Every holder of a NSW liquor licence is required to pay an annual liquor licence fee. Liquor licensing in NSW is built on a framework where the industry contributes to the cost of its regulation.
Annual liquor licence fees are calculated by L&GNSW on 15 March each year using licence information held by the NSW Government.
The annual licence fee is calculated on a simple model:
Risk-based loadings increase when the risk level of a premises increases.
For example: If you’re a business with a large, late trading premises located in a major entertainment precinct, and have a poor compliance history, your business will be identified as high-risk and attract additional risk-based loadings.
This loading applies if a premises is authorised to regularly trade after midnight.
Find out more about trading hours risk loading conditions and exemptions.
Compliance risk loadings apply if, in the past calendar year:
Compliance risk loadings include three factors:
Find out more about compliance risk loadings.
Compliance history risk loading is based on the compliance history of your liquor licence in the previous calendar year.
If more than one of the following loadings applies to your licence, you will only pay the highest amount.
The patron capacity risk loading only applies if you are also required to pay a compliance history risk loading. Your patron capacity risk loading is based on the number of people your premises is allowed to hold.
Note: Accommodation areas are not included in the patron capacity of a licensed premises.
Location risk loading only applies if you are required to pay a compliance history risk loading. Venues in the Kings Cross and Sydney CBD precincts automatically attract a $2,164 location risk loading fee.
You can use the Licence Fee Calculator to estimate how much your licence fee might be this year, or use it to see what effect any changes to your licence might have on your fee.
Annual liquor licence fees are due annually by 29 May. If you miss this payment date and your licence is suspended, a late payment fee is added to your liquor licence fee
Licence type
Late fee - per licence
Limited licence (multi-function) and former community liquor licence
$55
All other licence types
$110
If you missed the licence fee payment date of 29 May, you will need to pay your licence fee and a late payment fee. If you do not pay your annual liquor licence fee and late payment fee by 25 July, your licence will be cancelled.
If your licence is cancelled and you still need to use it, you need to apply for a reinstatement of your licence and pay a reinstatement fee of $271 on top of your annual liquor licence fee and late payment fee.
Notices are issued in April each year. Depending on the contact details we have for you, you may receive your notice of your annual liquor licence fee via email, SMS, or mail.
If you did not apply for reinstatement of your cancelled liquor licence and pay your outstanding fees by 20 September 2019 your licence has now been permanently cancelled. You must apply for a new liquor licence if you wish to re-enter the industry and sell or supply alcohol.
Significant penalties apply if you sell or supply liquor or operate gaming machines without a valid licence.
If you are experiencing financial hardship you can apply for a fee waiver. Applications close annually on 22 May. Applications are now closed.
If you think your fee is incorrect you can apply for a fee re-assessment. Applications for fee re-assessments closed on 25 July 2019.
If you apply for a fee re-assessment and are not informed of the outcome before the 29 May fee payment due date, you are required to pay your annual liquor licence fee in full to avoid suspension and/or cancellation of your licence and a late payment fee.
If you were informed that your fee re-assessment application has been successful after you made the payment in full, the difference will be refunded to you.
You still need to pay an annual liquor licence fee if you are currently not trading.
If you have ceased trading or your licence has been temporarily or voluntarily suspended, you still need to pay your annual liquor licence fee because your licence is still valid.
We send email reminders with important information about your liquor licence, including annual fee notices, and reminders.
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