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 Treasury and Finance website.
Offences and penalties for businesses
| Section | Offence | Penalty infringement notice | Maximum penalty | Who may be accountable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 18(1) | Fail to return identity card to the Director within 21 days after ceasing to be an inspector | 1 PU | 50 PU | Inspector |
| Section 35 | Sell wholesale liquor without being registered | N/A | 250 PU or imprisonment for 12 months | Individual |
| Section 36 | Registered wholesaler fails to keep a written record of information and keep that record for at least 3 years unless exempted by the Director | 2 PU | 50 PU | Wholesaler |
| Section 37 | Registered 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 PU | 50 PU | Wholesaler |
| Section 45(1) | Sell liquor without a licence and authority, unless exempt under section 43 | N/A | 300 PU or imprisonment for 3 years | Individual |
| 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 conditions | N/A | 300 PU or imprisonment for 3 years | Individual |
| 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 43 | 5 PU | 200 PU or imprisonment for 3 years | Individual |
| 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 days | 2 PU | 50 PU | Licensee |
| Section 76(7) | An acting licensee acts for more than 42 days in a 12 month period without approval from the Director | 2 PU | 50 PU | Licensee |
| Section 79(1) and (2) | Failure to notify the Director of bankruptcy, etc. in the approved form within 7 days | 1 PU | 20 PU | Licensee |
| Section 98(1) | Material alteration made to a premises without Commission approval | 3 PU | 100 PU | Licensee |
| Section 98(2) | Business is conducted outside of the arrangement approved by the Commission while a material alteration is being made | 3 PU | 100 PU | Licensee |
| Section 100(2) and (3) | Liquor is sold without payment being made at the time of sale (payment includes all legal tender) | 3 PU | 100 PU | Licensee or employee |
| Section 101 | Keep or hold a person’s credit or debit card as security for payment for the sale of liquor or other items | 3 PU | 100 PU | Licensee |
| Section 108 | Fail 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 products | 2 PU | 50 PU | Licensee |
| Section 109 | Fail to produce records of liquor purchases on request of inspector | 1 PU | 20 PU | Licensee |
| Section 126 | Offer liquor products for sale below minimum sale price | 5 PU | 200 PU | Licensee |
| Section 127 | Sell liquor product below the minimum sale price | 3 PU | 100 PU | Licensee |
| Section 131(1) | Contravene section 130 requirement in relation to operating an identification system | 4 PU | 100 PU | Licensee |
| Section 131 (2) | Contravene section 130 requirement in relation to operating an identification system | 3 PU | 100 PU | Employee |
| Section 141 (1) | Failure to exclude and remove a person who is violent, quarrelsome, disorderly or incapable of controlling behaviour | 3PU | 100 PU | Licensee and employee |
| Section 143 | Failure to leave immediately when excluded or removed under section 141 or 142 | 1 PU | 20 PU | Individual |
| Section 144 | Re-enter or attempt to re-enter a licensed premises within 12 hours after being excluded or removed under section 141 or 142 | 1 PU | 20 PU | Individual |
| 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 direction | 3 PU | 100 PU | Individual |
| Section 148(2) | Intentionally manufacture or supply a liquor product that is prohibited or restricted under section 146. | 3 PU | 100 PU | Individual |
| Section 173 | Bring into, possess, control, consume, sell, supply or serve liquor in a general restricted area | 2 PU | 200 PU or 12 months imprisonment | Individual |
| Section 183 | Bring into, possess, control, consume, sell, supply or serve liquor in a special restricted area | 2 PU | 200 PU or 12 months imprisonment | Individual |
| Section 189 | Bring onto or into, possess, control, or consume liquor in a restricted premises | 1 PU | 100 PU | Individual |
| Section 197 | Remove, deface or interfere with a declaration of restricted premises warning notice | 1 PU | 20 PU | Individual |
| Section 207(1) | Contravene a condition of a permit for a restricted area | 1 PU | 20 PU | Individual |
| Section 207(3) | Failure to return a revoked permit when requested to by police or inspector | 1 PU | 20 PU | Individual |
| Section 214(3) | Failure to state accurate name and address details when requested to by police for the purposes of issuing a banning notice | 1 PU | 5 PU | Individual |
| 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 PU | 5 PU | Individual |
