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Words used in the liquor licence application form

Understand the details you need to provide and words you may find in the liquor licence application form.

On this page

If you are not sure what something means on the application form, check this list or contact us.

If your application is missing information or is incomplete, it may:

There are serious penalties for providing incorrect information.

Details you need to provide

We may ask for some of these details in the application form. It can depend on the type of application you’re making.

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The applicant is the person or entity that will hold the liquor licence or permit.

There are 4 common types of applicants:

Your choice will affect the questions the form asks from then on. If you do not choose correctly, you may need to start your application again. You will lose your application fee.

Find out how different applicant types are defined under Definitions.

Details about the applicant

In addition to the type of applicant, you must tell us the:

Trusts

If your business operates through a trust, only the trustee can apply (not the trust itself).

If you are not sure who the trustee is, check the trust deed. It names the trustee.

Other entity types

Councils, TAFEs and co-operatives may also apply for a liquor licence. These often have unique setups. Before you start your application, you may want to contact us to discuss your situation.

You will need to tell us about the people who run or represent your business.

You must give their full name, home address and position held for each person.

If you are applying as:

Suitability is an assessment of whether you are a fit and proper person to hold a liquor licence.

For this check, you must complete 2 parts:

Who completes suitability information

Anyone declared under the ‘Applicant details’ section must complete the questionnaire and declaration of associates.

The form will automatically display the correct parts for you to complete, depending on who is applying.

If you are applying as:

Questionnaire

The personal history questionnaire asks about your:

We send a copy of your questionnaire to Victoria Police. They may contact you as part of their review process.

If you need more copies, or need to add another key person after you’ve submitted your application, download:

Personal history questionnaire PDF 196.06 KB (opens in a new window)

Declaration of associates

You must declare all of your associates as part of your application.

An associate is someone who either:

If you need more copies, or need to add another key person after you’ve submitted your application, download:

Declaration of associates form PDF 252.86 KB (opens in a new window)

We need you to tell us about your business and how it will operate.

Include as much detail as you can.

If you do not provide enough detail, we may need to ask for more information. This may delay getting your decision.

Include information such as:

You must tell us your maximum patron capacity if you are applying for one of these licence types:

Maximum patron capacity is the total number of customers allowed in your licensed area at one time.

We use this number to:

The formula is total floor space (in square metres) divided by 0.75 = maximum patrons.

For example, 60 square metres divided by 0.75 = 80 people (maximum patron capacity).

We cannot progress your application without the supporting document.

Musical entertainment can range from a solo singer or guitarist in a restaurant to karaoke or live music events.

You need to tell us if you provide any entertainment, such as:

Venues that provide karaoke have a high risk of alcohol-related harm. If you have a karaoke venue, we will ask you for a venue management plan that includes how you will reduce this risk.

It is an offence to allow unaccompanied minors (under 18s) at your licensed venue.

An unaccompanied minor means they are not in the company of a responsible adult.

Exceptions apply if minors are either:

  1. Complete the form.

Permanent approval to permit underage persons on licensed premises PDF 216.37 KB (opens in a new window)

  1. Add it in the Uploads section of the application form. We cannot progress your application without this form.

You’ll also need to tell us:

Definitions

You may come across these words, depending on the type of application you’re making.

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An associate of a licensee is someone who either:

This is a legal term used to describe any entity that can hold a licence (except individuals and partnerships).

For example:

Companies are entities registered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

They have either Pty Ltd or Ltd at the end of the company name.

Companies have directors and a company secretary.

When we refer to council, we mean a municipal council (for example, City of Yarra, City of Greater Bendigo).

A person who has control of a public or private company.

The group that manages an incorporated association, such as a club.

It usually includes a president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary.

Sometimes the executive committee is a chairperson with a small committee that makes decisions for the larger group.

The term financial interest usually comes up in relation to associates.

If a person has a financial interest in a business, it means they have contributed a significant amount of money or equity to it.

Their financial interest can include:

An incorporated association is a body corporate registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV). It’s often a local sporting club, theatre or charity.

Incorporated associations have the word ‘incorporated’ or ‘Inc’ at the end of their name.

If you’re applying as an incorporated association, your name must match your registration with CAV.

If it does not, or we can’t find you in CAV’s database, we will ask you to provide a copy of your incorporation certificate.

A nominee is a person approved on a licence, usually the manager of the licensed venue or location.

They do not need to be a director or executive committee member.

What a nominee does

The nominee is responsible for running the licensed venue, in addition to the licensee. They are legally responsible for any offences that occur there.

You are not required to have a nominee, unless all your directors or executive committee members are interstate or overseas. In that case, you must have a nominee that’s based in Victoria.

You can only have one nominee and they must be a person (not a company).

The individuals who make up a partnership.

There will be at least 2 partners.

A partnership can only be made up of individual people.

If you are applying as a partnership, you must tell us of all partners. This applies even if they will not be involved in the supply of alcohol.

A person is the individual or sole trader who will be running the business.

The person who is regularly in control of the supply of alcohol and day-to-day running of the venue.

It can be a:

Relative associates include a:

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Updated 16 December 2025

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