Liquor offences for businesses

If you breach liquor licensing laws, you could be fined or jailed.

Penalty unit (PU) values are listed on the Department of Attorney-General and Justice website.

Offences and penalties for businesses

SectionOffencePenalty infringement noticeMaximum penaltyWho may be accountable
Section 18(1)Fail to return identity card to the Director within 21 days after ceasing to be an inspector1 PU50 PUInspector
Section 35Sell wholesale liquor without being registeredN/A250 PU or imprisonment for 12 monthsIndividual
Section 36Registered wholesaler fails to keep a written record of information and keep that record for at least 3 years unless exempted by the Director2 PU50 PUWholesaler
Section 37Registered wholesaler fails to lodge a return providing information prescribed by regulation in relation to liquor sales, within 28 days after the end of each quarter 2 PU50 PUWholesaler
Section 45(1)Sell liquor without a licence and authority, unless exempt under section 43N/A300 PU or imprisonment  for 3 yearsIndividual
Section 45(2)Sell liquor from a place outside the NT for delivery into the NT, unless the sale is exempt under section 43 or in line with relevant interstate retailers licence conditionsN/A300 PU or imprisonment for 3 yearsIndividual
Section 46(1)Supply or serve liquor at a premises that is used or occupied for a commercial or business purpose, unless that supply or sale is exempt under section 435 PU200 PU or imprisonment for 3 yearsIndividual
Section 76(1)Failure to appoint an acting licensee or notify the Director of their full name and address within 3 days, if unable to conduct business for more than 7 days2 PU50 PULicensee
Section 76(7)An acting licensee acts for more than 42 days in a 12 month period without approval from the Director2 PU50 PULicensee
Section 79(1) and (2)Failure to notify the Director of bankruptcy, etc. in the approved form within 7 days1 PU20 PULicensee
Section 98(1)Material alteration made to a premises without Commission approval3 PU100 PULicensee
Section 98(2)Business is conducted outside of the arrangement approved by the Commission while a material alteration is being made3 PU100 PULicensee
Section 100(2) and (3)Liquor is sold without payment being made at the time of sale (payment includes all legal tender)3 PU100 PULicensee or employee
Section 101Keep or hold a person’s credit or debit card as security for payment for the sale of liquor or other items3 PU100 PULicensee
Section 108Fail to keep records for 3 years as prescribed by regulation regarding purchases and sales or (for grocery store authority) the ratio of sales of liquor to sales of other products2 PU50 PULicensee
Section 109Fail to produce records of liquor purchases on request of inspector1 PU20 PULicensee
Section 126Offer liquor products for sale below minimum sale price5 PU200 PULicensee
Section 127Sell liquor product below the minimum sale price3 PU100  PULicensee
Section 131(1)Contravene section 130 requirement in relation to operating an identification system4 PU100 PULicensee
Section 131 (2)Contravene section 130 requirement in relation to operating an identification system3 PU100 PUEmployee
Section 141 (1)Failure to exclude and remove a person who is violent, quarrelsome, disorderly or incapable of controlling behaviour3PU100 PULicensee and employee
Section 143Failure to leave immediately when excluded or removed under section 141 or 1421 PU20 PUIndividual
Section 144Re-enter or attempt to re-enter a licensed premises within 12 hours after being excluded or removed under section 141 or 1421 PU20 PUIndividual
Section 148(1)If a person is subject to a direction under section 146 in relation to controlling the promotion of undesirable liquor products, and they engage in conduct that contravenes that direction3 PU100 PUIndividual
Section 148(2)Intentionally manufacture or supply a liquor product that is prohibited or restricted under section 146.3 PU100 PUIndividual
Section 173Bring into, possess, control, consume, sell, supply or serve liquor in a general restricted area2 PU200 PU or 12 months imprisonmentIndividual
Section 183Bring into, possess, control, consume, sell, supply or serve liquor in a special restricted area2 PU200 PU or 12 months imprisonmentIndividual
Section 189Bring onto or into, possess, control, or consume liquor in a restricted premises1 PU100 PUIndividual
Section 197Remove, deface or interfere with a declaration of restricted premises warning notice1 PU20 PUIndividual
Section 207(1)Contravene a condition of a permit for a restricted area1 PU20 PUIndividual
Section 207(3)Failure to return a revoked permit when requested to by police or inspector1 PU20 PUIndividual
Section 214(3)Failure to state accurate name and address details when requested to by police for the purposes of issuing a banning notice1 PU5 PUIndividual
