Liquor Licensing Laws

In Australia, any club that wants to sell alcohol, or even wants to let members and guests bring their own drinks, must have a liquor licence. No liquor licence - no alcohol.

Good Sports is here to help clubs do the right thing without leaving it to guesswork. Use this checklist to make sure your club is on track for another successful and safe season of sport.

Check your state liquor regulations

Official policies and procedures can often change. Even with the best intentions, your club might be in the wrong without even realising it. No one wants to cop a hefty fine.

Start here. Check out the Licensing Laws fact sheet to find the most up-to-date information for your state or territory, plus where to apply for a licence.

And don’t forget to renew your licence every year. If you time your renewal around a major event – like the end of financial year – it makes it easy to remember.

Update your club policy

Maybe you have a big function coming up. Or maybe time has raced by and it has been over a year since you’ve reviewed your policy. Wow – has it been that long?

Right now, it’s a good time to log on to the club portal have another look at your policy.

Keep in mind any circumstances that may have changed at your club:

• Have you started or stopped serving alcohol?
• Are there any insights that your club has learned since creating the policy?
• Are club members still aware of the policy?

Service matters - refresh RSA training

The easiest way to stay on top of things and provide a safe and healthy club environment is by training several members in Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA).

While reviewing your club’s policies, check that your club is still ticking all the boxes when it comes to liquor licensing laws and Good Sports accreditation.

• If one of your RSA-trained members has moved on from the club, you will need to ensure somebody else is trained to replace them at the bar or events.
• RSA-trained members must complete a refresher course every three years to ensure their RSA certificate is still valid.

In some states and territories, clubs may need to complete extra training to meet liquor licensing regulations.

Update everyone's contact details

Committee members come and go. Some are part of the club’s fabric while others are only able to help for a season or two. It’s common for committee members and club contact details to change across the years.

Sometimes, this can make it difficult for licensing authorities get in touch with clubs to let them know about any changes to the rules, or to remind them about renewing their licence.

Get in touch with your region’s alcohol licensing authority to tell them about any changes needed to your liquor licence and any updates to contact details.

If you have any questions about alcohol management, the Good Sports team is here to help. Get in contact with us today.