IMPORTANT NOTICE: Stage 3 restrictions are currently still in place. For more information, see:COVID-19 information for licensees
For all general enquiries that don't fall under the common questions, fill out and submit the contact us form below.
Licence types
Any person or organisation that intends to sell or offer liquor for sale in Victoria must apply for a licence. The type of licence required will depend on the type of applicant and how they wish to supply the liquor. Refer to the table on the webpage What liquor licence do I need? This will help guide you to the most appropriate licence application process.
Can I be exempt from holding a liquor licence?
Where the supply of liquor is only a small part of your products and services offered, you may not require a liquor licence. Exemptions apply to some businesses such as bed and breakfasts, hairdressers, florists, gift makers, butchers, hospitals, residential care services, retirement villages and cruise ships. To be exempt from holding a liquor licence, you need to meet specific criteria and fulfil all the conditions for your business type on an ongoing basis. To find out the specific criteria for these businesses, see Minor business exemption.
Factors to consider when selecting your licence
Select your licence
Refer to the table on the webpage What liquor licence do I need? This will help guide you to the most appropriate licence application process.
Note: The VCGLR can assist by answering questions you may have about the licence categories, however we cannot provide legal or business advice.
If you need to make a change to your existing liquor licence, you can:
The processes to change/amend your licence are found in the table on the Vary/surrender licence page.
As a licensee you must meet all of your general obligations under the law, your planning permit and your specific liquor licence conditions.
Generally, the following obligations relate to liquor licences:
You must ensure that noise or the behaviour of guests does not impact negatively on the amenity of the local area during or immediately after the trading hours authorised by this licence. See Tips for licensees and local residents.
For more information on specific obligations, select your business type in the table on the Licensee obligations brochures page.
Printing requirements What signage do I need to display?
Licensees are required to display certain signage (also referred to as posters).
The maximum penalty for non-display of signs exceeds $738.
Signs are useful for notifying staff and patrons of their legal requirements and the fines for breaking liquor laws. There are also optional signs available, such as free water and barring orders.
Printing requirements
Posters must be:
Note: Posters relating to minors were updated in October 2014. Please replace your existing posters with the ones available on the website.
Download and print your liquor signage to display at your licensed premises.
For all other liquor licensing enquiries, please complete the contact us form below and submit.
A venue operator licence enables an entity to operate gaming machines in Victoria. Venue operator licences are granted a licence for up to 10 years, and they must apply to renew approval before the expiry date to continue their licence.
Process:
To apply, see Application process and requirements.
To conduct bingo, you need to:
To apply, see Application process and requirements.
Community and charitable gaming raffle
An organisation hosting a raffle must be registered as a community or charitable organisation. To be declared as a community or charitable organisation, see Application process and requirements - community and charitable gaming.
Once declared, a community or charitable organisation is able to run a raffle with a prize value of $5000 or less, following the guidance available here.
For raffles with a prize that exceeds $5000, the organisation will need to apply for a minor gaming permit. See 'Apply for a minor gaming permit' on the Application process and requirements page.
Commercial raffle
If you intend to conduct a raffle, in whole or in part on behalf of a declared or charitable organisation on a commercial basis, you need to hold a commercial raffle organiser's licence.
To apply, see Application process and requirements for commercial raffle.
If you have any questions about the Commercial raffle organiser licence, see Raffle frequently asked questions.
Recommendation: before completing your application, you can fill out the contact us form below, providing as much detail of how you intend to run your commercial raffle.
Lucky envelopes are a form of pre-determined lottery. They are also known as 'bingo tickets', 'pull-tabs' or 'break opens'.
Tickets may be sold in various ways such as:
Other types of lucky envelopes include:
For more information, and how to apply, see Lucky envelopes.
To be declared as a community or charitable organisation, the organisation must be conducted in good faith for:
If you wish to run raffles, lucky envelopes or organise fundraising events, you will need to be declared as a community or charitable organisation.
Commercial raffle organisers and bingo centre operators must be licensed to conduct these activities on behalf of community or charitable organisations.
