Home : Licensing : Liquor
Licensing : Applying for a Liquor Licence
If you want to sell or supply alcohol – as a business, club or special event – you must apply for the appropriate liquor licence.
There are four types of licences (On, Off, Club and Special). Each has its own specific application form, a non-refundable fee and substantial requirements for additional documentation.
If you are buying licensed premises, you can apply for Temporary Authority while your full application is processed.
What do I need for my application?
- All new applications for On, Off and Club Liquor Licences must obtain certificates under the Resource Management Act & the Building Act prior to lodging an application. More information here.
- When applying for a licence, you will need to supply a Host
Responsibility policy.
- Licence application. There are different forms for different types of licence - see the list below.
The Liquor Licence Application Process page contains more information on timeframes and the process that takes place after you lodge your application.
On Licence
An On Licence allows for the sale and supply
of liquor to persons for consumption on the premises. Examples
of premises that require an On Licence include hotels, taverns,
licensed restaurants/cafes, night-clubs and function centres.
An On Licence may be endorsed (BYO endorsement) to allow diners
and their guests to be able to bring their own alcohol into the premises and
consume it.
The licence is issued for one year and if all conditions are being met during
this time, then the licence can be renewed on a three yearly basis.
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View and print all application forms below in PDF format. View or print PDF files using Adobe Acrobat Reader (download or update for free). |
Download the On Licence application form (138 KB)
Off Licence
An Off Licence allows for the sale and
supply of liquor to persons for consumption off the premises.
Examples of a premises that require an off licence include
bottlestores and supermarkets
The Off Licence licence is issued for one year and if all
conditions are being met during this time, then the licence can be renewed
on a three yearly basis.
Supermarkets and grocery stores can sell only wine and beer.
Download the Off Licence Application form (136 KB)
Club Licence
A Club Licence allows for the sale and
supply of liquor for consumption on the club premises to
members of the club, their guests and members of clubs with
reciprocal visiting rights.
The Club Licence is issued for one year and if all conditions
are being meet during this time, then the licence can be renewed on a three
yearly basis.
Download a Club Licence application form (130 KB)
Special Licence
A Special Licence allows for the sale and supply of liquor at an event such as a sporting event, street party or function.
It can also be issued to a licensee for an extension of
hours. It is issued for the occasion only, and it can not
be renewed.
A special licence can apply for more than one date covering the same type of
event.
Download the Special Licence application form (422 KB)
Renewal of On, Off and Club licences
On, Off and Club licences expire after one year and need to be renewed every three years with the District Licensing Agency. The important thing to remember is that the application for renewal must be filed with the District Licensing Agency before the licence expires. Please note that if the licence expires before it is renewed then application for a new licence will need to be made.
You will need to fill out the Declaration of Evaluation Scheme application form (see below) when applying for a renewal of on, off and club licence.
Download the Renewal of On, Off and Club licence application form (107 KB)
Declaration of Evacuation Scheme
When applying for a renewal of on, off and club licence, you will also need to fill out a Declaration of Evaluation Scheme form (below).
Download the Declaration of Evaluation Scheme application form (107 KB)
Buying a Licenced Premises? You'll need a Temporary Authority
A Temporary Authority allows a new owner to trade for a limited time on the existing On or Off licence while an application for a new licence is in progress. The Temporary Authority is issued for three months and can only be granted where the existing licence is still current (has not been expired or been surrendered).
Download the Temporary Authority application form (70 KB)
Contact
For more information about any of these licences, please
contact the Licensing Inspector or an Environmental Health
officer at the Council on 
resource@hdc.govt.nz
or phone 06 878 0500.
