Do I need a liquor licence if I am selling alcohol online?
Well, of course the answer is YES.
(however as with most things, there are exceptions to the rule…)
Renewable limited licence:
If you intend to sell alcohol online, you most likely need to apply for a ‘Renewable Limited Licence’ for the supply of liquor via internet sales. The fact that you are selling online may be sufficient limitation for the purposes of the licence– however other factors will also be relevant such as the range of liquor products you are selling, whether or not you have a limited customer base, the overall size of your business and the means of delivery of the alcohol once sold. If you are a business catering to certain specific area or purpose or specialising in a particular type or quality of alcohol this is the right licence for you.
If you are a big business selling every kind of alcohol to a massive Australia-wide customer base, the fact it is done online is unlikely to be restrictive enough for the purposes of this Licence, and instead you will most likely need to apply for a Packaged Liquor Licence (together with a Late Night Packaged Liquor Licence given sales will be online and therefore probably not subject to trading hours, noting that this licence is more costly and subject to stricter regulation).
Trading hours
There are no set trading hours under the Renewable Limited Licence– if you want to deliver alcohol all day and night this may be allowed, depending on your other circumstances. You will need to specify the hours you would like to trade in the application form and this will be assessed in context of the scale and scope of your particular supply of alcohol.
How much does this licence cost and how long will it take?
Currently in Victoria, the application cost is $461.30. From there, you will have to pay an ongoing Annual Renewal Fee on 31 December each year (see below). The amount of waiting time between applying for the licence and the date of issue will vary depending on complexity and whether there is anything that may be objectionable in your application.
The annual renewal fee is a base fee of $967.10 plus an operating hours risk fee of $1934.10 (applicable if you are authorised to trade past 11pm). There is also a very expensive Compliance History risk fee, but this only applies if you have infringed licencing regulations by supplying to underage or intoxicated persons. (This fee is levied in addition to the infringement fee required to be paid for the particular offence/s.)
Apply for the Renewable Limited Licence Online
The Victorian Government provides a complete kit containing everything you need to apply for your licence: https://www.vcglr.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/Renewable_limited_licence_application_kit_2.pdf
If your online business expands from a small business to big business:
You may not be eligible for a Renewable Limited Licence anymore, so to avoid this your online sales must be restricted in some way, or limited in scale and scope.
If your business sells and delivers alcohol to customers in States outside of Victoria:
Your Victorian liquor licence will stand – you do not need to apply for a licence in every State.
Selling alcohol as a wholesaler online:
If you are supplying alcohol to licenced outlets and retailers you need to apply for a Pre-Retail Licence. You will need to keep records and report on your sales.
There is a minor business exemption:
If selling alcohol is only a small part of your online business sales then you may not need to hold a liquor licence – for example if you are an online gift shop that sells specialty liquor as part of a large selection of non-alcoholic gifts. However, each situation is different and the quantity and volume/percentage of the liquor to be sold will also be relevant. Check the Vic Govt website (www.vglr.vic.gov.au) to see whether this exemption applies to you.
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This is general advice only. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Published Jan 31, 2018
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