To run gaming activities as a community or charitable organisation
You will need to:
To apply, see Application process and requirements.
For all other gambling licensing enquiries, please complete the contact us form below and submit.
The RSA online refresher course is a quick, easy and convenient way to keep your skills up-to-date while also meeting any mandatory RSA training requirements.
Who needs to complete the refresher course?
Once completed, you'll need to attach the online refresher certificate of completion to your original RSA certificate. You are not able to re-print your original RSA certificate from the online refresher database.
Your certificate number is printed in the top right corner of your Victorian Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate. The format is 'ABC0123456'.
Persons applying for interstate Responsible Service of Alcohol recognition will be sent a certificate number via email once their bridging request is approved.
How do I get a reprint?
If you require a reprint, or your certificate number, fill out our contact us form below. We will supply you with a certificate reprint for $16.50 or we will provide you with a certificate number to allow you to complete the refresher course.
I have lost my original RSA certificate, can I still do the RSA online refresher course?
To login and complete the refresher you will need the certificate number from your original certificate. If you don't know your certificate number, complete and submit the contact us form below.
All licensees subject to the RSA training requirement will need to maintain an up-to-date RSA training register.
What must the register include?
The register must record the following:
This register should be readily accessible and available for inspection. See Responsible Service of Alcohol for more information.
The Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) Frequently Asked Questions has information on topics such as training, qualifications and certificates.
For all other training enquiries, please complete the contact us form below and submit.
Do I need to complete new entrant training?
Applications for the following licences require evidence that you've completed new entrant training:
Who must complete new entrant training?
The list below identifies who will need to complete new entrant training. If applying as:
Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and new entrant training are two courses that applicants may be required to complete.
Licence applicants are required to complete one of the below new entrant training courses. Select the course title link that applies to you:
Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and New Entrant Training are two courses that applicants may be required to complete.
Training for licence applicants helps potential licensees to understand their obligations. Applicants must complete mandatory training requirements before a liquor licence is granted. There are two courses that applicants must complete. These are:
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the correct course is completed and to provide evidence of completion with their application.
New entrant training is a training course developed by the VCGLR to ensure that liquor licence applicants have an adequate knowledge of the liquor law. This includes:
For more information and to apply, see New entrant training.
For all other training enquiries, please complete the contact us form below and submit.
Find a training provider
For the contact details of Registered Training Organisations that offer an approved Responsible Service of Gaming training course, see Responsible Service of Gaming.
All employees working in gaming machine areas of an approved venue (when open to the public) must complete an approved Responsible Service of Gaming (RSG) training course. The course must be completed within the first six months of starting work. Employees are exempt from this requirement if they have already completed the training within the last three years.
You need an RSG even if you are also required to hold a gaming industry employee licence. Gaming venue employees must also complete a refresher course every three years.
The course will depend on the approved training provider. However, it is a requirement that an approved training provider includes information on Codes and Self Exclusion Programs (SEP) in any Responsible Service of Gaming (RSG) course. These provisions should be understood by all gaming industry employees and course participants who successfully complete their approved RSG training.
In addition, venue operators that have adopted an approved SEP should ensure that their staff training program on Codes and SEPs is reviewed on a periodic basis, with a formal review on an annual basis.
For more information see Responsible Service of Gaming.
For all other training enquiries, please complete the contact us form below and submit.
Pick up and complete the form
Complete the 'Application for a Proof of Age card' form. You can pick up a Proof of Age card application form at any approved photo point agency.
An application form can also be posted to you by filling out the enquiry form below. Note: forms cannot be downloaded or scanned as each form contains a unique barcode.
Process
Step 1:
Fill in the applicant's details section of the form. Take the completed form and your original proof of identity documents (one from Category A and one from Category B) to someone who has known you for a minimum of 12 months and who is listed on the electoral roll. This person must complete and sign the 'Referee's declaration'. Original documents are required for sighting, photocopies are not acceptable. If you have changed your name (through marriage or otherwise) you must also provide documents as evidence. A list of acceptable documents are under How do I apply on the Proof of Age web page.
