BYO alcohol: restaurants and cafes

'Bring your own' (BYO) alcohol is a popular choice for unlicensed restaurants. If you are a restaurateur, or staff, you should know your obligations and licensing requirements for BYO alcohol.

Applying for a BYO licence or permit

OLGR does not provide approvals for BYO alcohol at restaurants.

However, some local governments may need notification of BYO and may endorse this on your food licence. Find your venue's local government office and contact them to find out about their requirements.

If you wish to sell alcohol as well as allowing BYO alcohol, you need a subsidiary on-premises licence for a restaurant.

Refusing BYO at your premises

You and your staff can refuse BYO at your restaurant; it is your right to do so.

Customers should not BYO to your restaurant if you do not give them consent.

There is no offence for customers bringing BYO to a restaurant, provided they are at least 18 years old. However, for some types of licensed premises, including cafés, nightclubs and certain public events, it is an offence for a patron to bring alcohol onto, or away from, the premises. Police and OLGR officers can issue an on-the-spot fine of $431 to any person who illegally takes alcohol onto a licensed premises. The maximum penalty if prosecuted in court is $3,593. Read more about fines and penalties.

BYO signage

You can download and print signs about BYO to display in your restaurant, including:

• No BYO. We are a licensed venue only.
• We are licensed and allow BYO.

Also consider...

• Download signage about takeaway alcohol.
• Read more about compliance for liquor licensees.