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HomeRatonga | ServicesA–Z council services and facilitiesBusiness licences and permitsAlcohol licencesApplying for an alcohol licence

Applying for an alcohol licence

Find out which alcohol licence you need, how to apply for a new licence, renew an existing one, or get a temporary authority for existing licensed premises.

New licence applications | Renewing your licence | Applying for or renewing your licence | Licensing support | Temporary authority order | Special licence applications | Related links

New licences

If you want to sell or supply alcohol you must hold a current alcohol licence. There are three types of alcohol licences:

  • On Licence: allows for the sale/supply of alcohol for consumption 'on the premises', such as a tavern, bar, hotel, cafe, restaurant or entertainment venue.
  • Off Licence: allows for the sale/supply of alcohol for consumption 'off the premises', such as a bottle store or supermarket.
  • Club Licence: allows for the sale/supply of alcohol for consumption on club premises to members of the club, their guests and members of clubs with reciprocal visiting rights.
You can't transfer a licence from a previous owner's name.

Once you've selected the type of alcohol licence required, you need to:

  1. Apply for the certificates of compliance with the Building Act 2004 and the Kāpiti Coast District Plan. These certificates must be submitted with your new licence application.
  2. Complete the licence application form.
  3. Make an appointment to meet with the Licensing Inspector, if you feel it would be helpful, to explain your application, discuss any issues and to ensure your application is complete. They will help you with every step of the process, so contact us for advice and/or an appointment.
  4. Submit payment of the fees along with your application. An application for a licence will not be formally accepted if it is not complete or the fee has not been paid.

Renewing your licence

Alcohol licences are issued for a probationary period of one year. After that, they must be renewed every three years.

Renewal applications should be lodged at least 20 working days before the expiry date. If your licence expires you will not be able to sell alcohol and will have to apply for a new alcohol licence.

Remember, you may find it helpful to make an appointment to meet with the Licensing Inspector in order to explain your application, discuss any issues and to ensure your application is complete. They will assist you with every step of the process, so contact us for advice and/or an appointment.

Applying for or renewing your licence

You have two options to apply for a licence:

If you need help, contact us and ask to speak to an alcohol licensing officer. We can also make an appointment to discuss your application.

Online registration

To apply for a licence online through Business Connect: 

  1. Go to Business Connect.
  2. Determine the appropriate action to take.

If you...

then...

have a RealMe logon

o    log on using your RealMe

o    go to step 5

don't have a Real me logon

o    create a RealMe log on
Note: you can use the links on the Business Connect page to do this

o    log on using it

o    go to step 5

3. Determine if this is your first time logging into Business Connect.

If... 

then...

this is your first time logging on to Business Connect

o    create a Business Connect account

o    verify your email address

this is not your first time logging on to Business Connect

log on using your account details

4. Go to the Business Connect dashboard.

5. Apply for the licence.

6. Click Check eligibility.

7. Select Kāpiti Coast District Council in the Your council field.

8. Complete the form.
Result: We'll be in touch with an invoice for your application fee, or if we have any further questions regarding your application. You can pay your fee in person at one of our service centres, or online, using the details provided with your invoice.

Note: The online form is administered by Business Connect; you can find their Privacy Statement online.

Manual registration

To apply for a licence manually:

  1. Complete the appropriate form.
  2. Lodge these forms with the Council. You can do this by email (to [email protected]).

    Application forms

    All documents are in PDF and available for download or print from the links below.

    About Business Connect

    With Business Connect, applying for an alcohol licence will be easier and more streamlined. Once you register to use Business Connect, most of your business details will be pre-populated thanks to integration with the New Zealand Business Number.

    Overall, Business Connect aims to make things easier for small and medium business owners in New Zealand, and offer a more consistent user experience across a range of application forms. Some of the benefits include:

    • one place to go to fulfil compliance requirements and track interactions across government
    • making regular renewals quick and easy through pre-populating information
    • sending automated renewal reminders for businesses
    • providing notifications on changes to application status
    • saving important documents to be reused in future.

    You can find out more on the Business Connect website.

    Licensing support

    Before an alcohol licence can be issued for new premises/changes to existing premises, you must ensure compliance with the regulations of other Council departments.

    To assist you with the planning and implementation of your new venture, make an appointment with Council's Business Start-up Group.  The group can help you get an overview of the Council requirements.

    More information about Council requirements can be found on the pages listed below:

    • Resource consents - location of your proposed business, zoning, parking requirements and advertising.
    • Building control - construction requirements, building consents, access for people with disabilities and project information.
    • Environmental health - food safety and compliance with the Food Act 2014.

    Temporary authority order

    If you are taking over premises with an existing On or Off Licence you will need to arrange for a Temporary Authority Licence while your own full licence application is processed.

    Special licence applications

    A Special licence allows for the sale/supply of alcohol to any person attending an event or gathering, such as a private function, street party, sporting event, music event or charitable function.

    Applications must be submitted at least 20 working days before the event or gathering.  There are some exceptions to this rule such as for a funeral but not for pre-planned events, so get your application in as soon as possible.

    Once you have completed the relevant application form you must submit the documentation and required fee.  Your application will not be formally accepted until you have completed the application in full and paid the appropriate fee.

    Application forms

    All documents are in PDF and available for download or print from the links below.

    Find out what you need to know about planning your event on our Events page.