Step 2:
Sign the applicant's declaration in the presence of an authorised person. The authorised person will check the two documents you have provided as proof of identity and then complete and sign the 'Authorised person's declaration'. A list of persons who can witness the applicant's declaration is on the form.
Step 3:
Select a photo point agency. Go to the agency to have your photograph taken (some small agencies require you provide your own photo), lodge the application form and pay the fee. Take along your identification documents as the person from the agency is required to check your documents and also sign the form.
Take the completed form and your original proof of identity documents (one from Category A and one from Category B) to someone who has known you for a minimum of 12 months and who is listed on the electoral roll. This person must complete and sign the 'Referee's declaration'.
Original documents are required for sighting, photocopies are not acceptable. If you have changed your name (either through marriage or otherwise) you must also provide documents as evidence of this change.
Acceptable documents
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Category A
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Category B
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To apply, see Proof of age.
Who can apply and how much does it cost?
Any person who has reached the age of 17 years and 11 months can apply, however you must wait until you are 18 to use it. The application fee is $10.
Where do I go to apply?
You can pick up a Proof of Age card application form at any approved photo point agency.
An application form can also be posted to you by filling out the enquiry form below.
To apply, see Proof of Age.
Your Proof of Age card will be sent to you within 20-25 business days.
For more information, see Proof of Age.
No, you cannot update your address on your card. If you need to update your address, it is recommended you make a new application.
For the process on a lodging a new application, see Proof of Age.
For all other Proof of Age enquiries, please complete the contact is form below and submit.
To request a form to be sent to you, fill out the contact us form below.
Note: bulk Proof of Age forms can only be provided to photo point agencies.
You can pick up a Proof of Age card application form at any approved photo point agency.
To request a form to be sent to you, fill out the contact us form below.
For all other Proof of Age enquiries, please complete the contact us form below and submit.
Minors can be employed by a licensee but cannot be involved in the supply of alcohol on the premises. However, they can assist in the delivery of packaged liquor to a person over 18 years of age, for consumption off the licensed premises. For example, a junior staff member can carry a slab of beer to a customer's car. A minor cannot sell alcohol through a check-out in a licensed supermarket.
A minor can only be involved in the supply of alcohol if they are part of a training program that has approval from the VCGLR.
For more information, see Under-18 patrons on licensed premises.
A person under 18 years of age is not permitted on the licensed premises unless there is a condition listed on the licence approved by the VCGLR, or the minor is:
What's a responsible adult?
A responsible adult is defined as a person who is of or over the age of 18 years and is:
Persons under 18 years are not allowed to drink alcohol on licensed premises, unless they are with a parent or legal guardian AND having a meal.
For more information, see Under-18 patrons on licensed premises.
Persons under 18 years are not allowed to drink alcohol on licensed premises, unless they are with a parent or legal guardian AND having a meal.
For more information, see Under-18 patrons on licensed premises.
The supply of alcohol to a minor (a person under the age of 18 years) in a private home without parental consent is prohibited by law.
How can a person obtain parental consent?
A person who intends to supply alcohol to a minor in their home should speak to the minor's parent or legal guardian. They need to be confident that permission has been provided. A parent or legal guardian may give verbal or written consent for a person to supply alcohol to their child. If consent is not given and the person supplies alcohol, they will be committing an offence.
How will this law be enforced?
The law will be enforced where Victoria Police has evidence that it has been broken. A person who supplies alcohol to a minor without a parent's consent could be subject to the same penalty faced by licensees who supply alcohol to minors in licensed venues - a maximum fine of more than $8,500.
More information is available in the Supplying alcohol to minors in a private home fact sheet (PDF, 232KB)
Liquor licensees and permittees can have minors on that part of their premises or authorised premises when:
Depending on the type of event, liquor licensees or permittees must submit either a notification or an application form to the VCGLR.
For more information, see Hosting underage gigs.
For all other legal rights and responsibilities enquiries, please complete the contact us form below and submit.
