Who it's for
A liquor licence variation in Victoria (also called amending your licence) changes what your existing licence allows: trading hours, patron numbers, licensed area, licence category or conditions. Liquor Control Victoria (LCV) looks at the change you're asking for, not your whole licence again.
- You want to trade later
- You want more patrons than your licence allows
- You're adding a courtyard, rooftop, footpath area or another room
- You want live music above background level
- You want to change a condition or your licence category
Not you? No licence yet: apply for a new licence. Buying a venue: transfer the licence.
Your options
Most changes fall into one of these.
- Later trading hoursTrading later, including after 1am.→
- More patronsA higher capacity on your licence.→
- Bigger or outdoor areaNew rooms, courtyards or footpath areas.→
- Live musicMusic above background level, and the noise side.→
- Red line planA new plan for any change to the licensed area.→
How LCV assesses a change
LCV's question is the change itself. If you want two more hours on a Saturday, LCV looks at the harm and amenity effect of those two hours, not your whole venue.
For extra patrons, LCV generally works capacity out from floor area (as a guide, about one person per 0.75 m²), and you don't need a building surveyor report. For music or later hours, a noise limiter is often a better answer for neighbours than crowd controllers.
The council side of a licence change
Many permits still carry conditions from the old clause 52.27 liquor permission on hours, patrons or music. Since Amendment VC286 on 1 July 2025, our position is that conditions tied only to that old permission no longer have effect, while conditions tied to a permission the scheme still requires, such as building works, still bind. Where the permit does need to change, a section 72 amendment asks council to change only what's needed. We run both sides, so the licence and permit match.
Footpath areas need two approvals. Council's footpath trading permit, and the area added to your licence as an authorised area.
Speak with Jacob
Principal. Twelve years running venues and working inside local government.
The first conversation is free.
Book a 15-minute call(03) 7064 8477We reply within 24 hours.
How it works
Four steps, with the council side checked at the start.
- 15-minute call We look at your licence and permit and fix the fee.
- Online form You upload your licence, permit and plans through your client portal.
- We prepare, you sign off The application, a new red line plan if the area changes, and any council application. You approve it all first.
- Lodged and managed We deal with LCV, the public notice and any objections, with the council side moving alongside.
Fees and timing
We fix our fee once we know what's changing. LCV's fee is separate.
- Our fee
- Fixed fee, quoted before we start.
- LCV fee
- Set by LCV; changes every 1 July.
- Public notice
- Many variations are displayed at the site for 28 days.
- Timing
- LCV's guidance for some variations is 9–11 weeks. Real times vary and can be much longer.
- Council side
- Permit amendments: fixed fee, quoted before we start.
What we need from you
Upload these through our online form.
- Your current liquor licence and red line plan
- Your planning permit and endorsed plans (the plans council approved), if you have them
- What you want to change, and why
- Drawings of any new area
- For footpath areas: council's footpath trading (kerbside) permit, or your application for it
Questions
How do I change the conditions on my liquor licence?
You apply to LCV for a variation, setting out the change you want and why it won't cause harm or amenity problems. Depending on the change, you may need a new red line plan, a public notice at the site, and supporting material such as an acoustic report. We also check your planning permit for a matching condition, because changing one without the other can leave you stuck.
How long does a liquor licence variation take?
LCV's published guidance for some variations is 9–11 weeks, but real times vary and can be much longer. The main factors are whether the change is advertised, whether anyone objects, and LCV's workload. A complete, specific application helps avoid further information requests, which add time, and it's the part you control. We'll give you a realistic range, not a promised date.
Will a licence variation be advertised?
Often, yes: many variations must be advertised with a public notice displayed at the site for 28 days. After that, a signed Statement of Display (an affirmation that the notice was up) is lodged with LCV. People can object during those 28 days. We prepare the notice, tell you where to put it up, and prepare the statement for you to sign.
Do I need council approval as well?
Sometimes. You don't need a planning permit to sell liquor since 1 July 2025, but your existing permit may still carry conditions on hours, patrons or music, and some still bind. A new outdoor area may also need council's footpath trading permit. We check the permit first and handle the council side alongside the licence. More on outdoor dining approvals.
Can police object to a variation?
Yes, Victoria Police can object, and so can the council; members of the public can object on amenity grounds. Objections to later hours or more patrons are often answered with a written response and agreed conditions, such as a noise limiter or crowd controllers at set times. We negotiate directly with police licensing units, and we deal with council the same way. More on police objections.