In Queensland, liquor and wine licences and permits are regulated by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) in accordance with the Liquor Act 1992 and the Wine Industry Act 1994.

The type of liquor or wine licence or permit you need depends on the type of business or organisation you want to operate. Some businesses and community-based entities may be exempt from liquor licensing requirements.

The following types of liquor licences and permits are available in Queensland.

Commercial hotel licence

You'll need a commercial hotel licence to run a hotel or tavern. This licence allows you to sell alcohol for consumption on and off your premises.

Your business must have a commercial kitchen and at least 2 of the following facilities:

• a dining, restaurant, or bistro-style facility
• self-contained accommodation with at least 3 rooms for letting to travellers
• a function room available for hire by the public.

It must also have seating for more than 60 patrons and adequate male and female toilets.

Detached bottle shops

Commercial hotel licensees can apply to operate up to 3 detached bottle shops away from their main premises.

Commercial–other licences

There are 6 types of commercial-other licences.

1. Subsidiary on-premises licence

If selling liquor for on-premises consumption is a secondary function of your business, you'll need a subsidiary on-premises licence.

Types of businesses that may require this licence include:

• restaurants
• cafes
• motels
• vessels
• indoor sporting centres
• theatres
• amusement parks
• function centres
• training institutions.

Restaurant licensees must provide meals at their licensed premises as the principal activity of their business.

A meal is food that can be eaten with cutlery while seated—for example, roast beef with vegetables, lasagne, a stir-fry or a curry with rice. It is not light takeaway food like snacks, hot chips, an entrée or kid's meal.

To be considered the principal activity of the business:

• meals must be provided daily
• most patrons who attend the venue during a day will consume a meal
• most of the premises will be set up for dining
• the kitchen will be open up until 1 hour before closing the premises
• there will be enough staff on site to prepare and serve meals.

2. Subsidiary off-premises licence

When selling liquor for off-premises consumption is a secondary function of your business, you'll need a subsidiary off-premises licence.

Types of businesses that may require this licence include florists or businesses that sell gift baskets (although, under some conditions, liquor licence exemptions may apply).

3. Bar licence

When your main business activity is selling liquor for consumption on a small licensed premises—with a maximum seating capacity of 60 patrons—you'll need a bar licence.

4. Industrial canteen licence

When the main function of your business is selling liquor to employees and their guests in remote industrial canteens that service mining, or road or rail constructions, you'll need an industrial canteen licence.

5. Producer/wholesaler licence

When production and/or wholesale of liquor on the licensed premises is the main function of your business—including wholesale to other licensees—you'll need a producer/wholesaler licence.

This licence type has conditions limiting the sale of liquor to the general public.

6. Artisan producer licence

You'll need an artisan producer licence when your main business function is the on-premises production of:

• craft beer in volumes greater than 2,500L but less than 5 million litres in each financial year
• artisan spirits in volumes greater than 400L but less than 450,000L in each financial year.

This licence type allows the sale of the craft beer or artisan spirits to the general public.

Read more about:

• craft beer and artisan spirit producer licence options for Queensland businesses
• interstate craft beer and artisan producer permits.

Nightclub licence

When providing entertainment is your main business function, you'll need a nightclub licence. The entertainment must be provided by a person who is present on site—facilities like a jukebox or pool tables aren't considered entertainment.

Commercial special facility licence

A commercial special facility licence applies to casinos, airports, convention centres and other tourism businesses, excluding sporting facilities.

The business must make a significant contribution to Queensland's tourism development.

Club licences

Community club licence

A community club licence applies to non-proprietary clubs (e.g. sporting clubs, RSLs and ethnic clubs). It allows members, their guests, reciprocal members and bona fide visitors to consume alcohol on the premises and take away alcohol.

If your club wants temporary approval to sell alcohol to the public at a one-off event, such as a festival, sporting event or fete, apply for a community liquor permit.

Check responsible service of alcohol (RSA) exemptions for community-based groups.

Community–other licence

A community–other licence allows a club to trade for set hours, up to a maximum of 25 hours a week. This licence is only suitable for clubs that operate year round.

It applies to non-proprietary clubs that are incorporated associations (such as sporting clubs) or unincorporated associations with an individual holding the licence on the association's behalf.

Community–other licence holders approved to trade 25 hours per week, who want to extend their hours for a one-off event, will need to apply for a community liquor permit and a temporary change to licensed area.

Clubs who share a clubhouse with another licensee can apply for a restricted liquor permit, which will allow them to trade for a maximum of 10 hours, or between 10 and 25 hours, a week, for either 3 or 6 months.

