Frequently Asked Questions

NB - COST FACTS:

• Cost will be different for each licence application.
• Costs are different
  • for each province
  • for each service provider

GENERAL SUMMARY OF ALL FEES

• Consultant Fees
  • Mostly an all-inclusive fee
  • The fee covers all the work to be done from start to finish
• Liquor Board / Authority Fees
  • Application Fee (to allow your application to be submitted)
  • Licence Fee (to have your licence is issued/printed)
• Local Newspaper Fees
  • Advertisements (on the date your application is submitted)
• Government Gazette Fees
  • Advertisement (on the date your application is submitted)
• Draftsman / Architect Fees
  • Floor Plan (if not available)
  • Site Plan (if not available)
• Town Planner Fees
  • Zoning Application Fees (if your premises needs to be rezoned)

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Contact Us for any other questions you may have - we're ready to help you!

COST OF LIQUOR LICENCE RENEWAL?

The cost to renew (and protect) a liquor licence depends on –

• the province in which the licensed premises is located, and
• the kind of liquor licence

because :

• renewal fees are differentf or -
  • each licence type, and
  • each province;
• renewal procedure is different in each province.

Contact Us for advice on what has to be done and let us help you to safely renew you liquor licence!

WHEN MUST YOUR LIQUOR LICENCE BE RENEWED?

All liquor licences must be renewed annually.   Your licence renewal payment date will depend on whether your liquor licence renewal cycle is linked to a calendar year or not. One of the following 2 options will apply to each new licence holder –

• Linked to a calendar year (1 Jan – 31 Dec) :  If your licence renewal fee cycle is linked to a calendar year, you don’t have to pay the annual licence renewal fee for the remainder of the calendar year in which your licence application was approved.   You will have to pay your first licence renewal fee before 31 December in the calendar year in which your licence was issued - for the next calendar year.  If you licence was issued on 1 April 2020, you will have to pay your licence renewal fee before 31 December 2020.
• Not linked to a calendar year :  If your licence renewal fee cycle is not linked to a calendar year, you won’t have to pay a licence renewal fee for the 12 month period following the issuing date of your liquor licence. You will have to pay your first licence renewal fee before the end of the 12 month cycle following the issuing date of your liquor licence.   If you licence was issued on 1 April 2020, you will have to pay your licence renewal fee before 1 April 2021.

CONSEQUENCES OF NON RENEWAL

This is the easiest, but worst answer to give - Your licence will lapse permanently  

Liquor Fact -  5% - 10% of all liquor licences lapse permanently each year.   This is due to a large number of reasons, such as :

• The Manager plain forgot to do the renewal;
• There was a change in staff and the new guy/girl didn't know the liquor licence had to be renewed;
• It wasn't clear who was responsible to do the renewal of the liquor licence, so no one took any action;
• The licensed business closed down;
• Cash flow problems. 

Don't risk becoming a sad statistic in this section.   Appoint LiquorWise to attend to the renewal of your liquor licence and enjoy peace of mind.

Fines & Penalties will be charged if licence holder, staff or customers do not enforce or keep to the licence conditions.

The RESULT for non-compliance can be 1 or more of the following :

FINES - It can be more than R100 000 per transgression, as well as a negative licence record with the Liquor Board.   The amount of the fines depends on the seriousness of the transgression.   Examples of this would be when a holder of an on consumption liquor licence (restaurant) allows -

•  a customer to leave the licensed premises with liquor, which the customer will consume somewhere else.  
• liquor to be sold to-
  • minors (under 18 yrs)
  • customers who are clearly drunk
• liquor to be sold on credit.

PENALTIES - are usually payable when licence holders fail to pay their yearly licence renewal fees on time.   The amount of the penalty will depend on how long after the due date the payment is made. 

SUSPENSION - Licences may be suspended or cancelled by the Liquor Board.  This typically done in case of very serious transgressions of the licence conditions.

CANCELLATION - The Liquor Board can cancel a licence permanently.  This will be the result of a licence holder failing in his duty to ensure compliance with the conditions of the liquor licence in a serious way.