Shop trading hours in Queensland

Trading hours for each category of retail shop are listed below. Different hours may apply to Sundays and public holidays.

Special trading hours apply for Anzac Day, Easter, Labour Day and Christmas.

Follow these steps to work out the class of shop and when the shop may trade:

  1. Check the list of exempt shops to see if the shop is included in that list.
  2. If the shop is not included in the list of exempt shops, check the criteria for independent retail shops.
  3. If the shop doesn't fit into either of those categories it is classified as a non-exempt shop.

Exempt shops

Exempt shops are defined in the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act 1990 and include:

  • the type of shops described in the list below
  • independent retail shops (see criteria below)
  • a shop operating in an area to which a special event declaration applies.

List of exempt shops

  • Antique shop
  • Art gallery or arts and crafts shop
  • Aquarium, aquarium accessories or pet shop
  • Bait and tackle or marine shop
  • Bookseller's or newsagent’s shop
  • Bread, cake or pastry shop
  • Butcher's shop
  • Camping equipment shop
  • Chemist shop
  • Confectionery shop or ice-cream parlour
  • Cooked provisions shop (where the provisions are cooked or heated on the premises immediately before sale), milk bar, restaurant, café or refreshment shop
  • Delicatessen
  • Fish shop
  • Flower shop
  • Fruit and vegetable shop
  • Funeral director's premises
  • Hairdresser's, beautician's or barber's shop
  • Licensed premises under the Liquor Act 1992 or the Wine Industry Act 1994 (although specific trading hour restrictions apply - read Trading hours for liquor licensees)
  • Nursery (plant) shop for selling garden plants and shrubs, seeds, garden and landscaping supplies or equipment, and associated products
  • Photographic shop
  • Premises in relation to which a pawnbrokers licence under the Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 2003 is in force
  • Service station
  • Subject to section 5(2), shop of a class declared by regulation to be a class of exempt shop
  • Shop for selling motor vehicle spare parts or motor cycle spare parts, or both
  • Shop in an international airport terminal, cruise terminal, casino, or tourist resort on an off-shore island
  • Soap shop
  • Souvenir shop
  • Special exhibition or display of goods (examples – an annual 3-day caravan, camping and fishing expo, a one-off launch of a new model of campervans held at a shopping centre)
  • Sporting goods shop
  • Tobacconist's shop
  • Toy shop
  • Veterinary supplies shop

Independent retail shops (sub-category of exempt shops)

If the shop is not in the list of exempt shops and meets all of the following criteria, it is classified as an 'independent retail shop'.

  • The business is run by an individual, partnership or a proprietary company (does not include a public company or related corporation).
  • There are no more than 30 people, including the owner, engaged in the shop at any one time.
  • There are no more than 100 people engaged by the owner in all shops throughout Queensland at any one time.
  • The business is not conducted within a non-exempt shop or part thereof.

Trading hours for exempt shops

Exempt shops, except for independent retail shops, have unrestricted trading hours. They may trade 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, including all public holidays.

Independent retail shops as a sub-category of exempt shops can open at any time, including most public holidays except they must remain closed:

  • on Good Friday and Christmas Day (25 December) each year*
  • and
  • until 1pm on Anzac Day (25 April) each year*.

*These restrictions do not apply to an independent retail shop which is predominantly a food and/or grocery shop.

Note: Hours of trade may be restricted by another Act or contract. For example licensed premises must comply with the Liquor Act 1992 and the Wine Industry Act 1994. For more information, read Trading hours for liquor licensees.

Non-exempt shops

Non-exempt shops are shops other than exempt shops and include:

  • large retailers including supermarkets, department stores and hardware shops
  • shops selling motor vehicles or caravans.

Trading hours for non-exempt shops

The core trading hours permitted for non-exempt shops depend on the goods predominantly for sale and the shop's location. There are 4 types of trading areas and specific hours for:

  • non-exempt shops generally
  • non-exempt hardware shops
  • non-exempt shops selling motor vehicles or caravans.