Wine licences

There are 2 types of wine licences available under the Wine Industry Act 1994:

1. a wine producer licence, which allows you to operate a vineyard or winery where you can sell the wine you make
2. a wine merchant licence, which allows you to conduct a business that contributes to Queensland's wine industry in a substantial way—for example, you might use Queensland fruit to make wine on another premises, or blend different wines to create a unique wine in the state and sell it to the public.

Approved wine nominee

You'll need an approved wine nominee if you (as an individual wine licensee) hold more than 1 licence or if your business is an organisation or partnership. The wine nominee must be present on the premises covered by the wine licence.

Satellite cellar door approval

Wine producer licensees can also apply for satellite cellar door approval to sell or give away their wine on another premises.

Permits for one-off events

If your business is planning an event in a public place where people intend to drink, such as an outdoor wedding or festival, you'll first need to check with your local council if you need to apply for a liquor licence or permit.

If you want to sell or supply alcohol at a public or promotional event you may need one of these permits.

Adult entertainment permits

You must have an adult entertainment permit if you want to offer sexually explicit entertainment in addition to serving alcohol on your licensed premises.

Read more about adult entertainment permits.

Also consider...

• Find out how to:
  • apply for a liquor licence
  • transfer a liquor licence.
• Check if you need a:
  • responsible management of licensed venues (RMLV) certificate.
  • responsible service of alcohol (RSA) certificate.
• Learn more about responsibilities of liquor licensees.
• Use the OLGR client portal to pay your annual licence fees by 31 July each year (if you already hold a liquor licence).

'Bring your own' (BYO) alcohol is a popular choice for unlicensed restaurants. In most cases, customers can BYO with your consent. If you're a restaurateur or staff member, you should know your obligations and the requirements for BYO alcohol.

The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) doesn't regulate BYO for restaurants.

You should contact your local council about any BYO requirements. Some councils may need to be notified about BYO and may endorse this on your food licence.

Refusing BYO at your licensed premises

You and your staff have the right to refuse BYO at your restaurant. Customers should not BYO without your consent.

Generally, there's no offence for bringing BYO to a restaurant, provided the customer is at least 18.

However, for some types of licensed premises, including cafés, nightclubs and certain public events, it's an offence to bring alcohol onto the premises (or take it away).

Police and OLGR officers can issue an on-the-spot fine of $500 to anyone who illegally takes alcohol onto a licensed premises. The maximum penalty if prosecuted in court is $500. Read more about fines and penalties.

BYO signage

Download and print these signs about BYO to display in your restaurant:

• No BYO. We are a licensed venue only.
• We are licensed and allow BYO.

Also consider...

• Download signage about takeaway alcohol.
• Read more about compliance for liquor licensees.

Existing Queensland restaurant licensees with a commercial-other subsidiary on-premises licence can apply for a permanent licence variation to sell wine with takeaway meals.

New applicants can apply for the takeaway condition to be endorsed on their licence as part of their new licence application.

Regardless of how many meals are ordered, the maximum wine that can be sold as takeaway in any transaction is 1.5L.

Other alcoholic drinks—like beer and pre-mixed drinks—can't be sold as takeaway.

Eligibility

To be eligible to sell wine with takeaway meals you must be a licensed restaurant where the principal activity is serving meals on the premises.

A meal is food that can be eaten with cutlery while seated—for example, roast beef with vegetables, lasagne, a stir-fry or a curry with rice. It is not light takeaway food like snacks, hot chips, an entree or kid's meal.

This means licensed cafes aren't eligible to sell takeaway wine.

You must also check you have the appropriate town planning development approval for your licensed premises. In some cases, development approval may restrict licensees from selling takeaway liquor. In this case, you'll need to contact your local council to have these conditions changed.

We'll consult with your local council as part of the application process. If you don't have development approval to sell takeaway liquor, your application can't be considered.

Conditions for selling takeaway wine

You can only sell a maximum 1.5L of takeaway wine in any transaction. Takeaway sales can only be between 10am and 10pm (with delivery before midnight).

You must ensure the responsible service and delivery of alcohol and accept several responsible service conditions on your licence, including:

• using staff and drivers who are trained in the responsible service of alcohol (RSA)
• requesting proof of age before delivery
• refusing delivery to people who appear disorderly or intoxicated
• not delivering to an address in an alcohol restricted area.

Contactless and unattended delivery of wine with takeaway meals is also not permitted.

Also consider...

• Check the fees and charges for Queensland liquor and wine licensing.
• Read the Liquor Act 1992.

You must be licensed to sell craft beer or artisan spirits in Queensland.

Eligibility

You'll need an Australian Government licence to manufacture excisable products to legally manufacture craft beer or artisan spirits for commercial purposes. You should already hold this licence before applying to the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) for a liquor licence under the Queensland Liquor Act 1992.

