Security in licensed venues

Check your liquor licence for conditions that require security cameras or crowd controllers.

Security cameras

Your liquor licence conditions will state:

whether you need to install and maintain security cameras (surveillance recording systems, sometimes called CCTV)
if you do, it may specify the number and location of the cameras.

If you are required to have security cameras at your licensed venue:

they must record activity at all entrances, bars and entertainment or dance floor areas
the cameras must capture and record in an unbranded format at 8 frames per second or more
the recordings must include time, date, camera location or number stamps
the cameras must operate as specified on the licence, including before, during and after opening hours.

You must keep the recordings for at least 4 weeks and make them immediately available to police or liquor inspectors if they ask to see or remove them.

In the areas where you have security cameras, you need to put up signs informing customers and staff.

You can use this poster:

Security cameras in use poster PDF 1.7 MB (opens in a new window)

Crowd controllers

Your liquor licence conditions will state:

whether you need to employ licensed crowd controllers (security guards)
if you do, any specific instructions around how to use them, for example, where and when they need to be at your venue and what they need to monitor.

Crowd controllers must be licensed. You can check if they are licensed on the Victoria Police website.

The standard requirement is:

2 crowd controllers for the first 100 customers
one additional crowd controller for every 100 extra customers or part thereof (each additional group of up to 100 customers).

For example, if you have 240 customers, you need 4 crowd controllers (2 for the first 100 customers, 1 for the next 100 customers, 1 for the next batch of up to 100 customers).

Register of crowd controllers

You must keep a register of crowd controllers.

Liquor inspectors may ask to see your register to ensure you are complying with your licence conditions.

You can use this template:

Crowd controller register - template Word 31.46 KB (opens in a new window)

If you use a digital register, make sure you can immediately access it for inspection, even if a manager is not there. If our inspectors cannot access the register, you may be breaching your licence conditions.

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