Approvals to open a venue

Who it's for

The approvals to open a restaurant in Victoria, or a café or bar, come from different places: council, Liquor Control Victoria (LCV) and your building surveyor. Each has its own timeframe, and they depend on each other. This is for you if:

• You've signed a lease, or are about to
• You're fitting out a new café, restaurant, bar or brewery
• You're not sure which permits and licences apply
• You want one team handling council and LCV together

Not you? Still looking at sites? Start with check a site before you sign.

Your options

Approvals table

Most new venues need several of these. We tell you which ones yours needs.

• Planning permit — From council, for the use (if the zone needs one) and for building works. Since VC286 it's no longer needed just to sell liquor. → /planning-permits/new-venue
• Liquor licence — From LCV. The type depends on how you'll trade: with meals, as a bar, or takeaway. → /liquor-licence/new
• Outdoor dining — A council footpath trading permit, plus that area added to the licence. → /planning-permits/outdoor-dining
• Red line plan — The plan showing where liquor can be served. Drawn in-house and included with every licence application. → /liquor-licence/red-line-plan
• Building and food registration — Building permit and occupancy from your building surveyor; food business registration with council. Yours or your builder's to get; we coordinate the timing.

Approvals to open a restaurant: the right order

Planning comes first. The planning permit sets the ceiling on what the liquor licence can ever be: hours, patrons, licensed area and music. A licence that asks for more than the permit allows has to be fixed before you can trade that way.

Then the licence. Once the floor plans are settled, we draw the red line plan and lodge the application within 10 business days of receiving your documents. Most new licences must then display a public notice on site for 28 days, followed by a signed Statement of Display (an affirmation that the notice was up).

Footpath trading, building and food registration run alongside. Footpath permits are council local-law permits, separate from planning, and the rules vary by council.

How it works

Four steps for most new venues.

1. 15-minute call We confirm which approvals you need and fix the fee.
2. Online form and documents You answer our questions and upload documents through your client portal, from any device.
3. We prepare, you sign off Applications, red line plan and supporting documents. Nothing is lodged until you approve it.
4. We lodge and manage it to a decision We're listed as the primary contact, and we deal with council and LCV through further information requests, advertising and objections.

Fees and timing

Fixed fees, agreed before we start. Council's and LCV's own fees are separate.

New liquor licence

From $1,199 + GST (restaurant or café) or $1,599 + GST (other licences), red line plan included

Planning permit

Fixed fee, quoted before we start

Planning decision

60 statutory days for a standard application, 10 business days for VicSmart; often longer

Licence decision

Around 12 weeks from lodgement if there are no objections

Objections add time. Police, council and neighbours can object during the 28-day notice period. We respond with submissions and, often, agreed conditions.

What we need from you

We'll ask for these through your client portal.

• The site address and your lease
• Business and director details
• Floor plans from your architect or designer
• Your planned hours, patron numbers, music and outdoor seating
• Any existing permit or licence for the site

Questions