BYO permit

Who it's for

A BYO permit lets guests bring their own alcohol to drink with their meal at your restaurant or café in Victoria. Liquor Control Victoria (LCV) issues it. We set it up for you, and first tell you plainly whether a restaurant and café licence would suit your business better.

• A café or restaurant that wants guests to bring their own wine
• A new venue starting with BYO while it decides on a licence
• A small dining room without the space or staff to run a bar
• An owner weighing up BYO against a licence

Not you? Want to sell drinks yourself? See the restaurant and café liquor licence or getting a new liquor licence in Victoria.

Thinking about corkage? Check the rules before it goes on the menu. We confirm it as part of setting up your permit.

Selling drinks within a year? It may make sense to apply for the licence now rather than doing BYO first.

What a BYO permit does and doesn't do

A BYO permit covers your guests' liquor, not yours. It lets them bring their own, but it doesn't let you sell drinks. That keeps things simple: no bar stock, no drinks list. It also means drinks earn the business little beyond any service charge.

BYO permit or restaurant and café licence?

A restaurant and café licence lets you sell liquor with meals, where most patrons have a table and chair. It's a bigger application: our fee starts from $1,199 + GST, most new licences need a public notice at the site for 28 days, and a straightforward application takes around 12 weeks from lodgement. In return, drinks become part of your menu and your takings. If you know you'll want to sell drinks within a year or so, it can make sense to go straight to the licence.

Planning and the premises

Since 1 July 2025, you don't need a planning permit to sell or consume liquor in Victoria. The restaurant or café use itself may still need one, depending on the zone. See planning permits for a new venue.

How it works

A short process, with a straight answer up front.

1. 15-minute call We ask how you trade and tell you whether BYO or a licence makes more sense, then fix our fee.
2. Our online form Answer a few questions and upload your business details and a floor plan through your client portal.
3. Review We prepare the application. You approve it before it goes anywhere.
4. Lodge and follow up We lodge with LCV, answer its questions and keep you updated until there's a decision.

Fees and timing

Our fee is fixed and quoted before we start. LCV's fee is separate.

Our fee

Fixed fee, quoted before we start

LCV fee

Set in fee units, updated each 1 July

Timing

About 9 to 11 weeks (LCV's guide); longer if police object or LCV needs more information

Restaurant and café licence instead

From $1,199 + GST, red line plan included; around 12 weeks from lodgement if straightforward

What we need from you

Not much, which is part of the appeal.

• Business name, ABN and entity details
• Venue address and a floor plan of the dining area
• Seating numbers and opening hours
• Your lease and any planning permit

Questions