Apply for an on-premises licence (cafe or restaurant)

Introduction

An on-premises liquor licence lets you supply alcohol along with the food service at your cafe or restaurant.

The main activity of your business must be the preparation and serving of meals to the public.

You will need separate applications if you require:

Eligibility

To be eligible for an on-premises licence, you must be at least 18 years old.

What you need

a MyServiceNSW Account or OneGov account
a floor plan showing the boundaries proposed for the licensed premises (see How to submit a floor plan with licence application – PDF)
details of the premises owner
contact details for you or another authorised person
your requested liquor trading hours
a copy of your Development Approval or Consent (if applicable)
a completed Licence conditions form: on-premises – PDF
a completed applicant declaration – PDF (if applicable)
a completed Primary Service Authorisation (if you're applying for one)
your payment.

If you're applying as an individual, you'll also need to provide:

evidence of your Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) qualification and Licensee and Advanced Licensee training (if applicable)
a current National Police Check certificate issued within the last 3 months, and
the 3 identity documents you used when applying for the National Police Check.

If you're applying as an organisation, you'll also need to provide:

ABN or ACN
the names and birthdates of all directors and officeholders (if it is a proprietary company)
a current Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) extract
details of an appointed Approved Manager (if applicable).

How to apply

Check the eligibility requirements.
Gather required documents.
Select the 'Apply online' button.
Sign in to your account or register for a MyServiceNSW Account.
Follow the prompts to complete your application.

More information

Notify stakeholders

Some liquor licence applications require you to notify stakeholders and the local community about your application once it has been submitted.

Find out more about notification requirements at Liquor & Gaming NSW.

Licence conditions

Conditions apply to NSW liquor licences. Some conditions apply automatically depending on the type of premises. Other conditions may be imposed on a licence by Liquor & Gaming NSW or the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority.

Where there are conditions that may be applied, you can include the conditions form with your application. It may help reduce application processing time.

Find out more about licence conditions at Liquor & Gaming NSW.

Authorisations and extensions

Authorisations and extensions can help you customise your on-premises licence to suit your needs. These could include:

extended trading hours
service of alcohol without meals
takeaway alcohol sales.

See the Liquor & Gaming NSW website for more information about on-premises licences authorisations and extensions.

Enquiries about liquor licensing

For up-to-date liquor licence guidelines, resources and tools visit Liquor & Gaming NSW liquor licensing.

If you have questions or feedback about liquor licensing contact Liquor & Gaming NSW.

Last updated: 28 July 2025