Getting a liquor licence

Liquor licences are issued by Liquor & Gaming NSW which is responsible for the regulation of liquor, wagering, gaming and registered clubs in NSW.

Visit Liquor & Gaming NSW

The licence selector tool on the Liquor & Gaming NSW website helps applicants choose the most appropriate licence for their business or event.

When a liquor licence needs development consent 

Development consent from Council is usually required when: 

  • changing the use of a restaurant, cafe, hotel, pub, club, function centre or the like
  • constructing a new restaurant, cafe, hotel, pub, club, function centre or the like
  • the existing business seeks to alter its approved hours of operation or to vary any conditions of a previous development consent
  • an existing restaurant or cafe – within its existing approved operating hours – seeks to become a bar where the primary activity is the sale of liquor.

All development applications involving liquor licences are assessed by Council under our Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan, as well as the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.

Specific restrictions for North Sydney, such as operating hours, can be found in Section 7, Part B of our Development Control Plan.  

Development consent is not required if an existing restaurant or cafe seeks to obtain an on-premises liquor licence where the primary activity is still the sale of food. The business must continue to operate within its existing consent conditions and make no changes to patron numbers or hours of operation.