Licensees that must operate an approved ID scanner

If your licensed venue is known as a 'regulated premises', you must operate an approved ID scanner linked to an approved ID scanning system - read about approved operators and equipment.

Regulated premises

If your licensed premises meets all of the following criteria, it is deemed a regulated premises for the purposes of networked ID scanning:

  • your licensed venue is within a safe night precinct (SNP)
  • your liquor licence is not of an exempt class (see section below about licensees that are exempt from ID scanning)
  • you are approved on a permanent basis to trade past midnight.

You may also be required to operate an approved ID scanner if the Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming imposes a condition on your liquor licence declaring the premises to be a regulated premises (regardless of your trading hours and location).

Exemptions exist for certain SNP venues. See below for more details.

You may also voluntarily opt in to the ID scanner scheme, whether your premises is within an SNP or not. To do so, you must apply to the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) for a condition to be placed on your licence declaring your venue to be a regulated premises. Once a venue is declared to be a regulated premises, you will be required to meet the regulatory obligations applicable to the ID scanner scheme.

Note: For the purposes of the ID scanner scheme, the Liquor Act 1992 also requires licensees of regulated premises not already deemed an 'organisation' under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth) (i.e. those who have a turnover of less than $3 million per year), to opt in to be covered under the Privacy Act. Find out more about privacy and ID scanning.

Licensees that are exempt from ID scanning

In addition to licensees that do not permanently trade past midnight in a SNP, the following classes of licence are prescribed in the Liquor Regulation 2002 as exempt from the requirement to operate an approved ID scanning system:

  • a commercial special facility licence if the principal activity of the business conducted under the licence is a casino or a convention centre
  • a subsidiary on-premises licence (meals) (e.g. a restaurant)
  • a subsidiary on-premises licence if the principal activity of the business conducted under the licence is the provision of accommodation (e.g. a motel)
  • a community club.

If you are the licensee of a regulated premises, you can also request to have your premises, or part of your premises, declared 'not regulated' (or exempt from ID scanning). The Commissioner will consider the request and, if approved, a condition will be endorsed on the liquor licence declaring the part of the premises as not regulated.

Read Liquor Guideline 59: Declaration of licensed premises (or part of) as 'not regulated for ID scanning' to find out more.

Exemption from ID scanning under an extended trading hours permit

If you are granted a temporary late-night extended hours permit, but are not permanently approved to serve liquor past midnight, you will continue to be exempt from the requirement to operate approved ID scanners. However, licensees of regulated premises will continue to be required to operate approved ID scanners beyond their usual trading hours when issued a temporary late-night extended hours permit.

Find out more about when you must scan IDs.

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  • Last reviewed: 9 Dec 2019
  • Last updated: 9 Dec 2019