We inspect licensed venues and locations across metropolitan and regional Victoria to:
- check compliance with liquor laws and licence conditions
- advise on issues that need to be fixed to meet compliance
- issue fines when needed.
Regular inspections help promote the responsible service of alcohol, reduce alcohol-related harm and keep the community safe.
When we do inspections
Inspections happen:
- with or without prior notice
- usually during your trading hours or other times when we'd expect you to supply alcohol (for example, at a private function or in the 30-minute grace period after closing hours)
- at any time if we have the appropriate warrant (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Liquor inspector powers
Liquor inspectors are legally allowed to:
- enter and inspect licensed venues and locations, including to observe without identifying themselves at first (they may then identify themselves to formally engage with licensees and staff)
- require licensees, staff or anyone else to answer questions and provide information, documents, records or equipment
- seize items as evidence
- demand a person give their age, name and address if they look under 18 years
- seize alcohol from a person who looks under 18 years and tip it out
- enter a private home if they have a search warrant, or if the home is part of a licensed venue and they have the licensee’s permission
- issue enforcement actions, such as infringement notices (fines), except for breaches of banning notices or exclusion orders. Read about the full range of enforcement actions.
Liquor inspectors and Victoria Police have similar powers to enforce liquor laws. We each work independently and may visit a venue for different reasons.
What happens during an inspection
We expect licensees and staff, including crowd controllers, to cooperate with inspectors and treat them respectfully.
It’s an offence to obstruct, hinder, threaten, abuse or intimidate an inspector during an inspection.
The inspection does not usually disrupt your normal operations, unless you are short-staffed. We will need a staff member to spend time with us during the inspection.
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