Off-licence

Before you apply

Understanding everything there is to know about alcohol licences and the application process is no easy task. We recommend checking out our guidance for new applicants and talking to our alcohol licensing team before you start an application.

Book a free meeting by calling us on 07 376 0899 or email alcohollicensing@taupo.govt.nz.

What is an off-licence

An off-licence allows the sale or supply of alcohol for consumption off the premises.

This licence is most commonly used by bottle stores, supermarkets, general/grocery stores, taverns and hotels (with takeaway sales), remote sellers, winery cellar doors and alcohol manufacturers
The key thing to know is that an off-licence does not allow alcohol to be consumed on the premises, like a restaurant, cafe or bar. These businesses need an on-licence. While some businesses can hold both an on-licence and an off-licence (such as taverns and hotels), other businesses can not legally hold both these types of licence.

Sensitive Sites and off-licences

Off-licenced businesses need to be mindful of where their business will be located in relation to sensitive sites which can include (but are not limited to) the following types of places:

Schools/learning centres
Areas with high foot traffic for minors e.g. school runs
Child care facilities
Marae
High deprivation areas or areas with high off licence density.
Areas with high levels of alcohol related harm
Alcohol rehabilitation centres
Churches
Community facilities

Applicants failing to consider these types of sites when selecting an off-licence location run the risk of attracting agency opposition and/or public objections for their applications due to the potential that the licence would detract from the amenity of the area.

It is strongly recommended that applicants make the effort to understand their communities and the potential impact an off-licence could have on the area.

Single alcohol area

Holders of off-licences for supermarkets and grocery stores are required to keep all alcohol sales and promotions to one confined area within the premises. Applicants need to carefully consider where this area will be located as there are rules governing where they can be placed and perimeter requirements.

These premises also have restrictions on the types of alcohol that they can sell so careful product selection is necessary.

Endorsements for remote sellers and auctions

Endorsed licences are variations of standard off-licences that applicants can request in certain circumstances. They alter some of the compliance requirements for licence holders.

There are two types of off-licence endorsements, as outlined below:

Remote sellers endorsement

This endorsement may be requested by applicants who only sell their product either online, via phone or from a catalogue. There is no physical shop that customers can visit and as such different compliance requirements apply. Remote sellers need to consider how they will manage who can buy alcohol to ensure no one under age can purchase and how it is delivered to ensure it is not received by anyone under 18.

If you're considering this endorsement, we recommend reading this Health New Zealand guidance for remote sellers.

National guidance for remote sales of alcohol - Health NZ (PDF, 161KB)

Auctioneer endorsement

This endorsement can be requested by the applicant if they only intend to sell alcohol at auctions. This type of application does not require the standard public notification or reports from the agencies and there is no obligation to appoint duty managers or display signage or licences.

Apply for a new off-licence or renewal

You'll use the same application form to apply for a new or renewal of an off-licence.

An off-licence is granted initially for one year
An off-licence must be renewed every three years

Start application

Rules and responsibilities

Holders of an off-licence are responsible for managing their alcohol sales to maintain the amenity and good order of the local area, as well as being responsible for who can purchase alcohol.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 imposes requirements on off-licence premises to show they are responsible sellers of alcohol, they understand their social responsibility and the potential community impacts of off-licence alcohol sales.

Social Responsibility Policy

Signage requirements

As an alcohol licencee you are required to display signage in your premises which typically includes:

A copy of the alcohol licence (at the front entrance)
Signage stating no sale to minors
Signage stating no sale to intoxicated persons
Signage showing the requirement for ID
Signage displaying the name of the Duty Manager

Signage templates and other useful resources to order in hard copy and/or download for free are available on the Health New Zealand alcohol resource store website.

Record keeping

Off-licence businesses are required to maintain certain records to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. These need to be available for inspection at all times by the Police and Alcohol Licensing Inspectors.

Records required for off-licences can include:

Certified managers registered and certificates
Acting/Temporary Manager appointments and registers
Training records
Incident records/logs
Records of trespassed/banned individuals

Record templates can be either created by the business or businesses can choose to use the toolkit developed by Health New Zealand.

If you would like a toolkit you can make a request to us by emailing alcohollicensing@taupo.govt.nz.

Alcohol bylaws and bans

Some off-licences may be located in an area controlled by an Alcohol Bylaw.

The Taupō District Council Alcohol Control Bylaw (PDF, 667KB) prohibits alcohol consumption in certain areas of the district and on certain days. Licence holders in these areas should consider how they can inform customers of these rules and ensure that their customers are not breaching the bylaw by consuming alcohol immediately after leaving their store.

Low and non-alcoholic options

While the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 does not specifically require off-licence holders to stock low and non-alcoholic drinks, it is considered good practice to stock these options.

This presents customers with viable alternatives to traditional alcohol and in turn shows a commitment to the object of the act.

In some cases, low and non-alcoholic options may be required by licence conditions imposed by the District Licensing Committee.

Financial records

Applicants for off-licences - grocery stores in particular - may be asked to produce evidence of their revenue by category when applying for a new licence or renewing an existing licence.

This information is used by the District Licensing Committee to determine that the business is correctly classified and the sales volumes meet the requirements of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 for their classification.

Failing to provide this information or failing to provide it in a manner that can be easily interpreted by the reporting agencies may result in the applications being opposed or an order made for release of the figures. Off-licence holders will need to keep good financial records and be able to readily obtain this information if requested.

We recommend using one of these templates:

Alcohol - Grocery Store Revenue Declaration - New business (Word, 37KB)

Alcohol - Grocery Store Revenue Declaration - Renewal (Word, 37KB)

Licence fees

You need to pay:

an application fee when you apply for a new licence, or renew a licence or make a change (variation) to an existing licence
an annual fee, paid each year by the anniversary of the licence issue date.

The exact fees you pay will vary depending on your specific ‘cost/risk rating’ which is determined by a combination of factors including your type of business, opening hours and if you've had any prior enforcement issues.

Fees are set by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. Note an alcohol licence will only be issued after fees are fully paid. Prompt payment is essential to prevent delays in the licensing process.

See our alcohol licensing fees