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You need an alcohol on-licence to sell or supply alcohol to be consumed on your business premises.
Examples include:
This can be a complicated process to research yourself.
The best thing to do is to call us on 09 301 0101 and ask for the planning helpdesk to check if the Auckland Unitary Plan allows you to open an alcohol business in your area.
No on-licences can be issued for taverns or hotels in the Portage or Waitakere Licensing Trust areas.
Before you apply, you need to get alcohol licensing building and planning certificates.
Visit Apply for alcohol licensing building and planning certificates.
Your business must have a certified manager.
Visit Apply for a manager's certificate.
You must ensure food is available whenever your business is open and selling alcohol.
Find out about your responsibilities as a host.
You will need to apply for food registration separately.
If required, you will need to apply for an outdoor dining licence separately.
You need to enter the following information:
Your total fee is made up of:
Pay this fee with your application. After the first year, you renew your licence every three years.
You will need to pay this after we assess and accept your application
This determines your fee.
This is an estimate only.
We calculate your fee based on the information you give us on your application form, not the information you enter into this calculator. We do not record, save or otherwise use information that you enter into this calculator.
Application fees cannot be refunded or transferred to a different application.
Visit Ways to pay online for information on all payment options.
Bring your completed application form and supporting documents to one of our libraries with council services and pay by:
Allow eight weeks processing time. To avoid delays, make sure you provide all the required documentation.
Five weeks of this processing time is for:
The District Licensing Committee will hold a hearing if:
It will take longer to process your application if a hearing is required.
Place your public notice as soon as possible.
The public have 25 working days from the date of the online notice to object to your application.
During this time, the police and the Medical Officer of Health will also look into your application.
For more information, see Notify the public of your alcohol licence application.
We will assess your application.
Your application will be reviewed by:
One of our alcohol licensing inspectors will visit your business site and review your host responsibility policy.
We will forward your application to the District Licensing Committee for the final decision.
If the District Licensing Committee approves your application, you will need to pay an annual fee before we post your alcohol licence to you.
Your new licence is valid for one year.
You will need to:
We will send you a reminder letter stating the fee.
After your first renewal, you'll need to apply to renew your licence every three years, at least 20 working days before the expiry date.
We will let you know if:
The District Licensing Committee will contact you if you need to attend a public hearing before a final decision is made.
End-of-year application deadlines
You may need to apply to renew your alcohol licence earlier than usual during the holiday season.
Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, the days between and including 20 December and 15 January are not counted as working days:
If you have an existing on-licence, you must apply to renew it at least 20 working days before it expires.
If you know you will be applying less than 20 working days before your current licence expires, you need to tell us why it is late on the application form.
Apply online or download the application form. You should include the:
You need to enter the following information:
Your total fee is made up of:
Pay this fee with your application. After the first year, you renew your licence every three years.
You will need to pay this after we assess and accept your application
This determines your fee.
This is an estimate only.
We calculate your fee based on the information you give us on your application form, not the information you enter into this calculator. We do not record, save or otherwise use information that you enter into this calculator.
Your application fee is non-refundable.
Visit Ways to pay online for information on all payment options.
Bring your completed application form and supporting documents to one of our libraries with council services and pay by:
If you apply to renew your licence at least 20 working days before it expires, you can continue selling alcohol with no gap in business.
We will forward your application to the District Licensing Committee who will make the final decision.
Place your public notice as soon as possible.
The public have 25 working days from the date of the online notice to object to your application.
During this time, the police and the Medical Officer of Health will also look into your application.
For more information, visit Notify the public of your alcohol licence application.
If your application is approved, we will post your renewed licence to you.
We will let you know if:
The District Licensing Committee will contact you if you need to attend a public hearing before a final decision is made.
