Do cafés and restaurants need to hold valid liquor licence (state liquor licensing)?
A computed answer from the Rules Mate applicability engine, with the exact condition, the outcome for every structure and size, and the primary source.
Short answer: Only if
Only if you sell or supply alcohol. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Cafés & restaurants), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
The obligation in brief
Hold valid liquor licence (state liquor licensing). Each state administers liquor licensing (Liquor Control Victoria, Liquor & Gaming NSW, OLGR Qld + equivalents). Licence categories: on-licence (consumption on premises), packaged liquor, club, late-night, special event.
Trigger: Sale or supply of liquor.
Why cafés & restaurants get a different answer
Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 33 of those industries the answer for "Hold valid liquor licence (state liquor licensing)" is no. Cafés & restaurants is one of the 2 where the answer is different: only if.
The deciding fact for cafés and restaurants: Industry: Cafés & restaurants; applies only if you sell or supply alcohol.
About the industry: Food service businesses covered by the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 and food safety standards.
Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires industry: Hotels, pubs & licensed venues).
Answer by business structure and size
Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in cafés & restaurants with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.
| Structure | No employees | 1–5 employees | 6–19 employees | 20–99 employees | 100–499 employees | 500+ employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Partnership | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Trust | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Pty Ltd company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Public company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Not-for-profit (unregistered) | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Registered charity | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Super fund | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Foreign company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
What the obligation requires
- When due
- Continuous; annual fees + renewals.
- Evidence to keep
- Current licence; RSA training records; complaints log.
- Maximum penalty
- Suspension/cancellation; criminal for unlicensed sale; significant fines
- Regulator
- Liquor & Gaming NSW and OLGR Qld
- Jurisdiction
- Commonwealth (national)
Other obligations where cafés & restaurants differ from the norm
- RSA + RCG mandatory training (liquor + gaming): Only if
- Franchising Code of Conduct (mandatory industry code): Only if
- Appoint a certified Food Safety Supervisor (FSS): Yes
- Comply with Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL): Only if
- Comply with Retail Leases Act 1994 (NSW): Only if
- Comply with Retail Leases Act 2003 (VIC): Only if
- All 12 answers for cafés & restaurants
Other industries with a non-default answer
Questions
- Do cafés and restaurants need to hold valid liquor licence (state liquor licensing)?
- Only if you sell or supply alcohol. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Cafés & restaurants), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
- Is the answer the same for every industry?
- No. For 33 of the 35 industries Rules Mate maps, the answer is no. Cafés & restaurants is one of 2 industries with a different answer.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.