Alcohol licence application forms

A club licence allows you to sell or supply alcohol to drink on the premises of a sport or social club to:

• club members
• club members' guests
• members of clubs with reciprocal visiting rights.

Your club must be an incorporated society to be eligible for this type of licence.

You'll need to have town planning and building certificates before you can apply for a new alcohol licence. 

Make sure you apply to renew your club licence at least 20 working days before it expires. You must renew it:

• 1 year after it's first issued
• every 3 years after that before the expiry date.

If you apply before your licence expires, you can keep selling alcohol while we process your application. If your licence expires before you send in your application, you must stop selling alcohol immediately and remove all alcohol from display until your new licence is granted.

A manager's certificate allows you to work as a duty manager in a business that sells or supplies alcohol. 

To apply you need to:

• be at least 20 years old
• have worked in a licensed premises for at least 5 months
• be working in a licensed business or intending to own or run a business in Palmerston North
• hold a Licence Controller Qualification.

Please note, we no longer require you to complete a questionnaire for managers or book a pre-lodgement meeting.

You need to renew your manager's certificate before it expires to keep working at a licensed business. If you don't, you'll have to apply for a new one.

We recommend you submit your renewal at least 20 working days before your current certificate expires.

You must renew your manager's certificate: 

• 12 months after it's first issued 
• every 3 years after that before the expiry date.

To renew your certificate, you must be:

• currently employed at a licensed premises in Palmerston North
• intending to start work at a licensed premises in Palmerston North (if you've got a certificate from another council).

Please note, we no longer require you to complete a questionnaire for managers or book a pre-lodgement meeting.

Use this form to add or remove a duty manager, or appoint a new, acting or temporary manager.

Once submitted, we will notify partner agencies (NZ Police and Palmerston North District Licensing Committee).

You can choose from one of the following options when completing this form:

• New certificate-holding manager: If you're appointing a new permanent duty manager (who holds a current manager's certificate). This includes existing staff who may have recently obtained their duty manager certificate or new employees.
• Temporary manager: If you want to make one of your staff a permanent duty manager, but they don't currently have a manager's certificate. The staff member must apply for a manager's certificate within 2 working days of this notification. If you're appointing a temporary manager because a duty manager is leaving, please also complete a separate form for the person leaving.
• Acting manager: If your duty manager is going on annual leave or sick leave for more than 48 hours. If a duty manager is sick or on leave for no more than 3 weeks at any time (maximum period of 6 weeks per year) you can appoint an acting manager as cover, however you can't use an acting manager for longer periods.
• Cancellation of manager appointment: If a duty manager has stopped working at your premises.

Please note, you'll need to complete a separate form for each duty manager.

An off-licence allows your business to sell, supply or deliver alcohol for customers to drink off your premises.

You need an off-licence if your business is a:

• bottle store
• grocery store
• supermarket
• remote sales (for example, sales through a website).

You'll need to have town planning and building certificates before you can apply for a new alcohol licence.  

Use this form to renew your off-licence.

• Make sure you apply to renew your off-licence at least 20 working days before it expires. You must renew it:
• 1 year after it's first issued
• every 3 years after that before the expiry date.

If you apply before your licence expires, you can keep selling alcohol while we process your application. If your licence expires before you send in your application, you must stop selling alcohol immediately and remove all alcohol from display until your new licence is granted.

An on-licence allows your business to sell or supply alcohol for customers to drink on the premises.

You need an on-licence if your business is a:

• tavern, pub, bar or nightclub
• hotel
• restaurant, cafe or BYO restaurant
• caterer.

You'll need to have town planning and building certificates before you can apply for a new alcohol licence. 

Use this form to renew your on-licence.

• Make sure you apply to renew your on-licence at least 20 working days before it expires. You must renew it:
• 1 year after it's first issued
• every 3 years after that before the expiry date.

If you apply before your licence expires, you can keep selling alcohol while we process your application. If your licence expires before you send in your application, you must stop selling alcohol immediately and remove all alcohol from display until your new licence is granted.

Apply for a special licence if you want to sell alcohol at a one-off event or series of events. Under a special licence, customers must pay for the alcohol they consume – either over a bar, as a koha, or as part of the event entry fee or ticket price.

Examples of when you need a special licence: 

• ticketed events like festivals, concerts and sporting events where alcohol is included in the ticket price or sold at a bar
• bus, train and limo trips where alcohol will be sold or included in the price of the ticket
• an event at a licensed premises that's not covered by the normal licence – for example, a band playing outside your normal licensed hours
• social club and community club events where membership fees go towards buying alcohol.

There are two types of special licence

On-site: Apply for this special licence if people will drink alcohol at the event

Off-site: Apply for this special licence if people will buy alcohol to take away, or if you will be offering small tastings at the event site

Please ensure you complete the correct application for your event.

For both types of special licence, you also need to complete the medical officer of health questionnaire.