More patrons

Who it's for

To increase patron capacity on your liquor licence, you apply to Liquor Control Victoria (LCV) to vary the maximum number of people allowed in your licensed area. We measure the venue, prepare the application and deal with LCV until there's a decision. We also check whether your planning permit sets its own cap.

• You're turning people away while the room still has space.
• You're taking function bookings bigger than your licence allows.
• Your number was set years ago, before a fit-out changed the floor.
• Your planning permit has a patron cap and you want to know if it still applies.

Not you? Adding space rather than people? See bigger or outdoor licensed area. Other changes: change your liquor licence.

How patron capacity is worked out

LCV generally works out capacity from floor area: as a guide, about one person for every 0.75 m² of licensed floor area. So 150 m² gives a guide figure of around 200 people. Only the floor space open to the public counts, so toilets, passageways and back-of-house areas such as kitchens and storerooms are left out. The guide is a starting point, not an entitlement, and the approved number can be lower if police or council raise concerns. So we measure from your red line plan and check it against the venue as it is today. If the plan is out of date, we redraw it in-house.

No building surveyor report needed

A capacity increase application does not need a building surveyor report. If you're also doing building work, your building permit and occupancy sit with your building surveyor, and we coordinate with them.

When your planning permit sets the maximum patrons

Many older permits carry a patron cap from the old clause 52.27 liquor permission, removed by Amendment VC286 on 1 July 2025. Our view, as consultants and not legal advice: a cap that related only to liquor no longer has effect, but a cap tied to something the scheme still controls, such as car parking, still binds. If a binding cap sits below the number you want, raising the licence alone won't lift it. See old liquor conditions on your permit.

How it works

We measure first, so you ask for a number you can get.

1. 15-minute call Tell us your current number and the one you want. We confirm what's needed and fix the fee.
2. Measure and check You upload your licence, red line plan and permit. We measure the floor area and check the permit for a cap.
3. We prepare, you approve The application sets out the calculation and how you'll manage the extra people. You review and sign off.
4. We lodge and manage it We lodge with LCV and manage advertising, further information and objections through to a decision.

Capacity is worked out from floor area. We measure it properly before applying, so you ask for the number you can actually get.

Fees and timing

Our fee is fixed before we start. LCV's fees are separate.

Our fee

Fixed fee, quoted before we start

Building surveyor report

Not required for a capacity increase

LCV fees

Set in fee units, changing every 1 July; capacity is one factor

Timeframe

LCV's guidance for some variations is 9–11 weeks; real times vary with objections and LCV's workload

What we need from you

You upload these through your client portal, from any device.

• Your current liquor licence and red line plan
• Your planning permit and endorsed plans
• Floor plans or measurements of the venue
• The number you want, and when you'd use it
• How you'll manage the extra people: staff, security, entry and exit

Questions