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Who it's for
A liquor licence transfer in Victoria moves an existing licence from the seller to the buyer when a licensed business changes hands. It goes through Liquor Control Victoria (LCV), and the buyer must pass suitability checks, including police checks of directors and associates. The aim is a transfer timed to settlement, so the venue can keep trading.
- You're buying a licensed restaurant, café, bar, pub or bottle shop
- The licence needs to move to a new company
- You're a broker or agent with a licensed sale to settle
- You're selling, and the buyer needs the transfer lined up
Not you? Opening from scratch: apply for a new licence. Not ready to buy yet: check a venue before you buy.
Check before you sign. A transfer moves the licence as it is, conditions and all. Ask us to look before the contract goes unconditional.
Make the contract subject to the transfer
Your contract of sale should be made subject to the licence transfer. If the transfer doesn't go through, you aren't left with a venue you can't trade. Your solicitor or conveyancer handles the wording; we work with them on timing.
What a transfer doesn't fix
A transfer moves the licence as it stands: its hours, patron numbers, red line plan (the plan showing where liquor can be served) and conditions. Before you sign, we check:
- whether the red line plan matches the floor you're buying
- whether the planning permit has conditions that cap hours, patrons or music
- whether council, police or LCV have open issues with the venue
- whether the licence suits the way you plan to trade
If you want to trade differently after settlement, that's a licence variation, and it's worth knowing before you agree a price.
Nominees and training
A company buyer appoints a nominee for the licence, and later changes of nominee, directors or associates must be notified to LCV. New licensees and nominees must complete LCV's new entrant training, and people serving liquor need RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) training. Book these early.
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How it works
Four steps, worked back from your settlement date.
- 15-minute call Tell us the venue and settlement date. We confirm what's needed and fix the fee.
- Online form You upload buyer details and the contract through your client portal. We review the licence and permit for problems.
- Review and sign off We prepare the transfer application. You approve it before it's lodged.
- Lodged and timed to settlement We lodge with LCV, answer questions and police enquiries, and keep your solicitor and broker updated.
Fees and timing
Our fee is fixed and quoted before we start. LCV's fees are separate.
- Our fee
- Fixed fee, quoted before we start.
- Pre-purchase check
- Fixed fee, quoted before we start. Done before you sign.
- LCV fee
- Set by LCV; changes every 1 July.
- Timing
- LCV asks for applications at least 8 weeks ahead. Actual time depends on suitability checks and whether police object.
What we need from you
Most of this comes through our online form. Some we'll get from the seller's side.
- The contract of sale and expected settlement date
- Buyer details: the person or company, directors and associates
- The current licence and red line plan
- The site's planning permit, if there is one
- Contacts for your solicitor or conveyancer and the broker
- Training certificates for the new licensee or nominee
Questions
How long does a liquor licence transfer take in Victoria?
LCV asks for transfer applications to be lodged at least 8 weeks ahead, and the actual time depends mainly on the suitability checks on the buyer and whether police object. Start as soon as the contract is signed. LCV checks the directors and associates behind the buyer, and Victoria Police can object to the buyer's suitability. A complete application, lodged early, gives the most room to have the transfer in place for settlement.
Can I trade before the transfer is approved?
No: you can't sell liquor until the transfer is granted and you have the legal right to occupy the premises, and LCV warns of fines for trading while an application is still being processed. LCV can grant a transfer before settlement; you can then trade from the day you take possession, and must tell LCV within 24 hours. That's why the contract should be subject to the transfer and the application lodged as soon as you've signed.
Does the licence transfer with the business?
Not automatically: the licence has to be transferred to the buyer through LCV, and the buyer has to pass suitability checks. Buying the business or taking over the lease doesn't move the licence on its own. That's why the contract should be made subject to the transfer, and why the application should be lodged as early as possible, so it can be timed to settlement.
What should I check before buying a licensed venue?
Check the licence, the red line plan and the planning permit against how you plan to trade. Many permits still carry old conditions on hours, patrons or music. Ask whether council, police or LCV have open issues with the venue, and whether the licensed area matches the floor you're buying. Our buying a venue checklist covers the rest, step by step.