Trading after 1am in the Brisbane City Council area

Some licensees in the Brisbane City Council (BCC) area are authorised to trade after 1am, with extra conditions imposed under the Liquor Act 1992.

If you're approved to trade after 1am in the BCC area, you must:

  • provide sufficient security
  • keep an incident register
  • install closed-circuit television (CCTV) at entrances and exits
  • responsibly promote alcohol and happy hours
  • prevent irresponsible drinking games and competitions.

Exemptions from extra conditions for some businesses

You’re exempt from additional compliance conditions in the BCC area if your liquor licence meets any of the following conditions:

  • you're only authorised to trade after 1am on New Year's Day
  • your premises is a detached bottle shop
  • part(s) of your licensed premises is used principally for residential guest accommodation.

Security and crowd control requirements after 1am

Brisbane city venues trading past 1am must comply with minimum security staff numbers. These licensees commonly hire professional security firms to provide crowd control.

To comply with crowd control rules after 1am in the BCC area, you must have on-site the number of security officers specified on your licence. At a minimum, you must have:

  • 1 security provider for each 100 patrons or part thereof up to 500 (e.g. 1 crowd controller for 1 to 100 patrons, 2 crowd controllers for 101 to 200 patrons, and so on until you have 5 crowd controllers for 401 to 500 patrons)
  • for more than 500 patrons, at least 1 additional crowd controller for each 250 patrons or part thereof (e.g. 6 crowd controllers for 501 to 750 patrons, 7 crowd controllers for between 751 to 1,000 patrons, and so on).

Learn more about security for licenced venues.

CCTV requirements after 1am

Licensees trading past 1am in the BCC area must have CCTV at each entrance and exit ordinarily used by patrons. Equipment must meet the minimum requirements under section 142AH of the Liquor Act and be recording from 8pm.

Use the CCTV guide to help you set up your CCTV. It also outlines how to comply with storage of, and access to, surveillance footage.

Maintenance of your CCTV equipment must be conducted daily and 6-monthly. Use the CCTV equipment review register to record your CCTV equipment checks.

You must clearly display relevant signage to alert patrons they're being recorded. The following signs are available to download and display at your premises:

Requirement to keep an incident register

Licensees trading after 1am in the BCC area must keep an incident register detailing:

  • incidents where people are injured
  • incidents where people are removed from the premises
  • signatures of crowd controllers and staff involved in incidents.

The incident register can only be accessed by the licensee or approved manager of the venue, the crowd controller, staff involved in the incident and a police officer or an Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) investigator.

You should be aware of important requirements relating to the retention of CCTV footage.

CCTV footage must be retained for a minimum of 28 days. After an incident, the CCTV footage must be archived and retained for a minimum of 1 year more than the 28 days, unless it has been given to police or an OLGR investigator. More information can be found in the CCTV guide.

Alcohol promotions, happy hours, competitions and games in the BCC area

The Liquor Act requires licensees to not encourage irresponsible or reckless drinking. All licensees must always conduct alcohol promotions, happy hours and drinking competitions and games in a responsible way.

Read more about alcohol advertising and promotions.

Licensees approved to trade after 1am in the BCC area are prohibited or restricted from certain activities.

Happy hour activities that aren’t permitted in the BCC area include:

  • happy hours of more than 2 hours between 7am and 9pm
  • happy hours of more than 1 hour between 9pm and 1am
  • any happy hours (or part of a happy hour) after 1am
  • more than 1 happy hour on a day, without at least 1 hour between the end of each happy hour and the start of the following happy hour
  • happy hours that start before 9pm and end after 9pm.

Examples of types of games or competitions that aren’t permitted in the BCC area include those involving:

  • the consumption of alcohol as the competition
  • free or discounted liquor as a prize
  • buying a product to receive a scratch card for a chance to win alcohol for consumption on the premises
  • 'last man standing', 'all you can drink' or 'skolling'
  • incentives for staff to encourage patrons to drink more
  • a bar tab prize
  • consumption from a yard glass, jug or other container.

OLGR can help licensees comply with the legislation, but we don't pre-approve competitions, games or other activities or provide legal advice about particular scenarios.

Types of competitions and games you can conduct within the BCC area include those involving:

  • buying a product to receive scratch cards to win merchandise, food or take away alcohol
  • buying 4 or less standard alcoholic drinks to receive an entry into a non-liquor prize draw
  • staff incentives to promote brand switching
  • trivia, karaoke or talent quest nights
  • prizes of promotional products other than alcohol (e.g. food, accommodation, t-shirts, key rings or stubby holders)
  • prizes of packaged alcohol meant for consumption off the premises.

Penalties for not complying with trading after 1am conditions

Licensees and permit holders can be penalised under the Liquor Act for not complying with conditions for trading after 1am. The maximum penalty for licensees not complying with after 1am trading conditions inside the BCC area is $15,480.

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  • Last reviewed: 19 Jul 2023
  • Last updated: 6 Oct 2023