We send your licence or permit renewal notice in November each year.
If you are concerned about the cost, you can apply to either:
change your licence to lower your risk and pay a lower fee have your fee waived or reduced due to financial hardship or exceptional circumstances. Apply as soon as you get your renewal notice.
Lower your risk to reduce fees Your fee is based on your licence type and risk factors linked to alcohol-related harm.
Venues with higher risks pay higher fees.
If you lower your risks you may pay a lower fee. Before you apply, check if your change will make a difference to your annual renewal fees .
Apply before 31 December if you want the change to take effect before your next renewal notice.
These are your options:
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Change your licence type (category) Apply to change your licence type (category) to one with a lower annual renewal fee.
For example, if you have a restaurant with an on-premises licence you might change to a restaurant and cafe licence.
Consider what the new licence type will allow and make sure it still fits your business needs.
An application to change your licence type may take 9 to 11 weeks to process.
You must pay a non-refundable application fee of $252.20.
Use this form to apply:
Variation to the category of licence
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Reduce trading hours Consider reducing your trading hours to avoid the risk fee for operating late.
If you have one of these licence types and conditions, your fee will be lower if you close earlier:
Restaurant and cafe licence, trading after 1 am Remote seller's licence, trading outside ordinary hours Packaged liquor licence, trading outside ordinary hours Late night (general) licence Late night (on-premises) licence Late night (packaged liquor) licence. There is no fee for this application.
Use this form to apply:
Reduce trading hours or patron numbers
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Advise if your large venue type qualifies for lower fees If your venue holds 801 customers or more, you may meet the requirements for a prescribed venue type.
Prescribed venue types pay a lower risk fee.
Check if you meet the requirements and how to notify us .
Reduce your venue capacity If you have a risk fee for venue capacity (maximum patron capacity), consider reducing the total number of customers your venue is licensed to hold.
This may reduce or remove the fee for venue capacity risk.
Before you apply, check if your change will make a difference to your annual renewal fees .
There is no fee for this application.
Use this form to apply:
Reduce trading hours or patron numbers
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Reduce your licensed floor space You may be paying a risk fee based on the floor space of your licensed venue.
You can apply to reduce your floor space and pay a lower fee if you have a:
producer’s liquor licence remote seller's liquor licence packaged liquor licence late night (packaged liquor) licence. If you have a producer's liquor licence, you can remove the risk fee if you reduce your licensed floor space to less than 150 square metres.
If you have a remote seller's or packaged liquor licence, you can remove the risk fee if you reduce your licensed floor space to less than 750 square metres.
There is no fee for this application.
To apply:
Update your red line plan to show your reduced floor space. Email the plan to contact@liquor.vic.gov.au . Advise function room numbers You can tell us the maximum number of customers your function room holds.
This may reduce your renewal fees if:
your function room is currently included in your venue’s maximum patron capacity you do not use the function room as part of your regular operations (it’s only used for functions). There is no fee to apply.
How to apply 1. Download the information kit, which includes the application form:
Vary a licence to identify patron numbers for a function room or accommodation area
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2. Complete and sign the form.
3. Email the form to contact@liquor.vic.gov.au .
Apply for a fee waiver or reduction If you cannot lower your renewal fee by changing your licence, you can apply for a waiver or reduction in exceptional or difficult circumstances.
This is one-off assistance to help you get through a difficult time.
We usually ask for evidence of financial hardship, such as a profit and loss statement.
Apply by 31 March to be considered for a fee waiver or reduction of the fee on your latest renewal notice.
What we consider When we assess your application, we consider:
if you’ve already tried to lower your fee (by reducing hours, patron numbers or licensed area). your compliance history (we cannot approve applications if you’ve had any non-compliance incidents in the past 24 months). if you’ve applied before. whether paying the fee would cause you serious financial hardship. How to apply To apply:
Complete the form:
Waiver or reduction of a liquor licence renewal fee
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Email the form to contact@liquor.vic.gov.au . After you apply You must stop supplying alcohol on 1 April if you have not paid your renewal fee in full .
This is regardless of whether you have applied for a fee waiver or reduction.
We will email you with a decision on your application.
Support for your business These organisations can offer extra support:
Business Victoria is a Victorian Government website with a range of resources and information, including on financial support, advice and training. Visit their website or call 13 22 15 Small Business Mentoring Service is an independent, not-for-profit organisation. It can help you access an experienced business mentor to help you navigate challenging times. Visit their website or call 1300 816 817 .