Apply for a temporary limited licence

When do you need a 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 trading hours or the size of the licensed premises.

Activities that are not licensed

A temporary limited licence is not needed when:

• you are holding a private event in a private home where alcohol will be supplied free of charge
• alcohol is being supplied through a catering company, instead your catering company will need to hold a liquor licence
• the premises you have hired for a private event is licensed and the licensee is running the event (for example a licensed restaurant, pub or sporting club with a bar where the licensee receives the proceeds from sales).

A temporary limited liquor licence is only needed for a raffle when each participant wins a prize and that prize is a liquor product.

Activities that are licensed

Category 1: One-off events or trading hour and area extensions

One-off events include:

• a wedding, birthday party, fundraising night, music, food or liquor event.
• a permanent licensee seeking to temporarily extend their trading hours
• a permanent licensee seeking to temporarily extend the area of a licensed venue
• a farmers’ or craft market.

Category 2: A series of one-off events

A series of events are those that are held within a 3-month period and show a common theme/connection such as:

• a summer outdoor movie season
• a theatre group production running over several weeks.

Category 3: Sports events (seasonal)

A series of sporting events are those that are licensed for the period of the sporting season such as:

• a point of sale that is required for match days
• a point of sale that is required for finals series

Businesses that make and sell their own alcohol

If you make your own alcohol products to sell you may be eligible for a Producers licence. Producers licences can have a promotional event codition endorsed which allows attendance of promotion events such as farmers markets.

Apply for your temporary limited licence

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. 

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
• size of the licensed premises
• means of delivery or supply to customers
• duration of the event or activity
• provision of food.

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

The following council areas have additional requirements to trade after 1am:

• Yarra
• Port Phillip
• Melbourne (including Docklands)
• Stonnington.

Venue management plan

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

Applicants should include the following in their venue management plan where relevant: 

• details of the liquor licence sought/held – refer to definitions in the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998
• hours of operation of your premises 
• any proposed special events and specific management strategies for dealing with such special events 
• training of staff including:
  • Responsible Service of Alcohol
  • first aid
  • patron management
  • provision of free drinking water
  • staff familiar with venue management plan
• security arrangements including:
  • the number of personnel and their hours of work 
  • strategies for responding to drugs and weapons 
  • planned response to theft on the premises 
  • strategies for dealing with intoxicated, drunk and disorderly patrons
• patron management including:
  • maximum number of patrons to be permitted on the premises 
  • managing entry and exits and pass-out arrangements
  • venue evacuation procedures
  • plan to minimise queuing outside the venue 
  • plan on outside areas of the venue and how to minimise impacts on the amenity of nearby properties 
  • smoking in and around the venue 
  • public transport services such as taxis for patrons
• lighting and security cameras including:
  • lighting within boundaries of the premises
  • lighting outside the premises 
  • security camera locations, operation and management
• processes for managing waste including:
  • litter in and around the venue 
  • waste storage and removal including time of pick up for:
  • general rubbish
  • bottles
• noise reduction measures (if applicable):
  • doors, windows or other noise reduction devices 
  • limiting noise such as music, emptying bins, generators and from patrons in and around the licensed venue 
• a complaint handling process. The process should outline:
  • how complaints received from neighbouring and nearby businesses and residents will be managed
  • a complaints register to be kept at the premises. The register must include:
    • details of the complaint received (who, when, where, what)
    • what action was taken
    • response to the complainant
• any other management strategies relevant to your business.

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.

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.

Applying for multiple events

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

Holders of a producer’s licence may apply for a temporary limited licence to attend and sell liquor at up to 6 farmer's or craft markets in any one calendar year. A holder of a producer’s licence may be eligible to vary their licence to include promotional event authority. 

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 you are unsure which licence you need for your event, phone 1300 182 457 or email contact@liquor.vic.gov.au