Compliance inspections for licensed venues
Need a quick refresher on your responsibilities under liquor and gaming laws and what to expect during compliance inspections?
This guide allows you to check and consolidate your knowledge. It covers:
- what to expect during compliance inspections
- crowd controller checks
- penalties for non-compliance.
Once you've refreshed your knowledge, take our online quiz to test your memory.
How compliance inspections work
When compliance inspections will occur
Compliance officers from the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) regularly conduct unannounced liquor and gaming inspections at licensed premises in accordance with OLGR's proactive compliance program. Compliance officers may also attend a venue if a complaint is received.
Inspections are sometimes conducted with officers from the Queensland Police Service, who are also investigators under the Liquor Act 1992. In some areas police may also attend licensed premises to undertake liquor inspections without OLGR compliance officers.
What to expect during a compliance inspection
When a compliance officer attends a venue, after making preliminary observations inside and around the venue, they will ask to speak to the approved manager or the person in charge of the venue.
Compliance officers will not always complete a full inspection. For some inspections they will assess compliance with a narrower set of obligations.
At full inspections, officers will request to see a copy of your licence to check that you are complying with your licence conditions. The Liquor Act requires licensees to keep the original licence document at the premises to which it relates and the person in charge must produce it to an officer immediately upon request.
Compliance officers will also check that the licensee, management and staff are complying with legislation including (but not limited to):
- responsible service of alcohol – including assessing whether unduly intoxicated patrons are being supplied with or allowed to consume liquor
- safety
- minors – including randomly checking some patrons for IDs
- CCTV
- crowd controllers
- patron behaviour
- particular gaming obligations (where gaming machines are operated).
Officers will ask the approved manager or person in charge of the premises to show items including (but not limited to):
- license document
- approved manager’s course (RMLV) certificates
- Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificates for staff
- risk-assessed management plan (RAMP)
- incident register
- crowd controller register
- CCTV footage and register.
Compliance checklist
Read the compliance checklist to understand what OLGR compliance officers and police look for during inspections of licensed premises. Use this to run regular checks at your venue to help make sure you are complying with your obligations under the law.
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[Animation]
A compliance officer, wearing a checked shirt and glasses, appears in a licensed venue. He smiles as he observes everything looks in order. A guy is sitting at the bar as the bartender cleans glasses. The compliance officer shakes hands with the manager.
[Voice over]
A compliance officer has rocked up to this venue for a routine inspection. The inspector finds a glassy removing glasses.
[Animation]
A glassy appears and removes glasses.
[Voice over]
An alcoholic drink being swapped for a water.
[Animation]
The bartender does some fancy glass twirling as she disappears a beer and produces a glass of water.
[Voice over]
Clear fire safety areas, good lighting, documents in order.
[Animation]
A pile of documents appears in the manager's hand.
[Voice over]
A security guard asking for ID.
[animation]
Security guard nods, looking tough in black glasses and a shirt that has security written across it.
[Voice over]
This licensee is clearly a fighter for truth and justice.
[Animation]
The manager is suddenly in a superman costume.
Also consider...
- Download printable compliance signage for licensed venues.
- Read the Liquor Regulation 2002.
- Learn about OLGR's Liquor Compliance Strategy.
- Read about patron and staff safety on licensed premises.
Crowd controller checks
Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulations (OLGR) compliance officers are authorised under the Security Providers Act 1993 and related regulations to conduct checks to ensure that liquor licensees and crowd controllers are complying with this legislation.
OLGR compliance officers will check that a crowd controller register is being kept at the venue (if applicable), that all entries are complete (in ink) and that it is readily available for inspection.
They will also check:
- all crowd controllers have a current security provider licence, endorsed with the crowd controller function
- verification of the crowd controller’s current residential address by checking their driver licence
- whether crowd controllers are identifiable as crowd controllers and have a unique ID number displayed on their chest
- correct details are entered in the incident register such as crowd controller’s name, licence number, start and finish times, etc.
Any information obtained or breaches found will be referred to the Office of Fair Trading.
Also consider...
- Read about patron and staff safety on licensed premises.
- Download printable compliance signage for licensed venues.
Penalties for non-compliance
Our compliance officers will discuss any non-compliance issues at the time of an inspection. Sometimes, we will also provide education and advice.
We will make a follow-up visit, when necessary, to ensure all non-compliance issues, previously identified during an inspection, have been resolved.
Penalties
Compliance officers and Queensland police officers can issue you, your staff and patrons infringement notices for breaches of legislation related to the Liquor Act 1992 and Wine Industry Act 1994.
Failure to comply with the law can lead to enforcement action including one or more of the following:
- on-the-spot fines
- prosecution, which carries a maximum fine of $16,690
- disciplinary action, ranging from fines to cancellation of the licence.
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[Animation]
A compliance officer, wearing a checked shirt and glasses, appears in a venue. He is surrounded by chaos - drinks all over tables and on the floor, people fighting, a broken CCTV camera hanging from the wall, a fire extinguisher on the floor, and a guy taking a nap at the bar while the bartender serves him a drink. The compliance officer blinks incredulously as he takes in the appalling scene.
[Voice over]
A compliance officer has rocked up to this venue for a routine inspection.
The compliance officer finds patrons passed out, a fire extinguisher on the floor, a fire exit blocked, excess of empty glasses and a small group with way too many drinks stockpiled.
The compliance officer looks around to see if he's being punk'd! He asks to speak to the person in charge.
[Animation]
The compliance officer approaches the nonchalant bartender.
[Bartender]
Ugh, one moment.
[Animation]
The scowling bartender disappears. The manager, a young man, enters looking bleary-eyed.
[Voice over]
Looks like this guy just woke up. But he'll receive a bigger wake up call when he fronts court.
[Animation]
The manager appears in court looking ashamed as the judge slams down his gavel with a stern look.
Also consider...
- Learn more about liquor fines and penalties for licensees and their staff.
- Download printable compliance signage for licensed venues.
Quiz: Compliance inspections
Take our quiz to test your knowledge on compliance inspections for licensed venues.
It's a great refresher for licensees and staff to ensure you are following the law at your venue.
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