Inspections of licensed venues or locations

Inspections help ensure licensees are complying with their liquor licence conditions and the law.

When we do inspections

Inspections happen:

with or without prior notice
usually during your trading hours or other times when we’d expect you to supply alcohol (for example, at a private function or in the 30-minute grace period after closing hours)
at any time if we have the appropriate warrant (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

Liquor inspector powers

Liquor inspectors are legally allowed to:

enter and inspect licensed venues and locations, including to observe without identifying themselves at first (they may then identify themselves to formally engage with licensees and staff)
require licensees, staff or anyone else to answer questions and provide information, documents, records or equipment
seize items as evidence
demand a person give their age, name and address if they look under 18 years
seize alcohol from a person who looks under 18 years and tip it out
enter a private home if they have a search warrant, or if the home is part of a licensed venue and they have the licensee’s permission
issue enforcement actions, such as infringement notices (fines), except for breaches of banning notices or exclusion orders. Read about the full range of enforcement actions.

Liquor inspectors and Victoria Police have similar powers to enforce liquor laws. We each work independently and may visit a venue for different reasons.

What happens during an inspection

We expect licensees and staff, including crowd controllers, to cooperate with inspectors and treat them respectfully.

It’s an offence to obstruct, hinder, threaten, abuse or intimidate an inspector during an inspection.

The inspection does not usually disrupt your normal operations, unless you are short-staffed. We will need a staff member to spend time with us during the inspection.

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Before the inspection

Check your venue is inspection-ready:

Is your liquor licence displayed where customers can easily read it? Is it the current licence? Read about understanding your liquor licence.
Is required signage in a prominent position, where customers can easily read it?
Do you have a copy of your red line plan available?
Are RSA certificates, including any digital copies, readily accessible?
Can you demonstrate how you provide free drinking water?
Is your CCTV system compliant (if required by your licence)?
Do you have the required number of crowd controllers (if this applies)?
Do staff know where your key documents are and how to access them, including digital copies?

Inspection-ready checklists

Use our checklists to help you stay compliant:

Venue checklist PDF 220.01 KB (opens in a new window)

Alcohol delivery checklist Word 115.93 KB (opens in a new window)

Club checklist Word 220.29 KB (opens in a new window)

During the inspection

Verifying a liquor inspector

When an inspector arrives, you can ask to see their official:

identity card, showing their name, inspector number, photo, signature and date of issue
metallic badge with a blue shield and the words ‘Liquor Control Victoria for the Victorian Liquor Commission’, plus ‘Inspector’ and their authorisation number underneath. Inspectors must have both items with them when they do inspections.

Inspectors may choose not to identify themselves during an inspection if it would compromise its purpose, for example if they need to make discreet observations.

For security reasons, we do not provide copies of inspector ID cards, even with personal details removed.

If you have any questions or need help with verification, contact us during business hours.

How we conduct the inspection

Inspectors will usually:

ask to speak with the licensee or person in charge
show their identification
inspect all aspects of the venue and surrounds, starting with relevant documents and records. For example, they may start by checking your current liquor licence and required signage is displayed correctly and that your red line plan and RSA certificates are up-to-date.

After the inspection

After an inspection, the inspector will discuss:

what they found
any issues that need attention to achieve compliance
any other information, including CCTV footage, they need the licensee to produce. If an item is seized, it will be recorded and kept securely. Whenever possible, it will be copied and returned as soon as possible. Some items may need to be kept as evidence in case there is a prosecution.

If you’d like to make a comment or complaint about an inspection or an inspector’s conduct, see how to make a complaint.

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Inspections of licensed venues or locations

On this page

When we do inspections

Liquor inspector powers

What happens during an inspection

Inspection-ready checklists

Verifying a liquor inspector

How we conduct the inspection

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