Update, amend details of, or surrender a tobacco licence

On this page
Introduction
 –  Change of business ownership
How to submit changes to your tobacco licence or application
 –  Who can complete a form
 –  What you need
 –  Fees
 –  What happens after you submit a form
 –  Help
Forms
 –  Change of licence role
 –  Change of contact details
 –  Change of name
 –  Change of licensed retail outlet name
 –  Notification of offences
 –  Notice of licence surrender 
More information

Introduction

If your business sells tobacco products or non-tobacco smoking products in NSW, your premises must be licensed.

You must tell us if you want to make any of these changes to your licence or application:

• add or remove a relevant, authorised or designated person from a licence or application
• update the name or contact details of an existing individual or licence holder for a licence or application
• change the name of the licensed retail outlet
• tell us about a relevant offence within 14 days after a relevant person is found guilty or convicted
• surrender a licence.

What to do when there is a change of business ownership at a premises

Tobacco licences cannot be transferred from the licence holder to another person or organisation.

If a business changes ownership:

1. the current licence holder must surrender their existing licence; and
2. the new owner must apply for a new tobacco licence in their own name.

If the current business owner has submitted a licence application that has not yet been approved, then that business owner must withdraw the submitted application, and the new owner must submit a new application in their own name.

The new business owner is not permitted to trade in tobacco products or non-tobacco smoking products in NSW unless they have applied for, and been granted, a licence.

How to submit changes to your tobacco licence or application

For changes to a tobacco licence’s contact details, licence roles and licensed retail outlet name, please use the online form.

For all other changes to either an application in progress or a granted licence: 

1. Download and complete the relevant form.
2. Email the form and any supporting documents to amendments@tobaccolicensing.nsw.gov.au.

To withdraw a tobacco licence application, the applicant will need to call the Tobacco Information Line on 1800 357 412.

Who can complete a form

The form must be completed by the relevant person or an authorised person for the organisation.

A relevant person is someone who holds one of the following roles in the business or organisation that applied for the tobacco licence:

• director
• committee member
• partner
• registered club secretary, or
• trustee.

An authorised person is someone a relevant person or licence holder has authorised in writing to act on their behalf for the tobacco licence.

What you need

All forms require the following information. Some forms require additional information or supporting documents.

• licence details, including the licence or application number and expiry date, if applicable
• name of the licence holder/applicant
• the names of any relevant persons (if the licence holder/applicant is a corporation)
• ABN or ACN (if the licence holder/applicant is a corporation)
• business name or online business name
• address or website address
• the date you want changes to take effect.

Fees

There is no fee to request an amendment to the details on your licence or application.

What happens after you submit a form

We will review your request and check that you have provided all required information.

When your request is complete, the authority will email you to confirm it. You can also check the Verify NSW public register for tobacco licences to confirm your changes.

If your request cannot be completed, the authority will write to you to explain why and tell you what you can do next about your tobacco licence or application.

Help 

If you need help submitting a form, call the NSW Tobacco Information Line on 1800 357 412.

Forms

Change of licence role

Complete the online form to add or remove a relevant, authorised or designated person from a licence record. 

Submit a separate form for each person or entity whose licence records need updating.

Some licence roles are required for your licence to remain valid:

• You cannot remove the only relevant person from a corporation licence or application unless you replace them with another relevant person.
• You cannot remove a designated person from a licence or application unless you nominate another designated person.

To add or remove a relevant, authorised or designated person from a licence application in progress:

1. Download and complete the form below.
2. Email the form and any supporting documents to amendments@tobaccolicensing.nsw.gov.au.

Change of licence role form – PDF

Change of contact details

Complete the online form to change any of the below contact details for an existing licence:

• Email address
• Mobile number
• Other phone number
• Business address (corporations) or residential address (individual/sole trader)
• Mailing address

You may need:

• Proof of new address for residential or registered office changes, such as a utility bill (electricity, water, gas or landline phone) signed lease agreement or council rates notice.
• A recent ASIC extract relevant to your current business structure. This may include a company register, the business names register or both, depending on whether you operate as a company, trust, partnership or sole trader.
• A formal Letter of authority if someone is submitting the form for the licence holder instead of the licence holder or director.

To change contact details for a licence application in progress:

1. Download and complete the form below.
2. Email the form and any supporting documents to amendments@tobaccolicensing.nsw.gov.au.

Change of Details form – PDF

 Change of name

Use the below form to change the name of the existing licence holder. Tobacco licences cannot be transferred from the licence holder to another person or organisation.

Complete a separate form for each licence holder or entity whose licence records need updating.

You will need

• Change of name documents for previous or new name changes, such as a marriage certificate, divorce order, change of name certificate or deed poll.
• An ASIC extract relevant to your business structure; such as an ASIC Current and Historical Company Extract for companies (Pty Ltd), a Current and Historical Business Name Extract for partnerships and sole traders trading under a business name, or the Current and Historical Company Extract for the Corporate Trustee, or a copy of the Trust Deed, for trusts.
• A formal Letter of authority if someone is submitting the form for the licence holder instead of the licence holder or director.

To change a name associated with a licence application:

1. Download and complete the form below.
2. Email the form and any supporting documents to amendments@tobaccolicensing.nsw.gov.au.  

Change of Details form – PDF

Change of licensed retail outlet name

You will need

• An ASIC extract relevant to your business structure where the ABN or CAN remains the same; such as an ASIC Current and Historical Company Extract for companies (Pty Ltd), a Current and Historical Business Name Extract for partnerships and sole traders trading under a business name, or the Current and Historical Company Extract for the Corporate Trustee, or a copy of the Trust Deed, for trusts.

To change the name of a retail outlet associated with a licence application in progress:

1. Download and complete the form below.
2. Email the form and any supporting documents to amendments@tobaccolicensing.nsw.gov.au.

Change of licensed retail outlet name form – PDF

Notification of offences

Use this form to notify the Secretary, NSW Health if a relevant person is found guilty or convicted of an offence related to tobacco products, non-tobacco smoking products or vaping goods in NSW or elsewhere. You must notify within 14 days after a relevant person is found guilty or convicted. The form must be completed by the relevant person or an authorised person for the organisation holding the NSW tobacco licence.

Complete a separate form for each licence holder or entity affected by the conviction.

You may need

• Offence details
  • offence description
  • legislation and section
  • jurisdiction
  • court or tribunal
  • date of offence
  • date of guilty finding or conviction

Notification of Offences form – PDF

Notice of licence surrender

If this request relates to more than one licence, include a supporting document listing the licences covered by the surrender notification.

Once you surrender a tobacco licence, it cannot be reinstated. If you want to apply again later, you must submit a new tobacco licence application. Your new application must include all required information and documents. If your application is approved, you will receive a new tobacco licence with a new licence number.

Notice of Licence Surrender form – PDF

More information

You must provide complete and truthful answers to all questions. Under the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008, giving false or misleading information could impact your ability to hold a tobacco licence.

For more information visit Tobacco retailing laws in NSW.