| Section 218 | Enter or attempt to enter a high risk area or licensed premises if you are banned | 1 PU | 20 PU | Individual |
| Section 224 | Enter or attempt to enter or remain in a high risk area or premises contrary to an exclusion order | 1 PU | 50 PU | Individual |
| Section 228 | Failure to comply with a direction to leave a high risk or licensed premises by a police officer, if you are banned or excluded | 1 PU | 50 PU | Individual |
| Section 229(1) and (2) | Knowingly permit a banned or excluded person to enter a licensed premises | 5 PU | 200 PU | Licensee and employee |
| Section 253 | Failure to comply with a requirement or direction given to a person under section 250(2),(3)(a) or (7) including to provide information and ID | 2 PU | 50 PU | Individual |
| Section 254 | Failure to comply with a direction by police or inspector not to sell to a person for the remainder of the day | 2 PU | 50 PU or 6 months imprisonment | Licensee or employee |
| Section 283 | Sell, supply or serve adulterated liquor | 3 PU | 100 PU | Individual |
| Section 284 | Permit indecent, violent, quarrelsome or riotous conduct on or in licensed premises | 3 PU | 100 PU | Licensee |
| Section 285(1) | Sell or supply to a person who is on a licensed premises and is intoxicated | 5 PU | 200 PU | Licensee |
| Section 285(2) | Supply liquor as a registered complimentary server of liquor to an intoxicated person | NA | 200 PU | Individual |
| Section 286(2) | Intentionally misrepresenting identity to a licensee or employee at the time of purchase, for the purpose of buying liquor | 1 PU | 50 PU | Individual |
| Section 286 (3) | Present a false or fictitious ID document to purchase liquor | 1 PU | 50 PU | Individual |
| Section 286 (4) | Give ID documents to another person to use as that person’s ID, to purchase liquor. | 1 PU | 50 PU | Individual |
| 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 PU | 20 PU | Licensee and employee |
| Section 288(1) | Provide false information to an inspector or police | 1 PU | 50 PU or imprisonment for 6 months | Individual |
| Section 289 | Disclose confidential information obtained during the course of performing a function of the Act | 2 PU | 200 PU or imprisonment for 2 years | Individual |
| Section 290 | Failure to comply with a requirement to post a copy of the licence and details in a conspicuous place in the licensed premises | 3 PU | 100 PU | Licensee |
| Section 291 | Failure to produce a licence or other documents on demand to an inspector or police officer | 1 PU | 20 PU | Licensee |
| Section 292 | A person is found guilty of an offence against the Gaming Control Act on a licensed premises | 3 PU | 100 PU | Licensee |
| Section 293(1) | Contravene a licence condition or authority | 5 PU | 200 PU | Licensee |
| Section 294(1) | Purchase unlicensed or unauthorised liquor | 2 PU | 100 PU | Individual |
| Section 296(2) | Send a child to purchase or collect liquor from a licensed premises | 3 PU | 50 PU | Individual |
| Section 297(4) | Employ a child to sell or supply liquor without written notice given by the Director | 4 PU | 85 PU | Individual |
| 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 children | 1 PU | 20 PU | Licensee |
| Section 299 (2) | Permit a child to enter or remain in an area of a licensed premises prohibited to children | 3 PU | 85 PU | Licensee or employee |
| Section 300(2) | Child misrepresents age for the purpose of entering or remaining on a licensed premises or purchasing liquor | 0.5 PU | 50 PU | Child |
| Section 300(3) | Child presents false ID document to purchase liquor | 0.5 PU | 50 PU | Child |
| 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 premises | 1 PU | 50 PU | Individual |
| 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 child | 3 PU | 100 PU | Individual |
| Section 303 (1) | Engage in conduct that results in a child being sold or supplied with liquor | 5 PU | 200 PU | Licensee |
| Section 303 (2) | Engage in conduct that results in a child being sold or supplied with liquor | 3 PU | 100 PU | Employee |
| Section 304 | A person intentionally and falsely represents that they or another person is an inspector | NA | 50 PU or imprisonment for 6 months | Individual |
| Section 305 | Obstruct an inspector or a police officer exercising a power under the Liquor Act | NA | 50 PU or imprisonment for 6 months | Individual |
| Section 307 | Executive officer of a body corporate liable for offence of body corporate | Same infringement | Maximum 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 Director | 2 PU | 50 PU or imprisonment for 6 months | Individual |
Last updated: 18 February 2020
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