Liquor Licence for Sporting Clubs
There are several different types of liquor licences that a sporting club can apply for. All liquor licences within Victoria are approved by the Victorian Commission for Liquor and Gambling Regulation (VCGLR). The different types of licences include:
- Full Club Licence
- Restricted Club Licence
- Renewable Limited Club Licence
- BYO Permit
What licence type does my sporting club need?
There is no one type of licence that is better for a sporting club than another, but some licences may suit your club’s needs more than others. Please view the image below to assist in deciding which may suit.
Red Line Plans
What is a Red Line Plan?
When a liquor licence is granted, the licensee will be provided with a Red Line Plan. This Plan outlines the designated area where alcohol can be served and consumed and may include indoors and/or outdoor areas.
Licensees can also alter their Red Line Plan by submitting a request to the VCGLR
What is a Licence Nominee?
Sporting clubs are encouraged to list a nominee on their liquor licence. A nominee is someone who has been approved by the VCGLR to be held responsible for any licence breaches. “This provision ensures that one person is accountable for the management and control of each venue, with the person nominated and approved being liable under the Act as the licensee.” - VCGLR
Who should be our club's nominee?
A nominee is generally a committee member or a venue/bar manager who is aware of the responsibilities as outlined in the club’s liquor licence.
What happens if we don't have a nominee on our licence?
Without a nominee listed on your liquor licence, your committee will be held liable for any licence breaches and each committee member may be fined individually. If your club does have a nominee, only one fine will be issued to the club in the name of the nominee.
Seasonal Use
When applying for a liquor licence, clubs can outline what days, times and months they intend to use their licence. It is highly recommended that clubs only apply for liquor licences within the months of their sports season (i.e Summer or winter seasons)
We have use of the facility during the summer, but another club uses the facility during winter. What do we need to do?
If your club only uses the facility for part of the year, it’s important to ensure your club’s licence only covers those months. Then, the other club can apply for their own licence for the remaining months. This ensures your licences do not overlap.
We share our facility with several other clubs at the same time. How do we manage this?
If clubs share tenancy with multiple clubs at the same time, a Committee of Management may be required to oversee a joint liquor licence. Otherwise, if the clubs use the facility on different days of the week, licences should reflect this.
Why is it important that our licences do not overlap?
These factors are important to ensure that a sporting club isn’t held responsible for another club’s licence breaches. If only one club holds a licence for the entire year, but another club serves alcohol within that time, the licensee is liable for any licence breaches –whether they served the alcohol or not.
Signage
Clubs with liquor licences are required to display certain signage at all points of sale. Clubs can find relevant signage and requirements by visiting the VCGLR's Print my Signage page. Licensees are also required to display a copy of their liquor licence.
Responsible Serving of Alcohol (RSA)
If you have any of the following licence types, your staff/ volunteers must undertake RSA Training:
- General
- On-Premises
- Packaged Liquor
- Late Night
If you don’t have one of these licences then your staff/ volunteers may not need to complete the training unless your liquor licence states that they do, but you will still need to apply the RSA principles when serving alcohol. It is highly recommended that all bar staff/volunteers complete RSA training, regardless of what type of liquor licence is in place.
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