Apply for a temporary limited licence

We receive a large number of temporary licence applications every day.

We will contact you by email closer to your event date if we have further questions.

If you are unsure if we have received your application, please check your email. After you submit and pay your applicable application fee, we will email you a copy of your application. It will be sent to your nominated email and it includes your payment receipt.

What is a temporary limited licence?

Temporary limited liquor licences allow individuals or organisations to supply alcohol at a one-off event or a series of one-off events.

They can also allow individuals and licensees to temporarily:

increase their trading hours, such as later into the night or on public holidays
change the size of the licensed premises
sell liquor online via a website
attend markets or one-off events.

There is a fee to apply for a temporary limited liquor licence.

If you are unsure if you require a liquor licence, please visit do I need a liquor licence?

Apply for your temporary limited licence

Submit your application

Fill out the online form on the portal. Instructions how to successfully complete your application are provided.

Apply online

We ask that you lodge any applications with at least 8 weeks before your event. This is so we have plenty of time to assess your application. If you apply with less than 3 weeks notice, we may not have enough time to assess your application.

If you are applying for a licence to run a one-off event such as a fete or fundraising event at a school, the right organisation or entity must apply. Make your application under the name or the organisation that will be responsible for the purchase, supply and sale of liquor and who will be receiving any funds raised.

A temporary limited licence will be assigned one address or location. If you have multiple events at different locations, you will need to apply for each location separately.

Event types

The application form will ask you what event type you are holding. You can only pick one and the questions will change based on what you tell us in your application.

If you make a mistake before you submit your application, you can press ‘Back’ to fix it.

Public holiday trading

Trading hours on Good Friday, Anzac Day and New Year's Eve vary for different liquor licences.

If you’re holding a one-off event, we want to know if your event will be indoors or outdoors.
You can pick up to 3 event dates on one application. The event type and location must be the same for all 3 events.
One-off events can include:
- weddings
- birthday parties
- school or sports fundraising nights
- live music events
- food and liquor events
- a farmers’ or craft market.
If you are a school applying for a one-off event, please select ‘School’ as your ‘Event type’, unless you are holding a wine drive, then please choose ‘Internet, mail orders, gift hampers’.
Licensees and permittees who already hold a liquor licence already may want to increase their trading hours or licensed area for a one off event.
These events may include bookings for parties or private functions or a live band being hired for a public event being held at your venue.
If you are increasing your trading hours, you only need to tell us of the additional hours you want.
If you are increasing the size of your licensed area, you will need give us a new red line plan and tell us of all the hours you want it to apply. You cannot have more patrons at your venue unless you also increase your licensed area.
You can also pick this option if you are having a one off event at another location that is not your usual venue.
You can apply for a maximum of 3 events on your application. The location and type of event must the same for all 3 events.
Sporting clubs may want to have a second location to supply liquor at match days or final games.
If you are going to supply liquor at an away game where you do not already have a licence, you will need a licence to supply liquor. A point of sale might suit your needs.
You can apply for a short season, or a series of one-off events based on your needs. We will ask you about the days and hours you want to trade.
Point of sale only allows you to trade during the sporting game and for 30 minutes after. You cannot continue to supply liquor in the club rooms after the match with this option.
This event type is for people wanting to sell liquor at markets, festivals, food and liquor events, etc.
We will ask you questions about the types and amount of liquor you want to sell, and about the kind of event you are attending.
You can tell us of up to 3 dates on one application if they are in the same location. Each different location will require its own temporary limited licence application.
If you do not produce your liquor, or you are an interstate producer without a Victorian liquor licence, you will need to select this event type.
This event type is for applicants with a season of events and those with event types that do not match any of the others. Please give us a detailed description of your event so that we can assess your application easily.
The maximum season length is 6 weeks. If you are applying for one-off events, please confirm the event dates in the ‘Additional information’ box.
You will need to provide us with an event management plan.

If you make your own alcohol products in Victoria to sell

If you make your own alcohol products in Victoria to sell, you may be eligible for a producer’s licence. Producer‘s licences can have a promotional event condition endorsed which allows attendance of promotion events such as farmers markets. If you already have a producer’s licence, but do not have this condition, you can apply to add this to your licence with the form below:

Variation of conditions for an existing producer’s licence

PDF 1.11 MB

Applying for multiple events in a year

Generally, individuals or organisations can apply for temporary licences to cover up to six events per location over a calendar year. You must have the right to occupy the premises during the event.

You can put up to 3 events on one application as long as they are in the same place and the type of event is the same.

Attending events with multiple suppliers of liquor

Events such as fetes, markets and festivals can often include the supply of liquor by more than one party. This may include:

licensees who want to sell alcohol they have produced themselves
more than one business wants to sell liquor to attendees.

The most common licensing arrangements for multiple suppliers at an event are:

both the event organiser and individual supplier are licensed
only the event organiser is licensed
only the individual suppliers are licensed.

If the event will have over 5000 people, you may need to apply for a major event licence.

Information needed in your application

To be granted a temporary limited licence, you need to show that you only want to supply alcohol in a limited way.

In your application form describe your event or activity, explaining how alcohol will be supplied.

Information you provide might include, but is not limited to:

range of products (including the types of alcohol and number of individual products supplied)
customers
trading hours
a red line plan showing the size of the premises
means of delivery or supply to customers
duration of the event or activity
a description of the event and whether you are providing food.

Red line plan

Your red line plan defines the area where alcohol can be supplied. This plan needs to be included in your application. The red line plan page has information on how to create and change your plan.

If your application is granted, you must keep a copy of your red line plan at event as you may be required to produce a copy of it.

Applications made to supply alcohol after 1 am in the City of Yarra, Port Phillip, Melbourne and Stonnington

If you are applying to trade after 1am in the following council areas, you will need to provide additional information with your application:

Yarra
Port Phillip
Melbourne (including Docklands)
Stonnington.

Event management plan

If your event or venue is seeking to trade late, will have a large number of patrons attend or be high risk in nature, you should provide a management plan. If you do not provide one, we may ask you for one.

Your event or venue management plan should show you have a strategy for the management of event or venue and its risks.

Training

All persons involved in the supply or service of liquor must have completed a RSA course approved by Liquor Control Victoria. You may be required to produce evidence of completion of RSA.