Every licensee is able to refuse entry to, bar a person from, or ask any person to leave their licensed premises. In exercising this right, licensees should be mindful of equal opportunity and anti-discrimination principles. No special laws or forms are required to do this.
However, if a patron continues to be a problem, licensees may wish to carry out a more formal option of barring them from the premises.
For information on banning or barring, see Barring problem customers.
Licensees, responsible persons (those in management or control of a licensed premises) and police have the power to issue a barring order that is enforceable by police. Once a person is served with a barring order, they must leave the licensed premises and its vicinity (within 20 metres), and cannot return until the barring order expires. If a person does not comply, police may issue them with an on-the-spot fine or formally charge them with an offence. An authorised barring order form must be used for this purpose. Barring order booklets (containing 25 carbon copy forms) are available for licensees to order by filling out the enquiry form below. Licensees should include their licence number when ordering a barring order booklet.
To issue a barring order, you must know the name of the person, and if possible, their address and date of birth. You must also maintain a record of the people you have barred under this process.
Maximum barring periods of one month for the first offence, three months for the second offence and six months for the third and subsequent offences apply under this process.
For more information, see Barring problem customers.
Banning a person through liquor accord
Members of a liquor accord may agree to ban a troublesome patron from licensed premises of the participating accord licensees.
In deciding to ban a patron from venues, licensees should:
Under the terms of a liquor accord, accord members may disclose basic information only among other accord members about the banned patron (e.g. person's name and the period of the ban) for communication and implementation.
The VCGLR has the power to ban inappropriate advertising or promotions. The VCGLR may also seek to vary, suspend or cancel a liquor licence. In utilising these powers, the VCGLR will take into account whether the promotion is likely to encourage irresponsible consumption of alcohol or is otherwise not in the public interest.
The following 16 principles provide licensees with a quick reference guide for responsible advertising and promotion of liquor. They can be found in the table on the Responsible alcohol advertising and promotions page.
For more information, download the Guidelines for responsible liquor advertising and promotions (PDF 767 KB).
The following examples to illustrate the types of activities likely to attract a ban by the Commission.
Examples of unacceptable practice
For more information, download the Guidelines for responsible liquor advertising and promotions (PDF 767 KB).
The way alcohol is promoted and sold influences patrons, the way they consume alcohol and how they behave. Some drink promotions can encourage the excessive and irresponsible consumption of alcohol, which in turn:
When advertising and promoting events through websites and social media channels, like Facebook and Twitter, licensees must be aware that the responsible liquor advertising and promotions guidelines set out by the VCGLR. This includes advertisements and promotions created by promoters for licensees and any comments made by third parties.
The VCGLR has the power to ban advertisements or promotions that are deemed inappropriate and may also seek to vary, suspend or cancel a licence that is found to be encouraging the irresponsible consumption of alcohol.
Venues who do not comply with a banning notice are committing a criminal offence and can face penalties over $17,000.
Download the list of Promotions banned by the VCGLR (PDF, 881KB).
For all other alcohol promotion enquiries, please complete the contact us form below and submit.
The VCGLR has powers to investigate complaints relating to noise and other amenity issues. Please note: in relation to these complaints, you will be required to provide your name, residential address and contact details for the complaint to be actioned by the VCGLR. More information about noise complaints is on the Amenity fact sheet (PDF, 220KB).
Before submitting a complaint to us, please ensure you are clear on your requirements. You can complete and submit your complaint online using the online complaint form
The legal drinking age in Victoria is 18 years of age. It is an offence for any person to supply alcohol to a person under 18 years of age. In many instances, it is also an offence for a minor to be on licensed premises or to purchase, receive or consume alcohol. The VCGLR has powers to investigate complaints relating to minors on licensed premises or the supply of alcohol to minors. For more information see Underage patrons on licensed premises.
Before submitting a complaint to us, please ensure you are clear on your requirements. You can complete and submit your complaint online using the online complaint form
Every licensee is able to refuse entry to any person as long as the reason is not discriminatory. The licensee also has the right to ask any person to leave their licensed premises. For more information see Barring problem customers. The VCGLR does not accept complaints relating to refusal of entry to a venue based on discriminatory reasons. These types of complaints should be directed to the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission.
