What is a Liquor Licence?

Sale of alcohol to the public requires the seller to have a liquor licence.&nbsp; there are four types of licence:<UL><LI>On-licence (e.g., pub, restaurant, cafe, bar)<LI>Off-licence (e.g., bottle store, supermarket, dairy)<LI>Club licence (e.g., sports club, RSA, working men's club)<LI>Special licence (e.g., for a food and wine festival)</LI></UL>A liquor licence is granted initially for one year and then can be renewed every three years.<BR><BR><STRONG>What does a liquor licence allow?</STRONG><BR><BR>It allows the licensee to sell alcohol according to the conditions of the licence.<BR><BR>Conditions cover such things as:<UL><LI>who alcohol can be sold to<LI>the hours and days it can be sold<LI>who is allowed on the premises<LI>the range of food, non-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks to be provided<LI>provision of information about alternative transport arrangements</LI></UL>It is against the law for a licensee or their staff to sell alcohol to anyone who is intoxicated or under the ag

Sale of alcohol to the public requires the seller to have a liquor licence.  there are four types of licence:

• On-licence (e.g., pub, restaurant, cafe, bar)
• Off-licence (e.g., bottle store, supermarket, dairy)
• Club licence (e.g., sports club, RSA, working men's club)
• Special licence (e.g., for a food and wine festival)

A liquor licence is granted initially for one year and then can be renewed every three years.

What does a liquor licence allow?

It allows the licensee to sell alcohol according to the conditions of the licence.

Conditions cover such things as:

• who alcohol can be sold to
• the hours and days it can be sold
• who is allowed on the premises
• the range of food, non-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks to be provided
• provision of information about alternative transport arrangements

It is against the law for a licensee or their staff to sell alcohol to anyone who is intoxicated or under the age of 18 years.  There are heavy penalties for these offences.

Who decides whether a licence will be granted?

It depends partly on the physical location, which is dependent upon the District Plan for the area concerned. Because of this, an applicant will need to get consent from the local Council.  The Sale of Liquor Act does not cover this part.

If the District Plan allows for a licensee to operate in a particular location, the would-be licensee must then apply for a licence.  The application is made to the District Licensing Agency (DLA) of the local City or District Council.

If there is no opposition, the DLA makes the decision.  In the case of an objection to the licence, the application is forwarded to the Liquor Licensing Authority in Wellington who will investigate and make a decision.