Licensee & Approved Manager Liquor Training cheat sheet

Licence categories determine permitted trading hours, alcohol types sold, and whether patrons may drink on the premises; a licence condition overrides the category default whenever the two conflict.

A licensee must hold the licence (or have it displayed/available as the jurisdiction requires) and must ensure the premises and approved manager records match the details held by the regulator.

Licence variations, including changes to trading hours, premises layout, or licence category, generally require prior regulator approval; trading outside approved conditions is a breach even if the regulator is later notified.

A designated approved manager must be present whenever alcohol is sold or supplied, subject to any statutory exemption for small or low-risk venues specified in the relevant Act.

Responsible service obligations include refusing service to intoxicated persons and to persons under 18, and requiring acceptable proof of age (photo ID) before supplying alcohol.

Incidents involving intoxication, violence, minors, or refusals of service must be recorded in the incident register at or near the time and retained for the statutory period.

Licensees must not sell or supply liquor to a person who is unduly intoxicated; the test is whether the person's speech, balance, coordination, or behaviour is noticeably affected.

Advertising and promotions that encourage rapid or excessive consumption, or that target minors, may be prohibited or subject to conditions; discounts tied to intoxication incentives are high-risk.

Late-night or high-risk venues may face additional conditions such as mandatory CCTV, security staffing, ID scanners, or restricted entry times, set out in the licence or a regulation.

Gaming machine operation requires a separate gaming licence or machine entitlement; a liquor licence alone does not authorise gaming.

Each gaming machine must be approved by the regulator and connected to the central monitoring system where the jurisdiction mandates it; unapproved or disconnected machines cannot lawfully operate.

Responsible gambling requirements typically include a gambling harm signage display, access to self-exclusion schemes, and staff training on recognising problem gambling indicators.

A person who appears intoxicated or is known to be excluded must not be permitted to gamble; venue staff must act on exclusion orders and self-exclusion notices.

Cash handling rules restrict large cash payments for gaming, and jackpot payout procedures and records must be maintained and auditable.

Gaming machine areas must be laid out and supervised so staff can observe patrons; blind spots, blocked sightlines, or unsupervised rooms breach harm-minimisation conditions.

Minors must not be permitted in gaming areas or to operate gaming machines; age verification applies at entry to the gaming room, not only at the point of play.

Gaming records, including meter readings, reconciliation, and machine fault logs, must be kept for the prescribed retention period and produced on request.

Advertising and inducements for gambling are restricted; offers of free credit, free play, or alcohol-linked gambling promotions are commonly prohibited.

Approved manager certification requires completion of an approved course and, in most jurisdictions, a competency assessment; certificates have a defined validity period and must be renewed.

Responsible service of alcohol (RSA) training must be completed before or within a short statutory window after starting work; evidence of completion must be kept on file.

Refresher training is required at intervals set by the regulator; an expired certificate means the person cannot lawfully act as approved manager until renewed.

Training records must be retained and made available to inspectors; the licensee is responsible for proving that staff hold current required certificates.

Induction training must cover house policies, incident reporting, refusal procedures, ID checking, and emergency evacuation specific to the venue.

Gaming staff require specific gaming-related training in addition to RSA, covering harm minimisation, exclusion procedures, and machine operation rules.

Training must be delivered by a registered training organisation or an approved provider; certificates from unapproved providers are not valid for licensing purposes.

Competency must be reassessed when a person returns after a long absence or moves to a higher-risk venue category, per regulator guidance.

The approved manager must be able to demonstrate knowledge of the Act, licence conditions, and harm-minimisation obligations if questioned by an inspector.

Noise limits are set as permitted levels at the nearest sensitive receptor (typically a residential boundary), not at the venue's property line, and may differ for day and night periods.

Music noise is commonly regulated separately from general venue noise, with its own limits and measurement methodology specified in the licence or regulation.

The licensee must take all reasonable steps to prevent noise escaping the premises, including door and window management, speaker placement, and acoustic treatment.

Noise complaints must be logged and investigated; repeated substantiated complaints can trigger licence conditions, reduced hours, or enforcement action.

Measurement must follow the prescribed standard, including instrument type, calibration, averaging period, and background noise correction, as set by the regulator.

Low-frequency noise from amplified music may be subject to separate limits because it travels further and is more penetrating than mid- or high-frequency sound.

Outdoor areas, smoking areas, and queuing zones are within scope; patron noise there is attributable to the venue and must be managed.

Trading-hour extensions and outdoor amplification typically require a noise management plan approved by the regulator before they can take effect.

Enforcement responses escalate from warnings and directions to conditions, suspension, or cancellation, depending on the severity and pattern of breaches.

Licence conditions override category defaults when they conflict.

Approved manager must be present during alcohol sales, subject to statutory exemptions.

Refuse service to intoxicated persons and anyone under 18.

Record incidents in the register at or near the time of occurrence.

Undue intoxication is judged by speech, balance, coordination, and behaviour.

Promotions encouraging rapid or excessive drinking may be prohibited.

High-risk venues may require CCTV, security, or ID scanners.

Variations to hours or layout need prior regulator approval.

Gaming requires a separate licence or entitlement from the liquor licence.

Machines must be regulator-approved and linked to central monitoring where mandated.

Excluded or intoxicated persons must not be permitted to gamble.

Minors are barred from gaming areas; verify age at room entry.

Cash handling and jackpot payouts must be recorded and auditable.

Gaming areas must allow staff clear sightlines for supervision.

Meter readings and fault logs must be retained for the set period.

Free credit and alcohol-linked gambling promotions are commonly prohibited.

Approved manager certification needs an approved course plus competency assessment.

RSA training must be completed before or within the statutory window after starting.

Certificates expire and must be renewed before acting as approved manager.

Training records must be produced to inspectors on request.

Induction covers house policy, refusals, ID checks, and evacuation.

Gaming staff need gaming-specific training beyond RSA.

Only registered or approved providers issue valid certificates.

Reassessment is required after long absence or a move to higher-risk premises.

Noise limits apply at the nearest sensitive receptor, not the venue boundary.

Music noise may have separate limits and measurement methods from general noise.

Licensee must take reasonable steps to contain noise, including doors and speakers.

Complaints must be logged and investigated; patterns can trigger conditions.

Measurement follows the prescribed standard: instrument, calibration, averaging, background correction.

Low-frequency noise may be subject to separate limits.

Outdoor, smoking, and queue areas are within scope of venue noise.

Extensions and outdoor amplification typically need an approved noise management plan.