Before submitting a complaint to us, please ensure you are clear on your requirements. You can complete and submit your complaint online using the online complaint form
The Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certification is mandatory for licensees and staff selling, offering or serving liquor for general, on-premises, late night and packaged liquor licences. For more information, see Responsible Service of Alcohol.
The VCGLR has powers to investigate complaints relating to the responsible service of alcohol on licensed premises.
Before submitting a complaint to us, please ensure you are clear on your requirements. You can complete and submit your complaint online using the online complaint form
The VCGLR has the power to investigate complaints and ban inappropriate advertising or promotions. Such action may also result in the VCGLR seeking to vary, suspend or cancel a liquor licence. In using these powers, the VCGLR will take into account whether the promotion is likely to encourage irresponsible consumption of alcohol or is otherwise not in the public interest. For an up-to-date list of banned promotions, see Promotions banned by VCGLR.
Before submitting a complaint to us, please ensure you are clear on your requirements. You can complete and submit your complaint online using the online complaint form
For enquiries, please complete and submit the Contact Form below. To lodge a complaint, you can use the online complaint form
The VCGLR oversees the regulatory framework for gambling activities in Victoria, including gaming, wagering, lotteries and community-based lottery activities. We work closely with industry and the community to encourage responsible industry development supported by a range of regulatory controls and harm-minimisation approaches. For more information, see Raffles, Public lotteries or Bingo.
We do not investigate matters which fall outside the legislation. These should be directed to Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Before submitting a complaint to us, please ensure you are clear on your requirements. You can complete and submit your complaint online using the online complaint form
A trade promotion lottery is a lottery designed to promote a trade or business and includes any scheme that gives away prizes by any means that include an element of chance at any stage. Even if partially skills-based, the scheme will still have to be conducted in accordance with the regulations. For a full list of the conditions that currently apply to trade promotion lotteries see Trade promotion lotteries.
We do not investigate matters which fall outside the legislation. These should be directed to Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Before submitting a complaint to us, please ensure you are clear on your requirements. You can complete and submit your complaint online using the online complaint form
An organisation hosting a raffle, fundraising event or bingo game must be registered and declared as a community or charitable organisation with the VCGLR. The organisation, in most cases, must also apply for a permit to conduct the event. For the list or organisations, see List of Declared Community and Charitable Organisations. Some helpful information can also be found on the following pages:
We do not investigate matters which fall outside the legislation. These should be directed to Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Before submitting a complaint to us, please ensure you are clear on your requirements. You can complete and submit your complaint online using the online complaint form
It is a condition of licence holders in the gambling industry to have a VCGLR approved Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct. These Codes of Conduct increase awareness about gambling products and the importance of gambling responsibly. The VCGLR has the power to investigate complaints concerning these Codes of Conduct (see Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct to view information on these codes). More information can also be found on the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation website.
We do not investigate matters which fall outside the legislation. These should be directed to Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Before submitting a complaint to us, please ensure you are clear on your requirements. You can complete and submit your complaint online using the online complaint form
For enquiries about gaming venue or gambling product complaints, please complete and submit the Contact Form below. To lodge a complaint, you can use the online complaint form
Complaints about the VCGLR can relate to how staff conduct themselves as representatives of the VCGLR. Complaints about staff conduct can be made using the online complaint form
Complaints about the outcome of your application can be made using the online complaint form
Complaints about how the VCGLR implements policies, procedures and processes can be made using the online complaint form
For enquiries relating to complaints about the VCGLR, please complete and submit the Contact Form below. To lodge a complaint, please use the online complaint form
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| Phone: | 1300 182 457 |
| Physical address: | Level 3, 12 Shelley Street, Richmond, Victoria, 3121 |
| Hours (both in person and phone inquiries): | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm weekdays, excluding public holidays |
| Postal address: | GPO 1988, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001 |
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