On Licence

On Licence

An on-licence allows the sale and supply of alcohol for consumption in or on the specified licensed premises i.e. restaurants, cafes, taverns and hotels. The licensed area is defined on plans provided by the applicant and may include outside areas such as decks, gardens, verandas etc. The premises you are looking to licence will need to be checked by the Planning and Buildingdepartments for compliance before a new licence can be issued.

You can apply for the new on licence application yourself, or have a consultant or lawyer make the application on your behalf.

You will be contacted by the Licensing Inspector, the Police and/or Medical Officer of Health to discuss your application. FENZ also report on the premises. If any of these agencies have concerns about your application, they may oppose it.

Since 1 March 2016 all on-licensed premises which provide food to customers are required to operate under an approved Food Control Plan from the day they commence trading. Food is required to be available at all times the licensed premises is open for business.

Trading hours for licensed premises are limited by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 and the Local Alcohol Policy (LAP). The District Plan or a Resource Consent may also dictate the hours you may operate.

How much?
Licensing fees are set nationally to cover all types of licences and are based on a cost/risk rating. There are two types of fee; Application Fee and Annual Fee