There are several types of liquor licences available to craft beer or artisan spirit producers in Queensland—you can decide which suits you best.

Craft brewers typically get an artisan producer licence, but other options might provide greater flexibility for your circumstances.

Whichever option you choose, you must always meet the principal activity of that licence.

Artisan producer licence

Under an artisan producer licence, your main activity must be the production of craft beer and/or artisan spirits on the licensed premises. In any financial year, you can make:

• at least 2,500L of craft beer—but no more than 5 million litres
• at least 400L of artisan spirits—but no more than 450,000L.

You can sell your product for consumption on or off the licensed premises.

You can also sell other Queensland licensees' craft beer and artisan spirits (and only Queensland wine) for consumption on the premises only. The sale of another licensee's products can't account for more than 30% of your total sales for the year.

You can also apply to sell samples of your product at promotional events, for consumption at the event or as takeaway. Apply for a licence condition allowing you to:

• sell craft beer at promotional events
• sell artisan spirits at promotional events.

New Queensland liquor licence applicants can apply for this condition by ticking the relevant box under part G of the application for a liquor licence.

There's no restriction on the number of promotional events you can attend. Once your licence is endorsed with this condition, you won't need further approval.

Producer/wholesaler licence

A producer/wholesaler licence allows you to sell craft beer or artisan spirits that you produce on the premises for consumption on or off the premises.

You can also apply for a licence condition allowing you to:

• sell craft beer at promotional events
• sell artisan spirits at promotional events.

These must be sold as samples for consumption at the event or as takeaway liquor.

Allowing BYO

Under the producer/wholesaler licence, you can allow patrons to BYO for on-premises consumption. Besides corkage, you can't charge a fee in relation to BYO alcohol—this is not authorised by the licence.

Satellite cellar door approval

A producer/wholesaler licensee can partner with a licensed Queensland wine producer to get satellite cellar door (SCD) approval for their premises. This allows the sale and consumption of the other producer's wine on or off the premises (in addition to your craft beer or artisan spirits). Under this arrangement, the wine producer is responsible for the sale and supply of their wine at the SCD.

The producer/wholesaler licence and SCD approval are issued under separate legislation, but both can be issued for the same premises if held by the same licensee.

Commercial–other subsidiary on-premises (meals or cafe) licence

A commercial–other subsidiary on-premises (meals or cafe) licence allows you to sell any type of alcohol for on-premises consumption with meals or prepared food.

A meal is food that can be eaten with cutlery while seated—for example, roast beef with vegetables, lasagne, a stir-fry or a curry with rice. It is not light takeaway food like snacks, hot chips, an entree or kid's meal.

Serving meals must be the principal activity of the business. This means:

• meals must be provided daily
• most patrons who attend the venue during a day will consume a meal
• most of the premises will be set up for dining
• the kitchen will be open up until 1 hour before closing the premises
• there will be enough staff on site to prepare and serve meals.

You can't have more than 1 licence for the same area of your premises, so areas licensed under producer/wholesaler and meals/cafe licences would have to be separate, but can be adjoining.

Commercial–other bar licence

A commercial–other bar licence allows you to sell any type of alcohol for consumption within the licensed area on the premises, provided you limit your capacity to 60 (seated) or 100 (standing) patrons in that licensed area.

You can't have more than 1 licence for the same area of your premises, so any areas licensed under producer/wholesaler and bar licences would have to be separate, but can be adjoining.

Commercial hotel licence

A commercial hotel licence allows you to sell all types of alcohol for consumption on or off the premises and maintain the wholesale aspect of your business. Your business must have a commercial kitchen and at least 2 of the following facilities:

• a dining, restaurant, or bistro-style facility
• self-contained accommodation with at least 3 rooms for letting to travellers
• a function room available for hire by the public.

It must also have seating for more than 60 patrons and adequate male and female toilets.

Also consider…

• Find out how to apply for a liquor licence.
• Read about other types of liquor and wine licences and permits.
• Learn about compliance for liquor licensees.
• Get involved in Queensland's food and beverage industry.

In Queensland, there’s no specific licence to sell packaged alcohol on the internet.

The following licensees can sell alcohol online:

• commercial hotel licensees
• limited commercial special facility licensees
• artisan producer licensees (applies only to liquor produced on their premises)
• wine producers and wine merchants.

Interstate online alcohol sales

Interstate suppliers can legally sell alcohol online to Queenslanders provided the storage and distribution of, and payment for, the alcohol happens outside Queensland.

Interstate online sellers should first consult their relevant state regulatory agency for their requirements before selling alcohol to Queenslanders.

Also consider...

• Learn more about compliance for liquor licensees.
• Read the Liquor Act 1992.
• Read the Wine Industry Act 1994.