for one.

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

Draft a RAMP online

Apply for a liquor 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 named in the application
    • approved plans, certificates of occupancy
    • the Provision of lease advice certificate from Access Canberra
    • a Risk Assessment Management Plan if applicable.
  3. Submit your application and documents:

After you apply

It can take up to 90 days to get your liquor licence approved.

First there’s a 30-day public consultation period where the public can tell us if they think:

  • your proposed licensed premises may not be suitable for the licence
  • any of the people named in your application may not be a suitable person to hold a licence.

For the public consultation, Access Canberra will:

  • publish a public notice about your application on the ACT Open Government website
  • give you a public notice sign to display at your proposed premises.

The Commissioner for Fair Trading has up to 90 days from the date you applied to:

  • consider all public comments
  • decide if they approve your licence.

If your licence is approved

We'll email your liquor licence certificate to the address you provided 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. Staff must complete an ACT approved refresher course before they can renew their certificate.

If you have an interstate RSA certificate, it will expire in the ACT 3 years after the day you completed the course. When it expires, you need to do an ACT approved refresher course.

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) .

Intoxicated people and incident reporting

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

You must report any incidents on the premises within 24 hours by completing the Liquor - Incident Reporting form.

Reasons for incident reporting include:

  • refusing entry to someone
  • fights or assaults
  • confiscating fake ID cards
  • providing medical help to someone
  • removing someone from the premises.

If you confiscate fake ID cards

You must give the person 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
  • where the ID card will be if it’s moved from the premises.

The receipt does not need to include the personal contact details or signature of staff or crowd controller.

You must:

  • upload the receipt to the online incident form
  • send the seized ID card 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 way.

Read more about this in the:

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

Amend a liquor licence

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

You must apply for an amendment to your licence if you’re:

  • changing, adding or removing influential people 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 a licence fee

Liquor licences have no expiry date.

You can pay your licence fee online:

  • by instalment every 3 months
  • every 12 months.

Pay a liquor licence fee

Apply to reduce your annual licence fee if you offer live performances and events

You can apply for an 80% discount on your next liquor licence fee if your venue showcases artists, musicians and other cultural activities.

This discount is to encourage licensed venues to support the local entertainment industry.

Check if you can apply

To apply, your licenced premises must have:

  • a total occupancy of 150 people or less
  • one of the following licence types:
    • a General Licence
    • an On Licence
    • a Club Licence
    • a Special Licence
  • held a minimum of 10 eligible events within a 12-month period.

Eligible events have already taken place and include:

  • live music performance
  • performance arts events, such as a theatre performance
  • visual art events, such as an art exhibition
  • literary art events such as a book reading
  • cultural performance or arts events such as a planned performance of traditional dancing
  • any other event which fits the criteria.

Read more about eligible events in the Fee reduction guidelines.

What you’ll need

When you apply, you must include evidence of the 10 events you’ve held at your premises within the last 12-months.

For each event you’ll need to include:

  • date the event took place
  • type of event
  • brief description of the event
  • names of the performers, act, group or artists and arts organisation
  • documentation that the event took place – for example, invoices from performers.

If your application is successful, you’ll get the discount on your liquor licence payments for the next 12 months.

Example: Applying for a fee discount

Jim’s bar has an occupancy of 110 people. He partnered up with performers and showcased 10 live music performances at his bar in a 12-month period.

He made sure that all the performers were paid fairly and provided the invoices from performers in his application for a fee reduction. To support his application, he also provided some social media screenshots of the event advertisements.

Jim’s application for a fee reduction was approved because he met the requirements and the occupancy for his bar is under 150 people He’ll get an 80% discount on his next licence fee payment.

Apply for fee discount

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:

Apply for extended trading hours for an event

You can apply to extend your trading hours for an event on your licensed premises up to 10 times in a 12-month period.

You can apply for any event you decide to celebrate. It’s free to apply.

Check if you can apply

You can apply if you have:

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

What you’ll need

To apply you’ll need:

  • a description of the event
  • the date and time of the event
  • the date and time you intend to sell liquor
  • how you plan to limit the impact of extended trading on people who live near your licensed venue
  • how you plan to manage any extra risks involved in the sale of liquor during the extended trading hours.

Your application will not be approved if you cannot show how you’ll manage risk and limit impact of extended trading.

Read more about applying for extended trading in the Event guidelines.

When to apply

You must apply at least 5 business days before your event.

If you also intend to apply to extend your floor plan for the event, you must apply at least 10 business days before the day of the event.

Example: Applying for extended trading hours

Muhammad’s licensed restaurant has a booking to host a wedding reception. The restaurant has a liquor licence to supply alcohol until midnight.

Muhammad can apply to sell liquor until 2:00 am for this event at no extra charge.

When Muhammad applies he explains how he’ll manage risks from staying open later and supplying alcohol for an extra 2 hours. His application is approved.

Apply for extended trading hours

Apply to extend your floor plan

You can apply to temporarily extend a floor plan for an event at your licenced venue up to 10 times in a 12-month period.

You can apply for:

  • your own events
  • special events declared by the Head of Access Canberra.

It’s free to apply.

Check if you can apply

You can apply if you have:

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

Applying to extend your floor plan will not allow you to:

  • make permanent changes to the floor plan
  • increase the number of people allowed in your licensed area (your occupancy loading).

If you need to do either of these things, you must apply to amend a liquor licence.

When to apply

You must apply at least 10 business days before the day of the event.

If a special event is declared within 10 business days, you cannot apply to extend your floor plan.

What you’ll need

To apply you’ll need:

  • a description of your event, unless it’s a declared special event
  • the extended floor plan
  • the date and time you’ll use the changed floor plan
  • evidence you (the licensee) have appropriate insurance for the changed floor plan.
  • If you’ve leased your premises: written agreement to the changed floor plan from the licensed proprietor of the lease for the premises.
  • If your changed floor plan will extend your licensed premises to include adjoining leased land: written agreement from the registered proprietor of the lease for the land.
  • If your changed floor plan will extend onto public unleased land: written approval to use the public unleased land for the event.

Read more about applying for extended trading in the Event guidelines.

You may also need one of the following.

  • If you’ve leased your premises: written agreement to the changed floor plan from the licensed proprietor of the lease for the premises.
  • If your changed floor plan will extend your licensed premises to include adjoining leased land: written agreement from the registered proprietor of the lease for the land.
  • If your changed floor plan will extend onto public unleased land: written approval to use the public unleased land for the event.
Example: Applying to extend a floor plan for an event

Lisa is presenting a dance performance which will take up a large amount space in the licenced area.

To accommodate the performance, she has applied to temporarily extend the floor plan into the courtyard next to the venue and has provided written consent from the lessor.

Lisa’s application was approved. She can now supply liquor within the extended area and within the conditions of her licence.

Apply to extend your floor plan

Special event declarations

A special event is an event declared by the Head of Access Canberra. It is significant at an international, national, state, territory or local level and it is in the public interest.

The following licence types are covered by the special event declaration:

  • a General Licence
  • an On Licence
  • a Club Licence
  • a Special Licence

A special event declared by the Head of Access Canberra may allow a licensee to supply liquor in open containers to drink at the premises past their usual licensing times. Licensees do not need to apply.

During this time, the licensee must comply with both:

  • any licence conditions
  • any conditions stated in the special event declaration.

View declared special events. Find the current legislated list under the Regulations and Instruments tab on the Legislation Register website.

Read more about extended trading for special events in the Event guidelines.

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 licence fee.

Surrender your licence

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

Surrender a liquor licence