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Home Services Business licences and permits Hospitality licensing Alcohol licences Applying for an alcohol licence

Applying for an alcohol licence

Find out which alcohol licence you need, how to apply for a new licence, renew an existing one, or get a temporary authority for existing licensed premises.

New licence applications | Renewing your licence | Applying for or renewing your licence | Licensing support | Temporary authority order | Special licence applications | Related links

New licences

Working days over Christmas/New Year

None of the days in the period from 20 December to 15 January each year are counted as “working days” for the purposes of filing alcohol licence applications.

Find out more about application dates.

If you want to sell or supply alcohol you must hold a current alcohol licence. There are three types of alcohol licences:

  • On Licence: allows for the sale/supply of alcohol for consumption 'on the premises', such as a tavern, bar, hotel, cafe, restaurant or entertainment venue.
  • Off Licence: allows for the sale/supply of alcohol for consumption 'off the premises', such as a bottle store or supermarket.
  • Club Licence: allows for the sale/supply of alcohol for consumption on club premises to members of the club, their guests and members of clubs with reciprocal visiting rights.
You can't transfer a licence from a previous owner's name.

Once you've selected the type of alcohol licence required, you need to:

  1. Apply for the certificates of compliance with the Building Act 2004 and the Kāpiti Coast District Plan. These certificates must be submitted with your new licence application.
  2. Complete the licence application form.
  3. Make an appointment to meet with the Licensing Inspector, if you feel it would be helpful, to explain your application, discuss any issues and to ensure your application is complete. They will help you with every step of the process, so contact us for advice and/or an appointment.
  4. Submit payment of the fees along with your application. An application for a licence will not be formally accepted if it is not complete or the fee has not been paid.

Renewing your licence

Alcohol licences are issued for a probationary period of one year. After that, they must be renewed every three years.

Renewal applications should be lodged at least 20 working days before the expiry date. If your licence expires you will not be able to sell alcohol and will have to apply for a new alcohol licence.

Remember, you may find it helpful to make an appointment to meet with the Licensing Inspector in order to explain your application, discuss any issues and to ensure your application is complete. They will assist you with every step of the process, so contact us for advice and/or an appointment.

Applying for or renewing your licence

You can apply for a licence using our Word form.

If you need help, contact us and ask to speak to an alcohol licensing officer. We can also make an appointment to discuss your application.

  1. Complete the appropriate form.
  2. Lodge these forms with Council. You can do this:
    – by email (to [email protected])
    – in person at one of our service centres.

    Application forms

    All documents are in PDF and available for download or print from the links below.

    Licensing support

    Before an alcohol licence can be issued for new premises/changes to existing premises, you must ensure compliance with the regulations of other Council departments.

    To assist you with the planning and implementation of your new venture, make an appointment with Council's Business Start-up Group. The group can help you get an overview of the Council requirements.

    More information about Council requirements can be found on the pages listed below:

    • Resource consents - location of your proposed business, zoning, parking requirements and advertising.
    • Building control - construction requirements, building consents, access for people with disabilities and project information.
    • Environmental health - food safety and compliance with the Food Act 2014.

    Temporary authority order

    If you are taking over premises with an existing On or Off Licence you will need to arrange for a Temporary Authority Licence while your own full licence application is processed.

    Special licence applications

    A Special licence allows for the sale/supply of alcohol to any person attending an event or gathering, such as a private function, street party, sporting event, music event or charitable function.

    Applications must be submitted at least 20 working days before the event or gathering. There are some exceptions to this rule such as for a funeral but not for pre-planned events, so get your application in as soon as possible.

    Once you have completed the relevant application form you must submit the documentation and required fee. Your application will not be formally accepted until you have completed the application in full and paid the appropriate fee.

    Application forms

    All documents are in PDF and available for download or print from the links below.

    Find out what you need to know about planning your event on our Events page.

    Updated 15 October 2024