Liquor Control Victoria inspections and breaches

Who it's for

Liquor Control Victoria compliance problems usually surface after an inspection. An inspector from Liquor Control Victoria (LCV) visits, finds something that doesn't match your licence, and a letter follows. This page is for licensees, nominees and managers who have had that visit or that letter.

• An LCV inspector found problems at your venue
• You've received a breach notice or infringement
• LCV has written about possible disciplinary action
• You've realised the venue isn't trading the way the licence says

Not you? If council wrote about your permit, see council enforcement notices. Want to check your venue first? See our compliance check.

What to do first

Don't ignore the letter. Note the response date.

Don't admit to things in a rushed reply. Work out what happened, and what your licence actually requires, before you respond.

Fix anything obvious now. If staff are serving without RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) training, or a condition isn't being followed, fix it today and record that you did.

Common issues that come up

• Trading outside the licensed area. The red line plan shows where liquor can be served. A new courtyard or footpath area needs a variation and a new plan.
• Staff training. People selling or serving liquor need RSA training under most licence types, as do managers and licensees. New licensees and nominees must complete LCV's new entrant training.
• Conditions drifted from. Hours, capacity, crowd controller or music conditions.
• Changes not notified. Corporate licensees must tell LCV about changes of nominee, directors or associates.
• Online and delivery sales. These carry delivery rules and reporting obligations.

A liquor licence breach in Victoria: what can follow

LCV usually starts with a discussion or a warning notice. More serious breaches can bring an infringement notice (a fine), a notice of intention to suspend the licence, or prosecution. In serious cases, the Victorian Liquor Commission can fine the licensee or suspend or cancel the licence. How far it goes depends on what happened and how you respond.

Fixing the cause

Answering the letter is half the job. The other half is stopping it recurring: staff training, a variation so the licence matches how you trade, or ComplianceCare, our ongoing compliance service.

Don't admit to things in a rushed reply. Check what your licence requires before you answer.

How it works

We respond to LCV, then fix what caused the problem.

1. Send us the letter In a 15-minute call we hear what happened and confirm the fee.
2. Work out what happened We check the findings against your licence, conditions and red line plan.
3. Prepare the response Accurate, specific, and showing what has been fixed. You approve it first.
4. Deal with LCV and fix the cause We stay the contact point with the LCV officer, then sort the variation, training or records that stop it recurring.

Fix the cause, not just the letter. A response that shows the fix carries more weight than an apology.

Fees and timing

The fee is fixed before we start. Timing follows the date in LCV's letter.

First call

Free, 15 minutes

Our fee

Fixed fee, quoted before we start

Our response

Timed to the date in LCV's letter

Ongoing support

ComplianceCare, monthly fee quoted per venue

What we need from you

Send the letter first.

• The LCV letter, notice or inspection report
• Your licence, conditions and red line plan
• Staff RSA certificates and new entrant training records
• Current nominee and director details
• Your account of the day of the inspection

Questions