NSW liquor licensing, done properly.

It depends on the licence type and the authorisations you need. NSW Government application fees for a new licence range from $483 for a small bar to $3,451 for a hotel, before professional fees and any extended trading or other authorisations. Our cost estimator gives a figure that includes all NSW Government fees and charges.

Yes. Every NSW licence holder pays an annual liquor licence fee, made up of a base fee plus any risk-based loadings. For 2026, base fees range from $355 for a small bar to $1,111 for a full hotel licence. Loadings apply for regular trading after midnight and for compliance history, and discounts apply to venues with no demerit points.

Preparing and lodging the application, the plan of management, a SoRPE where required, notifications, responding to submissions and negotiating conditions. Our estimates include all NSW Government application fees.

Up to 12 weeks for most applications. Liquor & Gaming NSW says complete applications are generally determined within seven working days, while applications that need more information or attract objections can take up to 12 weeks. Most applications are also advertised for comment for up to 30 days, or 14 days for a straightforward restaurant with no authorisations. Lodging a complete application is the biggest factor you control.

Usually, yes. Your liquor licence must match what council has approved, including the use, trading hours and capacity. Speak with us before lodging a development application so the two line up. In some circumstances it may be possible to lodge your licence application before council has approved the use, but there can be risks with this.

An on-premises licence (restaurant class), where food is the primary purpose of the business. It lets you serve alcohol with or alongside meals, and minors are allowed. A primary service authorisation lets you serve guests who don't order food, and a takeaway authorisation allows limited takeaway alcohol with a genuine takeaway meal.

A licence for bars with up to 120 patrons, where drinks rather than food are the focus. Standard trading is 10am to midnight, with trading to 2am included where your development consent allows. Food must be available whenever alcohol is sold, gaming machines aren't permitted, and trading past 2am needs an extended trading authorisation and a SoRPE.

Both suit venues where alcohol is the main business and there's no patron cap under the Liquor Act. A hotel licence also allows takeaway sales and gaming machines, subject to gaming approvals. A general bar licence doesn't allow takeaway or gaming.

Yes. Selling alcohol online, by phone or through an app needs a liquor licence, usually a packaged licence (delivery only class) based at your administrative office. Producers can also sell their own product online under a producer/wholesaler licence. Same-day delivery carries extra requirements.

Yes, with an on-premises licence, as long as alcohol stays secondary to your main product or service. A licence isn't needed if drinks are genuinely free, with no direct or indirect charge, but free drinks bundled into a package or entry fee need a licence.

No. A liquor licence isn't required to run a BYO restaurant, but council approvals still apply and you need a licence as soon as you sell alcohol, including alcohol included in a meal price. Laws on supplying alcohol to minors still apply.

A Statement of Risks and Potential Effects (SoRPE) describes the impact a liquor licence might have on the local community. Certain applications need one, depending on the licence type and the notification required. A well-prepared SoRPE deals with risks before objectors raise them.

A current Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) competency and Licensee Training, which is mandatory for most new licensees and approved managers. Venues authorised to trade after midnight on more than 12 occasions a year, nightclubs and karaoke bars also need Advanced Licensee Training.

When a company holds the licence, it generally needs an approved manager to run the premises day to day. The manager must be approved and must complete the required training.

An authorisation to trade beyond standard hours. On-premises, bar and hotel licences have standard hours to midnight, so extended trading covers trading after midnight. Small bars already trade to 2am, and bottle shops can extend Sunday trading from 10pm to midnight. Regular late trading also increases your annual licence fee.

It lets a restaurant or other on-premises venue sell alcohol to guests who aren't ordering food or using the venue's main service. For restaurants, the kitchen must stay open whenever it's used.

Yes. The incoming licensee applies to transfer the licence, usually with the outgoing licensee's consent, and the business can keep trading while it's assessed. Provisional approval usually comes within ten business days of a complete application, with confirmation usually within 60 days if there are no objections.

Conditions are enforceable, and a breach can lead to penalties or action against the licence. Conditions you don't need can also restrict how you trade. We prepare applications so that only appropriate conditions are proposed, and negotiate the wording of any others before the licence is granted.

Yes. We vary or remove restrictive conditions, add authorisations such as extended trading or primary service, change licensed boundaries and hours, and manage licence transfers.