Apply for a liquor licence
You need a liquor licence or be registered to sell or supply alcohol in the Northern Territory (NT).
All new licence applications can be made online. If you are interested in wholesale, find out how to register as a wholesaler of liquor.
Who can apply
You can apply as an individual, partnership or company. You must be able to prove you are a 'fit and proper' person to be a licensee. Read more about who can apply to be an approved licensee.
How long it takes
The time your application takes can depend on its type and complexity.
For a fee, your application can be fast tracked within 30 business days of lodgement. This does not guarantee it will be approved or approved within 30 business days, but it will have a shorter processing time.
If you're applying for a special event licence, it will usually be processed within 4 weeks.
For other types of liquor licences, it can take 4 months to receive a decision on your application. This depends on the time it takes at each below stage. Simpler applications will be processed quicker:
- assessment - up to 4 weeks - can take longer if you haven't attached all the details needed
- advertising and objection - up to 8 weeks - time will be reduced if there are no objections to the application
- Liquor Commission determination - at least 4 weeks - the commission is an independent decision-maker for liquor licence applications.
What you need
Get your required documents together and work out which liquor licence type you need.
You will need to identify at least one nominee. Your nominee is responsible for the day-to-day management of the licensed premises. It's good to have more than one nominee, in case they get sick or change jobs.
Before someone can become a nominee, they must complete a responsible service of alcohol course and understand how to promote alcohol responsibly.
Find out more about the alcohol minimum floor price on the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade website.
Fees
Your application fee depends on the licence type.
Description | Revenue units | Fee |
---|---|---|
Special and major events | 17 | $22 |
Other liquor licences | 166 | $224 |
Variation/substitution/transfer/material alteration | 83 | $112 |
Fast track application | 415 | $560 |
Pay your application fee when you apply online or at a Territory Business Centre after you submit.
Liquor licence holders must also pay an annual fee based on the risk classification of their licence. Find out how much you might need to pay using the calculator.
How to apply
You can apply online, in person, or by email.
Online
In person or by email
To apply in person or by email, follow these steps.
Step 1. Fill in the relevant application.
Special event licence PDF (279.3 KB)
Special event licence DOCX (89.4 KB)
Major event licence PDF (279.6 KB)
Major event licence DOCX (90.5 KB)
New liquor licence or authority PDF (265.5 KB)
New liquor licence or authority DOCX (87.7 KB)
Step 2. Attach supporting documents for your licence type including for nominees and executive officers.
Step 3. Submit your application with supporting documents and pay the fee at your nearest Territory Business Centre.
You can also email your application and a receipt of the fee to liquorlicensing.ditt@nt.gov.au.
More information
If you have any questions, contact Licensing NT.
For more information, you can:
- read the Liquor Act 2019 and Liquor Regulations 2019
- consult with your local liquor and hospitality peak industry bodies
- consult with business and legal professional industry bodies.
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