Making a Start

Types of Licenses

Our advice is ensure you check out the feasibility and legalities of your proposal with the relevant Council departments before you apply:

In the first instance, please call customer services on 07 868 0200 and ask to speak with the Duty Planner or the Environmental Health Officer for your area. You can also email us at customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz with the detail of what you want to do so we can do a basic check of where you need to start.

• Check out our Building page - for information about new buildings or making renovations to an existing building, fire safety requirements etc.
• Check out our Food Licenses page - for information on how to register your food business (this is a requirement if you are applying for an On or Club Licence).
• Check out our Outdoor Dining and Display page - for information if you wish to offer outdoor dining or display goods in a public place, such as a footpath, you must have a licence. 

When purchasing a new building or business it is recommended you obtain a Land Information Memorandum (LIM). This is a report on what the Council know about the land and buildings at your chosen site. 

Opening a New Business

If you are wanting to open a new business that sells alcohol you will need an On, Off or Club Licence. You will also need a Building and Planning Certificate.

Taking Over an Existing Business

If you are planning to take over an existing business you will need to apply for a Temporary Authority. Once this is issued you can apply for an Alcohol Building and Planning Certificate and your new On, Off or Club Licence. 

Notice of Appointment and Record Keeping

Licensees must notify Council's Alcohol Licensing Team and the Police of any appointments, cancellations and terminations of duty managers within 48 hours. They must also keep records of all duty managers at their premises for at least two years. 

No one under the age of 20 can be appointed as a duty manager of licensed premises. 

The name of the duty manager must always be displayed on the licensed premises when they are working as the duty manager. The duty manager is responsible for compliance with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, the conditions of the licence and the conduct of the premises. 

Notice of Appointment Form

Permanent Managers 

If you have just employed a person who already has their manager’s certificate or have a staff member who just gained their managers certificate, and you wish to use them regularly or on a permanent basis as a duty manager then you need to notify us using the form. 

If you end the employment of a certified manager you must also let us know. 

Temporary Managers 

If you want to appoint a staff member as a permanent duty manager, but currently who does not hold a managers certificate, you must complete the Temporary Managers section of the form. They must then lodge an application for a manager’s certificate within two working days with the Council’s Alcohol Licensing Team. 

If they do not lodge an application their appointment as a temporary manager is null and void. Once they are issued with their new general managers certificate their Duty Manager appointment can then be made a permanent appointment.  

Acting Managers

You can appoint an acting manager when the manager is ill, absent or on annual leave for a period of no more than three weeks at any one time and for a maximum accumulated period of six weeks within a 12 month period. 

This person does not need to apply for a manager’s certificate.  

There is no need to notify us if the acting manager will be in the role for less than 48 hours. 

Keeping Records 

As the Licensee you must keep a record of information for each manager (full managers, acting managers, and temporary managers) at your premises. 

The record must be kept by you, as the licensee, for at least two years under sections 24-26 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Regulations 2013. We suggest you keep a copy of the Duty Manager appointment/cancellation forms you send to us and file them in your premises folder on site. 

This is in addition to any records the DLC or Police keep of any notice of duty manager appointment or change you send into the Alcohol Licensing Team and the Police under section 231 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

The Licensing Inspector or the Police can ask to see the record of managers at any time. To make this easier, we suggest you keep the record as a logbook.  

District Licensing Committee (DLC)

The committees consider and grant or renew applications for licenses and manager’s certificates.

Check out our DLC page.