Type 1 trading areas

  • Area of New Farm of Inner City of Brisbane
  • Gold Coast Coastal Tourist Area
  • Hamilton North Shore Area
  • Mossman and Port Douglas Tourist Area
  • The Cairns CBD Area
  • The Great Barrier Reef Wonderland Tourist Complex
  • The Pacific Fair Shopping Centre located at Broadbeach Waters on the corner of Hooker Boulevard and Sunshine Boulevard
  • Any other area declared in a trading area order to be a type 1 trading area

Day

Opening time

Closing time

Monday to Friday

6am

10pm

Saturday

7am

10pm

Sunday and public holidays, other than closed days

7am

9pm


Type 2 trading areas

  • The South-East Queensland Area, other than a part of the area that is a type 1 trading area (generally – extending north to Noosa, south to Coolangatta and west to Gatton)
  • Any other area declared in a trading area order to be a type 2 trading area

Day

Opening time

Closing time

Monday to Friday

7am

9pm

Saturday

7am

9pm

Sunday and public holidays, other than closed days

9am

6pm


Type 3 trading areas

  • An area mentioned in schedule 1AB
    • Biloela Area
    • Bundaberg Area
    • Cairns Tourist Area
    • City of Rockhampton
    • City of Toowoomba
    • Cooloola Cove Area
    • Dalby Area
    • Emerald Area
    • Emu Park Tourist Area
    • Fraser Coast Area
    • Gladstone Area
    • Gympie Area
    • Ingham Area
    • Innisfail Area
    • Mackay Area
    • Marian Area
    • Moranbah Area
    • Stanthorpe Area
    • Tablelands Area (Mareeba and Atherton)
    • Townsville Tourist Area
    • Townsville and Thuringowa Area (excluding Townsville Tourist Area)
    • Warwick Area
    • Whitsunday Shire Tourist Area
    • Yeppoon Tourist Area
  • Any other area declared in a trading area order to be a type 3 trading area

Day

Opening time

Closing time

Monday to Friday

  1. if the shop is in the Townsville Tourist Area – 7am
  2. otherwise – 8am

9pm

Saturday

8am

6pm

Sunday and public holidays, other than closed days

9am

6pm


Type 4 trading areas

  • Any other area that is not a type 1, 2 or 3 trading area

    This includes, but is not limited to, a number of regional towns such as:
    • Ayr
    • Blackwater
    • Bowen
    • Charleville
    • Charters Towers
    • Childers
    • Chinchilla
    • Cloncurry
    • Goondiwindi
    • Home Hill
    • Kingaroy
    • Longreach
    • Mission Beach
    • Mt Isa
    • Nanango
    • Oakey
    • Pittsworth
    • Proserpine
    • Roma
    • Weipa

Day

Opening time

Closing time

Monday to Friday

8am

9pm

Saturday

8am

6pm

Sunday

N/A – closed

N/A – closed

Public holidays, other than closed days

9am

6pm


Closed Days: Good Friday, Anzac Day (25 April), Labour Day and Christmas Day (25 December)

Type 1 trading areas

  • Area of New Farm of Inner City of Brisbane
  • Gold Coast Coastal Tourist Area
  • Hamilton North Shore Area
  • Mossman and Port Douglas Tourist Area
  • The Cairns CBD Area
  • The Great Barrier Reef Wonderland Tourist Complex
  • The Pacific Fair Shopping Centre located at Broadbeach Waters on the corner of Hooker Boulevard and Sunshine Boulevard
  • Any other area declared in a trading area order to be a type 1 trading area

Day

Opening time

Closing time

Monday to Friday

6am

10pm

Saturday

6am

10pm

Sunday and public holidays, other than closed days

6am

9pm


Type 2 trading areas

  • The South-East Queensland Area, other than a part of the area that is a type 1 trading area (generally – extending north to Noosa, south to Coolangatta and west to Gatton)
  • Any other area declared in a trading area order to be a type 2 trading area

