Find the right alcohol licence and apply

Kimihia te raihana waipiro tika, ka tono hoki

Find out which alcohol licence you need and how to apply.  

Supply alcohol at a new business or club

If you're planning to sell alcohol from a business or club, there are different alcohol licences that may apply:

  • This type of licence is for bars, hotels, restaurants and cafés, BYO-only restaurants and caterers.

    All on-licence premises need to have substantial food available at all times. The national maximum trading hours are between 8.00am and 4.00am the following day, and may be more restrictive subject to the District Licensing Committee discretion.

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  • This type of licence is for bottle stores, grocery stores, supermarkets and cellar doors. The national maximum trading hours are 7.00am until 11.00pm.

    Any off-licensed premises offering remote sales of alcohol (e.g. online orders) must comply with regulations 14 and 15 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Regulations 2013.

    If you only intend to sell alcohol remotely, you will need to apply for a s.40-endorsed off-licence. Remote sellers must have at least one certificate-holding manager employed and listed on the application form as per s.212 of the Act.

    If you operate a s.40 remote sellers licence, customers are not permitted to be on your premises to purchase or collect alcohol. All sales must be conducted remotely and alcohol delivered to your customers.

    All alcohol licences are issued to the address where the sale takes place. In most instances, for remote sellers, alcohol is stored and distributed from a different location.

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  • This type of licence is for any club that is registered as an incorporated society and can only sell and supply alcohol to members, authorised customers (guests of members), or authorised visitors (holds reciprocal visiting rights).  

    If you're intending  to   hire  the club rooms to any non-members , authorised  customers or visitors, and you wish to sell alcohol to those who have hired the venue then you'll need to get a special licence.  

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Apply for a new licence

Supplying alcohol at an event

If you want to sell alcohol at a one-off event or series of events you need a special licence.  

Apply for a special licence

Taking over a licensed business

If you're buying an established business that sells alcohol you need a temporary authority to continue selling alcohol while you apply for a new on-licence or off-licence.  

Apply for Temporary Authority

Need help?

Contact an alcohol licensing inspector to discuss anything about the sale of alcohol:

Phone 03 441 0499 (Queenstown) or 03 443 0024 (Wānaka).