Mini vic.gov.au

This is a low bandwidth version of vic.gov.au. Contents may not be up to date. © Copyright State Government of Victoria

Red line plans for licensed areas

Create a red line plan to show which areas of your venue or location you want licensed.

On this page

What is a red line plan?

A red line plan is a map of your venue or location with a red line drawn around the areas where:

This is called your licensed area.

We must approve your red line plan when you apply:

Pre-retail licences do not need a red line plan.

Why you need it

You need your red line plan to:

As the licence or permit holder, you are responsible at all times for what happens within the red line plan.

General requirements

You can create your red line plan by hand or using a computer.

The red line plan must:

Do not use a satellite image to create your plan. It does not show us the internal layout of your venue or location.

Red line plans are public information. Do not include the location of safes in your red line plan.

Licence-specific requirements

Check what extra details you need to provide, depending on your licence or permit type.

Example A and B in this information refers to the red line plan examples.

Open all

BYO permit (club, restaurant or cafe)

If your BYO permit is for a club, restaurant or cafe, include in your red line plan:

Use Example A as a guide. Do not include the footpath or kerbside area shown as AA on the example.

BYO permit (commercial party bus)

If your BYO permit is for a commercial party bus, you do not need a red line plan.

Include in your red line plan:

You cannot include any public areas in your red line plan, such as laneways or footpaths.

Do not use a satellite image to create your plan. It does not show us the internal layout of your venue.

Use Example A as a guide. Do not include the footpath or kerbside area shown as AA on the example.

Include in your red line plan:

Do not include any kerbside, footpath or laneway areas in your red line plan, even if council has given you permission to use them. If you have council permission, you can do table service or allow customers to drink in those areas up until 11 pm.

Use Example A as a guide. Do not include the footpath or kerbside area shown as AA on the example.

Include in your red line plan:

For larger events, you may need several red line plans that show the areas of activity. If so, you must also provide a larger site plan where we can see the whole event.

Use Example A as a guide but do not include the AA area.

Include in your red line plan:

Use Example A as a guide.

Include in your red line plan:

Use Example B as a guide.

If you have a cellar door (customers visit your location)

Include in your red line plan:

Consider including your gardens or vineyards in your plan if you:

Use Example A as a guide. Do not include the footpath or kerbside area shown as AA on the example.

If you do not have a cellar door (customers do not visit)

Include in your red line plan any areas where you:

Your red line plan must include the area where you will pack the orders ready for delivery.

If you have multiple locations or addresses where you fulfil orders, you must provide a red line plan for each location.

You do not need to include:

Your red line plan depends on how you supply alcohol.

If you:

Include in your red line plan:

Use Example A as a guide.

Include in your red line plan:

Use Example A as a guide. Do not include the footpath or kerbside area shown as AA on the example.

If your venue is at a sporting ground

We recommend you do not include the seating next to the sports field in your red line plan. If you do, you will be legally responsible for all alcohol supplied or consumed in that area at all times, even when you’re not there. This includes potential penalties for unaccompanied minors in these areas.

If you want to sell alcohol during sporting events, you need to apply for this as a condition on your licence. This is called adding ‘point of sale’ conditions.

To get point of sale conditions, if you:

Include in your red line plan:

For larger events, you may need several red line plans that show multiple areas of activity. If so, you must also provide a larger site plan where we can see the whole event.

Use Example A as a guide. Do not include areas marked as AA in the example. If you will operate more like a bottle shop, use Example B as a guide instead.

Download your plan

When we approve your red line plan we:

You need to keep a copy at your location or event, ready at all times to show a liquor inspector or Victoria Police if they ask to see it.

To download a copy:

  1. Log into your Liquor Portal account.
  2. On the left navigation, click eLicence.
  3. Find your licence in the list. If it’s not there, you will need to associate your licence first. Go to ‘Associate licences’ and follow the prompts. You need your PIN, which is on your renewal notice or grant email.
  4. Click on the Action button.
  5. Choose View plan.

Only the licence or permit holder, or someone with written permission, can access the plan.

Change your plan

You must apply to make changes to your licence or permit (make a variation) if you want to change your red line plan’s:

If your internal layout changes (for example, you add a stage or move a bar) but the size or perimeter stays the same, you do not need to do this.

However, if the internal change affects your maximum patron capacity, or other licence conditions, you must apply to change these conditions.

If you’re not sure if your changes need a licence or permit variation, email us at contact@liquor.vic.gov.au and include:

We’ll review your information and advise if you need to make a variation.

Example red line plans

For a venue or event supplying alcohol for people to drink at the event or location only.

Example A

A drawing in black of the layout of a venue with blueprint-style images showing bathrooms, tables, chairs and outdoor areas. The outside of the venue is outlined in red. There is a separate box outlined in red showing an area with chairs and tables on the footpath. The address, a scale and a compass pointing north have been included.

For a venue or event supplying alcohol for people to drink at the event or location only.

Example B

A drawing in black of the layout of the shop venue with pictures showing bathrooms, shelving and entry and exists. The shop floor, registers and cool room are outlined in red. The toilets and back of house area is not included in the red line. The address, a scale and a compass point north have been included.

For a shop supplying packaged alcohol only.

Jobs, work and business

Updated 5 December 2025

About the VIC Government

Grants and programs

Jobs and careers

Arts, culture and heritage

Business and the workplace

Communities

Education and training

Environment, water and energy

Finance and economy

Health and social support

Housing and property

Law and justice

Safety and emergencies

Science and technology

Sport and recreation

Traffic and transport

Working in the Victorian Government