Day

Opening time

Closing time

Monday to Friday

6am

9pm

Saturday

6am

9pm

Sunday and public holidays, other than closed days

6am

6pm


Type 3 and 4 trading areas

Type 3 trading areas
  • An area mentioned in schedule 1AB
    • Biloela Area
    • Bundaberg Area
    • Cairns Tourist Area
    • City of Rockhampton
    • City of Toowoomba
    • Cooloola Cove Area
    • Dalby Area
    • Emerald Area
    • Emu Park Tourist Area
    • Fraser Coast Area
    • Gladstone Area
    • Gympie Area
    • Ingham Area
    • Innisfail Area
    • Mackay Area
    • Marian Area
    • Moranbah Area
    • Stanthorpe Area
    • Tablelands Area (Mareeba and Atherton)
    • Townsville Tourist Area
    • Townsville and Thuringowa Area (excluding Townsville Tourist Area)
    • Warwick Area
    • Whitsunday Shire Tourist Area
    • Yeppoon Tourist Area
  • Any other area declared in a trading area order to be a type 3 trading area
Type 4 trading areas
  • Any other area that is not a type 1, 2 or 3 trading area

    This includes, but is not limited to, a number of regional towns such as:
    • Ayr
    • Blackwater
    • Bowen
    • Charleville
    • Charters Towers
    • Childers
    • Chinchilla
    • Cloncurry
    • Goondiwindi
    • Home Hill
    • Kingaroy
    • Longreach
    • Mission Beach
    • Mt Isa
    • Nanango
    • Oakey
    • Pittsworth
    • Proserpine
    • Roma
    • Weipa.

Day

Opening time

Closing time

Monday to Friday

6am

9pm

Saturday

6am

6pm

Sunday and public holidays, other than closed days

6am

6pm


Closed Days: Good Friday, Anzac Day (25 April), Labour Day and Christmas Day (25 December)

Car yards

Located in:

  • Gold Coast Area
  • Redcliffe Peninsula
  • City of Brisbane Area
  • City of Logan Area
  • Town of Beenleigh Area
  • Near North Coast Area
  • Shire of Pine Rivers
  • Redland Shire
  • City of Ipswich
Day Opening time Closing time

Monday to Friday

8am

9pm

Saturday

8am

6pm

Sunday

N/A – closed

N/A – closed

Public holidays, other than closed days

8am

6pm


Car yards (outside of areas listed above)

Day Opening time Closing time

Monday to Friday

8am

9pm

Saturday

8am

5pm

Sunday and public holidays, other than closed days

N/A – closed

N/A – closed


Caravan yards

Day Opening time Closing time

Monday to Friday

8am

9pm

Saturday

8am

6pm

Sunday and public holidays, other than closed days

N/A – closed

N/A – closed


Combined caravan and car yards

Day Opening time Closing time

Monday to Friday

8am

9pm

Saturday

8am

5pm

Sunday and public holidays, other than closed days

N/A – closed

N/A – closed


Closed days: Good Friday, Anzac Day (25 April), Labour Day and Christmas Day (25 December)

Public holidays and closed days

Closed days for all non-exempt shops

  • Good Friday
  • Anzac Day (25 April)
  • Labour Day (first Monday in May)
  • Christmas Day (25 December)

Non-exempt shops in type 4 trading areas must remain closed on Sundays.

Public holidays which are not closed days

  • New Year's Day (1 January)*
  • Australia Day (26 January)*
  • The day after Good Friday (date varies)
  • Easter Sunday (date varies)
  • Easter Monday (date varies)
  • King's Birthday (first Monday in October)
  • Local shows (dates vary)
  • Boxing Day (26 December)*

*The Holidays Act 1983 allows for additional or substitute public holidays on the following Monday or Tuesday when certain public holidays fall on a weekend:

  • New Year's Day
  • Australia Day
  • Anzac Day (only if it falls on a Sunday)
  • Christmas Day
  • Boxing Day

Find out exact dates for public and show holidays.

Special conditions apply on Anzac Day, Easter and Christmas.

Protection for employees – extended hours

An employer must not require an employee to work during extended hours unless the employee freely elects to do so.

Extended hours include increased hours due to an amendment to the Act or when a trading area order takes effect or when a shop becomes an exempt shop because a special event declaration takes effect.

Advertising for business outside lawful trading hours

A person must not advertise that an independent or non-exempt shop will be open outside the hours permitted by the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act 1990.

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