Apply for a Licence - Special Licence

A special licence allows you to sell and supply liquor during a specific occasion or event.

Apply for a special licence for any of the following:

• a specific event, wine tasting, bus trip, a party or function on hired premises where alcohol is being sold and supplied
• an event which includes liquor being supplied as part of the ticket price.
• premises, eg hall, licensed premises, party on hired premises, sports events, fundraisers
• conveyance, eg bus, train, limo, or train trip.

Guide to Liquor Licensing (599Kb PDF)

Premises - Application Requirements

Complete the following form and use the checklist below to help you put your application together:

Special Licence Application (for premises) (97Kb PDF)

Include in your application supporting material relevant to the events and times applied for.

Your application must show:

• how the event is different from normal trading activity and why it must be held outside normal trading hours
• what is the nature of the event
• how you are promoting the event (flyers, radio advertising, newspaper, etc)
• if the event is private, you will need to provide a guest list and / or invitations clearly identifying the guests.
• if your event is on a licensed premises, the dates and events requested for your special licence must be for the entire event and not just an extension of your normal trading hours.

If you operate a membership or VIP card system, you will need to produce evidence of a database record showing member names and addresses.

Checklist

Copies - Two copies of your application and all documentation.

Fee - Special licence (premises):

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Fees

Additional documentation - A detailed A4-scale plan of the interior showing the layout, and areas where liquor will be sold or supplied.

Owner's consent - A written statement from the building owner giving consent to the applicant to sell or supply liquor.

Menus - A list of food and beverages (alcoholic, low-alcoholic and non-alcoholic) to be provided.

Manager's Certificate - Copies for those nominated for the event (if applicable).

Private events - A copy of the invitation, and a list of invited guests.

Public events - A copy of the ticket, and any promotional material.

Conveyance - Application Requirements

Complete the following form and use the checklist below to help you put your application together:

Special Licence Application (for conveyance) (66Kb PDF)

Checklist

Copies - Two copies of your application and all documentation.

Fee - Special licence (conveyance):

Fees

Itinerary - A map or detailed account of the planned route to be travelled, including stop-off points.

Menu - A list of food, non-alcohol and low-alcohol beverages to be provided.

Owner's consent - A written statement from the owner of the conveyance giving consent to the applicant to sell or supply of liquor on the conveyance.

Application Process

The District Licensing Agency (DLA) forwards copies of your application to the NZ Police for their report.

Processing Time

A special licence application can take up to 25 working days to process. Make sure to send in your application well in advance of your event. There is no guarantee that your application will be processed if not enough time is allowed.

More Information

Liquor Licensing Services

Department Details:
Liquor Licensing Services