business.gov.au

General Licence - Victoria

Description

You will need this licence if you intend to sell alcohol for customers to drink at your venue and take away.

This licence allows you to:

  • sell alcohol for customers to drink at your venue until 1 am
  • sell packaged alcohol for customers to take away until 11 pm
  • sell and allow customers to drink alcohol in outdoor dining areas if you also sell alcohol in your venue (until 11 pm, with council permission)
  • sell any type or amount of alcohol, unless otherwise stated on your licence
  • allow BYO alcohol at your venue
  • sell packaged alcohol online.

Note, if you want to trade after 1 am, apply for a late-night (general) licence instead.

For more information about the General Liquor Licence, please see here.

Service type

Licence

A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for this licence, you must:

  • be at least 18 years old
  • consent to your information being shared with Victoria Police and the local council
  • not only sell packaged liquor, either in person or online.

Before you apply, as the applicant you must complete or be enrolled in:

  • new entrant training
  • Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training.

For more information on training requirements, visit licensee training.

Duration

Up to 12 months

Expiry

31 December

Fees

Fees Details for this service in table format.

Task Type Business Structure Description
Apply Application All

Current application fees can be found here.
Apply Renewal All

Annual renewal fee due by 31 December each year. Current renewal fees can be found here.

Forms

Act(s) name

Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 Victoria

Regulation(s) name

Liquor Control Reform Regulations 2023 Victoria

Lodgement process

Apply

Planning 

You no longer need to upload a council planning permit with your application. Instead, upload the LCV new licence or permit planning document when the application process asks for a planning permit. This is a temporary step while the Agency updates the application form. You can upload a planning permit instead, if you have one.

Application process

Apply

When to apply

Apply at least 11 weeks before you need a licence.

Who can apply?

Only an authorised person can apply for the licence. This depends on who is applying.

If you are applying as:

  • an individual, you must apply for the licence yourself (on the form this is called a 'natural person')
  • a company, a current director or someone the board has officially authorised to sign documents must apply
  • an incorporated association, an executive committee member must apply
  • a partnership, a partner must apply (partnerships can only be made up of individuals).

Approval time

9 - 11 weeks

Administering agency

Department of Justice and Community Safety

Liquor Control Victoria

Contact details

Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.