Trading hours for each category of retail shop are listed below. Different hours may apply to Sundays and public holidays.

Special trading hours apply for Anzac Day, Easter, Labour Day and Christmas.

Follow these steps to work out the class of shop and when the shop may trade:

1. Check the list of exempt shops to see if the shop is included in that list.
2. If the shop is not included in the list of exempt shops, check the criteria for independent retail shops.
3. If the shop doesn't fit into either of those categories it is classified as a non-exempt shop.

Exempt shops

Exempt shops are defined in the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act 1990 and include:

• the type of shops described in the list below
• independent retail shops (see criteria below)
• a shop operating in an area to which a special event declaration applies.

List of exempt shops

• Antique shop
• Art gallery or arts and crafts shop
• Aquarium, aquarium accessories or pet shop
• Bait and tackle or marine shop
• Bookseller's or newsagent’s shop
• Bread, cake or pastry shop
• Butcher's shop
• Camping equipment shop
• Chemist shop
• Confectionery shop or ice-cream parlour
• Cooked provisions shop (where the provisions are cooked or heated on the premises immediately before sale), milk bar, restaurant, café or refreshment shop
• Delicatessen
• Fish shop
• Flower shop
• Fruit and vegetable shop
• Funeral director's premises
• Hairdresser's, beautician's or barber's shop
• Licensed premises under the Liquor Act 1992 or the Wine Industry Act 1994 (although specific trading hour restrictions apply - read Trading hours for liquor licensees)
• Nursery (plant) shop for selling garden plants and shrubs, seeds, garden and landscaping supplies or equipment, and associated products
• Photographic shop
• Premises in relation to which a pawnbrokers licence under the Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 2003 is in force
• Service station
• Subject to section 5(2), shop of a class declared by regulation to be a class of exempt shop
• Shop for selling motor vehicle spare parts or motor cycle spare parts, or both
• Shop in an international airport terminal, cruise terminal, casino, or tourist resort on an off-shore island
• Soap shop
• Souvenir shop
• Special exhibition or display of goods (examples – an annual 3-day caravan, camping and fishing expo, a one-off launch of a new model of campervans held at a shopping centre)
• Sporting goods shop
• Tobacconist's shop
• Toy shop
• Veterinary supplies shop

Independent retail shops (sub-category of exempt shops)

If the shop is not in the list of exempt shops and meets all of the following criteria, it is classified as an 'independent retail shop'.

• The business is run by an individual, partnership or a proprietary company (does not include a public company or related corporation).
• There are no more than 30 people, including the owner, engaged in the shop at any one time.
• There are no more than 100 people engaged by the owner in all shops throughout Queensland at any one time.
• The business is not conducted within a non-exempt shop or part thereof.

Trading hours for exempt shops

Exempt shops, except for independent retail shops, have unrestricted trading hours. They may trade 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, including all public holidays.

Independent retail shops as a sub-category of exempt shops can open at any time, including most public holidays except they must remain closed:

• on Good Friday and Christmas Day (25 December) each year*
• and
• until 1pm on Anzac Day (25 April) each year*.

*These restrictions do not apply to an independent retail shop which is predominantly a food and/or grocery shop.

Note: Hours of trade may be restricted by another Act or contract. For example licensed premises must comply with the Liquor Act 1992 and the Wine Industry Act 1994. For more information, read Trading hours for liquor licensees.

Non-exempt shops

Non-exempt shops are shops other than exempt shops and include:

• large retailers including supermarkets, department stores and hardware shops
• shops selling motor vehicles or caravans.

Trading hours for non-exempt shops

The core trading hours permitted for non-exempt shops depend on the goods predominantly for sale and the shop's location. There are 4 types of trading areas and specific hours for:

• non-exempt shops generally
• non-exempt hardware shops
• non-exempt shops selling motor vehicles or caravans.

Public holidays and closed days

Closed days for all non-exempt shops

• Good Friday
• Anzac Day (25 April)
• Labour Day (first Monday in May)
• Christmas Day (25 December)

Non-exempt shops in type 4 trading areas must remain closed on Sundays.

Public holidays which are not closed days

• New Year's Day (1 January)*
• Australia Day (26 January)*
• The day after Good Friday (date varies)
• Easter Sunday (date varies)
• Easter Monday (date varies)
• King's Birthday (first Monday in October)
• Local shows (dates vary)
• Christmas Eve 6pm to midnight
• Boxing Day (26 December)*

*The Holidays Act 1983 allows for additional or substitute public holidays on the following Monday or Tuesday when certain public holidays fall on a weekend:

• New Year's Day
• Australia Day
• Anzac Day (only if it falls on a Sunday)
• Christmas Day
• Boxing Day

Find out exact dates for public and show holidays.

