Liquor licensing

On licence

This licence authorises the holder to sell or supply liquor on premises or conveyances. Liquor cannot be removed from these premises or conveyances. There must be a person with a current manager's certificate on duty at all times when liquor is being sold or supplied to the public.

Apply for an on licence for a premises
Apply for an on licence for a conveyance
Building and planning certificates (for premises only)
Renew your licence

Apply for an on licence for a premises

General guidelines

the fee for an on licence is $776.00
the fee for a BYO on licence is $132.00. (No manager's certificate required)
fees must be paid at the time of application and are not refundable
the processing timeframe is 25 working days provided that all the relevant information is included in the application
before you apply for your on licence you will need to obtain building and planning certificates
once your application has been accepted for lodgement, two public notices must be placed in the newspaper within 20 working days
this licence is initially renewable after one year then every three years after that.

To apply

Step 1 Download and complete the On licence application guide and form (201k PDF)

Step 2 Include three copies of ALL the following documents:

application form, signed and dated

copies of building and planning certificates once they have been issued by Auckland City

a scale plan drawn to draughtsman standards with dimensions and total area showing:

the part of the premises to be used for the sale of liquor

the main entrance

any part to be designated 'supervised' or 'restricted' as defined in the Sale of Liquor Act

owner's consent if you do not own the premises

a map showing the location of the premises (eg a photocopy of a street map with your site marked)

exterior photograph or artist's impression showing the main entrance

a sample of your menu

in the case of a company, provide the certificate of incorporation and brief details of directors and shareholders (names, addresses and dates of birth)

a brief written submission describing the way your business will operate, eg promoting mainly food or bar facilities, who the certified manager will be and a description of the business background of those persons involved

host responsibility policy

legal description or certificate of title of the premises. You can find these details in the Property and rates information search and include them with your written submission.

Step 3 Send your application, including the fee, to District Licensing Agency, Auckland City, Private Bag 92516, Wellesley Street, Auckland.
Please make cheques payable to Auckland City.

Next Once your application has been accepted for lodgement, we will send you an acknowledgement letter including a guide to placing the public notice.
When the notices have been published, you need to send a copy of each notice from the newspaper (preferably the full page) showing the date and name of the paper to District Licensing Agency, Auckland City, Private Bag 92516, Wellesley Street, Auckland

During the 25 days it take to process your application, we will:

request a police report

a liquor licensing inspector will contact you for an interview before completing their report. The inspector will probably want to visit your premises

your application must be held in the agency office for a minimum of 10 working days after the publication of the first public notice to allow for objections from interested parties

if objections are received copies will be sent to you by this office

a copy of the inspectors and police report will be posted to you.

To view PDFs download Acrobat Reader from the Adobe website. Further help on how to view PDFs.

Apply for an on licence for a conveyance

This licence is required if you plan on selling or supplying liquor in a conveyance, for example limousine, party bus, ferry, cruise vessel, etc.

General guidelines

the fee for an on licence for a conveyance is $776.00. This must be paid at the time of application and is not refundable
the processing timeframe is 25 working days
you will need to supply with your application (as relevant) a current
- Safe Ship Management Certificate (sea vessels)
- Airworthiness Certificate (aeroplanes)
- Warrant of Fitness (vehicles)
if you do not own the conveyance, the owner's consent must be included with the application
a layout plan of the conveyance must be included with the application
once your application has been accepted for lodgement, two public notices must be placed in the newspaper within 20 working days
this licence is initially renewable after one year then every three years after that

To apply

the licence application form
an application form for manager's certificate

Building and planning certificates (for premises only)

Note: The planning and building certificates must be granted before you apply for you liquor licence.

Planning Certificate under the Resource Management Act 1991

The planning certificate, when granted, confirms that the proposed use of the premises meets requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991.

fee is $152
takes approximately 20 working days to process
applications should include all supporting information and documentation, particularly planned usage of floor areas for ALL buildings on site, proposed or existing opening hours and parking requirements for each activity on site. Details of what's required are included on the application form.

To apply

Download and complete the Planning Certificate application form (279k PDF)
Send your application, the fee and all required information (as stated in the application form) to
Auckland City
Private Bag 92516
Wellesley St
Auckland Central

Building Code Certificate

This certificate, when granted, confirms that the proposed use of the premises meets requirements of the Building Code.

fee is $293
takes approximately 20 working days to process

To apply

Download and complete the Building code certificate application form (41k PDF)
Send your application, the fee and all required information (as stated in the application form) to
Auckland City
Private Bag 92516
Wellesley St
Auckland Central

Updated July 2008