
Current filter:
Wondering what kind of licence you need? The table below provides quick reference to the different types of licence. We also recommend seeking advice to determine the licence you require. You can do this by Googling ‘Liquor Industry Consultants’ or by reading the Sale of Liquor Act 1989.
The type of activity or business you plan will determine the type of liquor licence you will need. Applying for a liquor license can be a complex task. We recommend that you seek advice in correctly interpreting regulations and determining the type of licence you require.
Example | Type Required |
---|---|
Occasion, event or series of occasions. E.g. weddings, wine tastings, birthdays. | Special Licence |
Incorporated clubs. E.g. sports clubs, social clubs, regular office drinks. | Club Licence |
Premises or conveyances that serve drinks and provide corkage/glasses. E.g. BYO premises, hotels, taverns, restaurants, night clubs. | On Licence |
Premises that only provide corkage/glasses (BYO only). | Endorsed On Licence |
Premises that sell alcohol but don't serve it. E.g. liquor stores, supermarkets, wine shops. | Off Licence |
New owner of existing licensed premises. | A Temporary Authority is required when a new entity takes over an existing licensed premises and wishes to continue the sale and or supply of liquor until their own licence is issued. Temporary Authority |
Catering | Caterer's Endorsed Off Licence |
Internet Distributers | Off Licence |
Winemakers |
Winemakers are no longer required to hold a licence under the Sale of Liquor Act 1989. Wine makers are now dealt with under the Wine Act 2003. New Zealand Food Safety Authority |
This licence authorises a club to sell or supply liquor for consumption on the premises. A club must be incorporated. Club licences are held by sports and social clubs. There must be a person with a current manager's certificate on duty at all times when liquor is being sold or supplied to the public.
All clubs:
Please note that temporary authorities cannot be granted to club licensed premises.
General guidelines:
You can apply for a Club Licence by completing our online form below:
Planning Certificate under the Resource Management Act 1991
Building Code Certificate
This compliance certificate is required to ensure that the premises comply with the Building Code.
Permitted occupancy number
The maximum occupancy number relates to the number and type of existing toilets serving the licensed area. This needs to be calculated and recorded on your application. Visit the Department of Building and Housing website to assess or check your current occupancy numbers.
View Department of Building and Housing website
NOTE: Application forms for Club Licences will be appended as soon as possible after 18 December 2013. In the interim please contact the Licensing Inspector.
This licence authorises the holder to sell or supply liquor for consumption off the premises. Drinking on these premises is not allowed.
There must be a person with a current manager's certificate on duty at all times when liquor is being sold or supplied to the public. You can only obtain an off licence for premises, ie no conveyance may obtain an off licence.
General guidelines:
You can apply for an Off Licence by completing our online form below:
If you are a caterer, an endorsed off licence authorises the sale or supply of liquor for functions or events. Before you apply for your off licence you will need to obtain building and planning certificates of compliance.
General guidelines:
Step One:
Step Two:
Step Three:
District Licensing Agency, Napier City Council, Private Bag 6010, Napier.
Please make cheques payable to Napier City Council.
Once your application has been accepted for lodgement, you must place 2 public notices within 20 working days (1 week apart) When the notices have been published, you need to send a copy of each notice from the newspaper (preferably the full page) showing the date and name of the paper to the; District Licensing Agency, Napier City Council, Private Bag 6010, Napier.
During the 30 days it take to process your application, we will:
A copy of the inspectors and police report will be posted to you.
Note: The planning and building certificates must be granted before you apply for you liquor licence.
Planning Certificate under the Resource Management Act 1991
The planning certificate, when granted, confirms that the proposed use of the premises meets requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991.
Building Code Certificate
This certificate, when granted, confirms that the proposed use of the premises meets requirements of the Building Code.
This licence authorises the holder to sell or supply liquor on premises or conveyances. Liquor cannot be removed from these premises or conveyances. There must be a person with a current Managers certificate on duty at all times when liquor is being sold or supplied to the public.
General guidelines:
You can apply for an On Licence by completing our online form below:
Once your application has been accepted for lodgement, you must place 2 public notices within 20 working days (1 week apart). When the notices have been published, you need to send a copy of each notice from the newspaper (preferably the full page) showing the date and name of the paper to the; District Licensing Agency, Napier City Council, Private Bag 6010, Napier.
During the 30 days it take to process your application, we will:
A copy of the inspectors and police report will be posted to you.
This licence is required if you plan on selling or supplying liquor in a conveyance, for example limousine, party bus, ferry, cruise vessel, etc.
General guidelines:
Contact us on 06 835 7579 for information and for an application pack for an on licence for a conveyance. The application pack contains:
Note: The planning and building certificates must be granted before you apply for you liquor licence.
Planning Certificate under the Resource Management Act 1991
The planning certificate, when granted, confirms that the proposed use of the premises meets requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991.
Building Code Certificate
This certificate, when granted, confirms that the proposed use of the premises meets requirements of the Building Code.
This licence is only valid for the timeframe permitted by the special licence. It can apply to a property, location or conveyance (e.g. boat or train).
The special licence holder must control the liquor at the event and ensure statutory responsibilities are observed. This cannot be achieved if guests bring their own liquor therefore special licences do not permit BYO functions.
A special licence is required if liquor is sold or supplied to any people attending any "particular" occasion or event or series of occasions or events. It is required at any function where:
Examples of these functions include birthdays, weddings, social gatherings, client functions and other temporary bar set-ups.
Examples of a series of 'one-off' functions would be:
You are not required to hold a special licence
Special licences cannot be renewed. However, if you know the dates of future events to be held at the same venue, you can obtain a special licence for future events on the one application.
You can apply for a Special Licence by completing our online form below:
The processing time includes a period of 20 working days required by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 for the Police and District Health Board staff to supply reports. Controversial applications or profit oriented commercial applications may need to be advertised through a public notice. Consequently, additional time is required to process these. In these cases 40 working days notice may be required.
If you are applying for a special licence, you need to provide all the required information when you lodge the application to avoid a delay in processing. The special licence application forms and guidelines (attached below) provide details on the information we need. If you are unsure whether you need a special license or not, call the Liquor Licensing Inspector for advice on 06 835 7579.
Disclaimers and Copyright
While every endeavour has been taken by the Napier City Council to ensure that the information on this website is
accurate and up to date, Napier City Council shall not be liable for any loss suffered through the use, directly or indirectly, of information on this website. Information contained has been assembled in good faith.
Some of the information available in this site is from the New Zealand Public domain and supplied by relevant
government agencies. Napier City Council cannot accept any liability for its accuracy or content.
Portions of the information and material on this site, including data, pages, documents, online
graphics and images are protected by copyright, unless specifically notified to the contrary. Externally sourced
information or material is copyright to the respective provider.
© Napier City Council - www.napier.govt.nz / +64 6 835 7579 / info@napier.govt.nz