Section 214(5)Failure to produce available evidence of a name and address for residence or work when requested to by police, in relation to issuing a banning notice  1 PU5 PU Individual
Section 218Enter or attempt to enter a high risk area or licensed premises if you are banned1 PU20 PUIndividual
Section 224Enter or attempt to enter or remain in a high risk area or premises contrary to an exclusion order1 PU50 PUIndividual
Section 228Failure to comply with a direction to leave a high risk or licensed premises by a police officer, if you are banned or excluded1 PU50 PUIndividual
Section 229(1) and (2)Knowingly permit a banned or excluded person to enter a licensed premises5 PU200 PULicensee and employee
Section 253Failure to comply with a requirement or direction given to a person under section 250(2),(3)(a) or (7) including to provide information and ID2 PU50 PUIndividual
Section 254Failure to comply with a direction by police or inspector not to sell to a person for the remainder of the day2 PU50 PU or 6 months imprisonmentLicensee or employee
Section 283Sell, supply or serve adulterated liquor3 PU100 PUIndividual
Section 284Permit indecent, violent, quarrelsome or riotous conduct on or in licensed premises3 PU100 PULicensee
Section 285(1)Sell or supply to a person who is on a licensed premises and is intoxicated5 PU200 PULicensee
Section 285(2)Supply liquor as a registered complimentary server of liquor to an intoxicated personNA200 PUIndividual
Section 286(2)Intentionally misrepresenting identity to a licensee or employee at the time of purchase, for the purpose of buying liquor1 PU50 PUIndividual
Section 286 (3)Present a false or fictitious ID document to purchase liquor1 PU50 PUIndividual
Section 286 (4)Give ID documents to another person to use as that person’s ID, to purchase liquor.1 PU50 PUIndividual
Section 287 (4)Failure to provide a person of a seized ID information about the process of seizure, and give ID to Director within 72 hours.1 PU20 PULicensee and employee
Section 288(1)Provide false information to an inspector or police1 PU50 PU or imprisonment for 6 monthsIndividual
Section 289Disclose confidential information obtained during the course of performing a function of the Act2 PU200 PU or imprisonment for 2 yearsIndividual
Section 290Failure to comply with a requirement to post a copy of the licence and details in a conspicuous place in the licensed premises3 PU100 PULicensee
Section 291Failure to produce a licence or other documents on demand to an inspector or police officer1 PU20 PULicensee
Section 292A person is found guilty of an offence against the Gaming Control Act on a licensed premises3 PU100 PULicensee
Section 293(1)Contravene a licence condition or authority5 PU200 PULicensee
Section 294(1)Purchase unlicensed or unauthorised liquor2 PU100 PUIndividual
Section 296(2)Send a child to purchase or collect liquor from a licensed premises3 PU50 PUIndividual
Section 297(4)Employ a child to sell or supply liquor without written notice given by the Director4 PU85 PUIndividual
Section 298 (3)Contravene a requirement to post a notice in the approved form when an area of a licensed premises has been declared as prohibited to children1 PU20 PULicensee
Section 299 (2)Permit a child to enter or remain in an area of a licensed premises prohibited to children3 PU85 PULicensee or employee
Section 300(2)Child misrepresents age for the purpose of entering or remaining on a licensed premises or purchasing liquor  0.5 PU50 PUChild
Section 300(3)Child presents false ID document to purchase liquor0.5 PU50 PUChild
Section 300 (4)Provide ID to a child to misrepresent the age or identity of the child for the purpose of purchasing liquor, or entering or remaining on a licensed premises1 PU50 PUIndividual
Section 301(2)A person who is not a parent, step-parent, spouse or guardian or otherwise supervising the child responsibly to serve or supply liquor to a child3 PU100 PUIndividual
Section 303 (1)Engage in conduct that results in a child being sold or supplied with liquor5 PU200 PULicensee
Section 303 (2)Engage in conduct that results in a child being sold or supplied with liquor3 PU100 PUEmployee
Section 304A person intentionally and falsely represents that they or another person is an inspectorNA50 PU or imprisonment for 6 monthsIndividual
Section 305Obstruct an inspector or a police officer exercising a power under the Liquor ActNA50 PU or imprisonment for 6 monthsIndividual
Section 307Executive officer of a body corporate liable for offence of body corporateSame infringementMaximum that is prescribed for an individual for the offence   Individual
Section 314(2)Fail to comply with a request for information or documents to be provided to the Commission or the Director2 PU50 PU or imprisonment for 6 monthsIndividual

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