Special conditions apply on Anzac Day, Easter and Christmas.

Protection for employees – extended hours

An employer must not require an employee to work during extended hours unless the employee freely elects to do so.

Extended hours include increased hours due to an amendment to the Act or when a trading area order takes effect or when a shop becomes an exempt shop because a special event declaration takes effect.

Advertising for business outside lawful trading hours

A person must not advertise that an independent or non-exempt shop will be open outside the hours permitted by the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act 1990.

Also consider...

• Refer to the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act 1990 for further information.
• Find more information about public holidays in the Holidays Act 1983.

Trading hours for Anzac Day depend on the category of the retail shop.

Exempt shops

Exempt shops, except for the sub-category of independent retail shops, have unrestricted trading hours and may trade on Anzac Day.

Independent retail shops as a sub-category of exempt shops

Independent retail shops must remain closed until 1pm on Anzac Day, except if they are a predominantly food and/or grocery store, which can trade without restriction.

However, specific trading hour restrictions apply for licensed premises. For more information, read Trading hours for liquor licensees.

Non-exempt shops

Non-exempt shops must remain closed on Anzac Day.

Factories and shops (which includes offices) in Queensland are required to close on Anzac Day (25 April each year) with the following exceptions:

• racing venues (horses or greyhounds)
• offices or agencies of TAB (Qld)
• premises licensed under the Liquor Act 1992 (Qld) or Wine Industry Act 1994 (Qld) (see Anzac Day trading hours for licensed premises)
• real estate offices, which may open only for the purpose of rental transactions and must not sell real estate or conduct open house inspections
• premises engaged in:
• • printing, publishing and distributing newspapers
  • manufacturing, distributing or supplying gas, electricity or water
  • necessary continuous manufacturing or mining
  • essential services
  • supplying of milk
  • manufacturing bread and the preparation of food in restaurants, cafes, pastry cook and hot takeaway food kitchens.

Places of public amusement such as cinemas, amusement parks and sporting events (for the entertainment of the general public, whether or not an entry fee is charged) are not permitted to open until 1.30pm, unless written permission has been granted by the Minister for Industrial Relations.

Trading hours for Easter depend on the category of the retail shop.

Exempt shops

Exempt shops, except for the sub-category of independent retail shops, have unrestricted trading hours and may trade during the Easter period.

Independent retail shops as a sub-category of exempt shops

Independent retail shops must remain closed on Good Friday except if they are a predominantly food and/or grocery store, which can trade without restriction.

However, specific trading hour restrictions apply for licensed premises. For more information, read Trading hours for liquor licensees.

Non-exempt shops

Non-exempt shops must not open on Good Friday. Trading may be permitted for non-exempt shops on the other public holidays during the Easter period and will depend on the location or type of trading area.

For more information, read a summary of the 2026 Easter trading hours (PDF, 264KB) including car and caravan sales.

Special trading hours arrangements apply for retail shops over the Christmas period each year and depend on the category of the retail shop.

Extended trading applies to areas throughout Queensland for the 3 Sundays before 18 December and from 18–24 December each year.

Exempt shops

Exempt shops, except for the sub-category of independent retail shops, have unrestricted trading hours and may trade during the Christmas period.

Independent retail shops as a sub-category of exempt shops

Independent retail shops generally have unrestricted trading hours and can trade during the Christmas period but must remain closed on Christmas Day, except if they are a predominantly food and/or grocery store, which can trade without restriction.

However, specific trading hour restrictions apply for licensed premises. For more information, read Trading hours for liquor licensees.

Non-exempt shops

Trading hours for non-exempt shops

These extended hours do not apply to non-exempt shops selling motor vehicles or caravans.

* If this day is a Sunday, the opening time is taken to be 9am for all non-exempt shops which are in a type 4 trading area. Otherwise, refer to trading hours for non-exempt shops.

Non-exempt shops in type 1 trading areas and all non-exempt hardware shops which have an earlier opening time or a later closing time than set out above may continue to trade those hours on the 3 Sundays before 18 December.

All non-exempt shops must close at 6pm on 24 December.

Special trading hours apply to:

• Westfield Chermside shopping complex
• and
• Westfield Garden City shopping complex.

For more information, read a summary of the 2025 Christmas trading hours (PDF, 149KB) including car and caravan sales.