This licence is for organisations, such as sporting clubs or service clubs, who intend to sell or supply liquor at their club premises.
When applying you'll need to meet certain requirements and provide a range of documents.
Licence summary
A club licence can only be held by:
- an incorporated not-for-profit association
- a company limited by guarantee
- in some cases, a trustee of an association if:
- the association is unable to become incorporated
- it's not appropriate to require the incorporation of the association.
A club licence allows you to sell liquor to:
- members of the club, residents of the club premises and the general public for consumption on the premises
- a resident of the club for takeaway at any time
- a club member through direct sales transactions, including online or by mail order, as long as it's delivered in South Australia between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm.
Trading hours
On the premises
When applying for your licence, you'll need to specify the hours you want to sell liquor for consumption on the premises.
Regardless of the hours you select, you can continue to sell liquor to residents of the club at any time.
Trading hours may affect your annual fees.
Takeaway
If you're granted an authorisation to sell liquor for takeaway, you'll need to specify the hours during which you want to do this. The hours you specify must not exceed 13 hours between 8:00 am to 10:00 pm on any day.
An authorisation to sell liquor for takeaway to the general public will affect your annual fees.
You don't need an authorisation to sell liquor for takeaway to residents of the club. Liquor can be sold to residents for takeaway at any time.
Online and mail order
You can sell liquor online or through mail order at any time on any day to members of the club, but it can only be delivered in South Australia between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm.
Capacity
You'll need to specify the capacity of your premises.
Your licence may be granted subject to conditions.
Optional additions
Take away liquor
You can apply for approval to sell takeaway liquor either to the general public or just to your members.
If you're authorised to sell liquor for takeaway to the general public it will affect your annual fees.
Endorsements
If you want to sell or supply liquor on a site used for club activities that isn't part of the club's licensed premises, you can apply for the event and the site to be endorsed on your licence.
Endorsements can't be granted for places or vehicles that are already licensed.
Example 1
If the oval of your club isn't licensed and you want to hold an annual fete on the oval, you can have the event endorsed on your licence. This means you'll be able to sell or supply liquor at the event on the oval every year without needing to apply for a short-term liquor licence yearly.
Example 2
If your football club has a bus that transports players who are club members to away games, you can have the bus and the activity endorsed on your licence. This means you can sell or supply liquor to members during the trip without needing to apply for a short-term liquor licence each time.
Extension of trading area
If you want to sell liquor to be consumed on a footpath or similar outdoor area that's not part of your premises, you'll need to apply for an extension of trading area.
Prescribed entertainment
You'll need to apply for prescribed entertainment consent if you want to host any entertainment that:
- is sexually explicit
- involves boxing or martial arts.
Having prescribed entertainment consent will affect your annual fees.
Gaming
If you want gaming machines at your club, you must also apply for a gaming machine licence.
What you'll need
Documents
To apply for a club licence you'll need to upload these documents (a clear photo is acceptable):
- a community impact submission (if applicable)
- a list of the committee members and their details
- a copy of the constitution, which must include provisions for:
- the management of affairs of the club by a management committee elected by members
- regular meetings of members and the management committee
- admission to membership of the club
- the payment of subscription by members of the club
- keeping proper records of the proceedings of the club and its financial affairs
- two floor plans of the venue - how to submit a plan of licensed venue (PDF 344KB)
- permission from the landlord and the certificate of title
- a capacity assessment from:
- the council
- a private certifier
- a registered architect.
Responsible persons
At all times that the venue is open for trade to the public or members, it will need to be supervised by a responsible person approved by the commissioner.
Anyone performing the duties of a responsible person must wear an identification badge (RP badge) issued by the commissioner.
If the person you want to supervise your venue is not approved as a responsible person, you can apply for them to be approved. You can do this as part of your licence application.
If a person has already been approved under another current liquor or gaming licence in South Australia, a responsible person application is only required if their circumstances have changed since their last approval.
If the person you want to supervise your venue is already approved you don’t need to do anything further.
Anyone performing the duties of a responsible person must wear an identification badge (RP badge) issued by the commissioner.
Check if someone is approved as a responsible person - you'll need the ID number from their RP badge.
After submitting your application
After submitting your application you must:
- provide a copy of the permit issued by your local council if you applied for extension of the trading area - the permit must be in the applicant’s name
- provide a completed Council Approvals – Liquor Licence Application form (PDF 50.89KB).
If you don’t have development approval but have been granted planning consent from the local council and the venue isn't finished, the commissioner can grant you a certificate and then grant the licence once the venue is complete. There's no additional application to convert your certificate into a licence.
The documents must be lodged seven days before the date that your application will be considered. You'll be advised of this date after you submit your application.
If documents aren't lodged seven days before the date your application is to be considered, your application will be adjourned for six months.
Once all outstanding documents are lodged, the application will be re-listed for determination. If the outstanding documents aren't received within six months the application will be dismissed.
What happens next
You can log in to LGO at any time to track the progress of your application.
Some applications are sent to the South Australia Police Licensing Enforcement Branch.
Some are also required to be advertised.
CBS will advise you of the next steps and what you need to do.
Submissions and interventions
If your application needs to be advertised, anyone will be able to submit their concerns and object to the application.
For example, if your neighbours think your business is going to be noisy or if they are concerned your business will have an impact on the neighbourhood they may consider lodging a submission with the commissioner.
The police may also intervene in your application if they have concerns about public safety and disturbance or the fitness and propriety of any person holding the licence.
If all the approvals are in place and there are no concerns raised by any member of the public (submissions) or police (interventions), the application process will take approximately six to eight weeks.
Submissions or interventions must be lodged at least seven days before the determination date.
If anyone submits a concern regarding your application you'll receive a copy.
You may then be asked to submit a response to the commissioner.
In some rare circumstances, you may also be asked to:
- take part in a conciliation conference with SAPOL (or anyone else who submitted their concerns) and the commissioner or a delegate
- attend a hearing before the Licensing Court.
When determining a matter, the commissioner or delegate must consider all submissions, interventions and responses.
