Is your licensed business compliant with the liquor laws?
Remaining compliant with the various requirements under the liquor legislation in NSW can be challenging. Significant penalties apply for breaching the liquor laws including fines, suspension or cancellation of your licence and even imprisonment.
It's a good idea to maintain a well-run business not just to avoid being fined, but because it will make your business safe, sustainable and profitable.
There are a few key areas that Police and Liquor & Gaming Inspectors will focus on during a compliance visit, including those listed below.
| Obligation | How to be compliant |
|---|---|
| Your licence | You must have a physical copy of your licence and be able to produce it in response to a demand by Police or a Liquor & Gaming Inspector. You DO NOT have to have your licence on display. |
| Other key documents | It is good practice to have a physical copy of several key documents available to produce including:
Having these documents available will help during any compliance visit. |
| Signage | While the type of licence you have may require additional signs to be displayed, all licences must have the following: 1. Signage at the entry to your premises, that is visible from outside, showing the name of the licence, the licensee and the type of licence 2. The 'Under 18's' (Sign 1L) sign that must be displayed at every bar or, if there is no bar, at or near every public entrance so it is clearly visible. |
| Responsible Service of Alcohol Training | The licensee (or the approved manager if the licensee is a company) and all staff involved in the sale or supply of alcohol must have a current RSA Competency and must be able to produce their Competency Card (or interim certificate that has not expired) to Police or a Liquor & Gaming Inspector on demand. |
| Liquor promotions | Ensure that any promotions involving alcohol comply with the responsible service standards. Promotions that encourage excessive or rapid consumption are likely to be found to be in breach. |
| Incident registers | If you are required to keep an incident register, make sure it is available to all staff and that they know what information needs to be recorded and when. |
Compliance Manual
We can create a comprehensive compliance manual for your business containing all your key documents and important information about your business and your legal obligations.
The Compliance Manual is a highly useful document as it will ensure you comply with any requirement to produce key documents to Police or Liquor & Gaming and is also useful as part of inducting new employees to ensure they understand what is expected of them.
For more information about our compliance manual or any compliance related matters, just get in touch!
