Processing of the Application |
New Issue of Licence |
After submission of an application, applicant may be required to attend an interview to be arranged by the Secretary, Liquor Licensing Board for the purpose of further verifying the information provided in the application form and other matters relating to the application.
All applications are referred to the Hong Kong Police Force and Home Affairs Department for comments.
Public opinion is also sought and this is done by placing an advertisement, at the applicant's expense, in three newspapers (other than in the classified advertisement column) in accordance with the requirements and standard format provided by the licensing offices. Upon receipt of the application, Liquor Licensing Board will post the notice on application for Liquor / Club Liquor Licence on its website.
For liquor licence application in respect of the premises not under application for or covered by Restaurant Licence or Certificate of Compliance
- In addition to consulting the Hong Kong Police Force and Home Affairs Department, the application will be referred to Planning Department, Fire Services Department, Buildings Department/Independent Checking Unit under the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Housing/ Architectural Services Department and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, etc. for comment.
- Except for premises in Government properties or Housing Authority properties, certification made by recognised professional(s) (i.e. authorized persons/ structural engineers registered under Section 3 of the Buildings Ordinance (Cap.123)) certifying that the premises are free of unauthorized building works shall be submitted (in person or by mail) to Liquor Licensing Board in prescribed form (FEHB 267) as in accordance with the corresponding guidelines, where appropriate, listed as follows:
- "Certification of Food Business Premises Free of Unauthorized Building Works - Guidelines for Authorized Persons and Registered Structural Engineers" issued by the Director of Buildings
- "Certification of Food Business Premises Free of Unauthorized Building Works - Guidelines for Authorized Persons and Registered Structural Engineers (applicable to the properties divested to The Link Management Limited)" issued by the Independent Checking Unit under the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Housing.
- If a ventilating system is installed, the standard of ventilation shall be a supply of not less than 17 cubic metres of outside air per hour for each person accommodated on the premises.
- It takes longer processing time than normal liquor licence applications.
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Renewal & Amendment(s) of Licence |
Application for renewal of a liquor licence or club liquor licence are required to be submitted to the respective Licensing Office not more than 4 months and not less than 3 months before the licence is due for renewal. Where the period of liquor licence or club liquor licence is 3 months, the application for renewal of the licence is required to be submitted not less than 2 months before the licence is due to renewal.
Application for amendment(s) of a liquor licence or club liquor licence is made usually for the following purposes-
- to change the shop sign of the licensed premises;
- to seek endorsement on the licence to operate a bar, dancing hall, etc.;
- extension of the licensed premises;
- (Only applicable to Hotels) Addition of a New Portion, which is not under Application for or covered by a Restaurant Licence or a Certificate of Compliance issued by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, to Licensed Premises; or
- any other specific reasons.
The process of both applications is similar to that of new issue of liquor licences.
For liquor licence application in respect of the premises not under application for or covered by Restaurant Licence or Certificate of Compliance.
- In case of renewal of liquor licence, the Liquor Licensing Board will consult Fire Services Department on the compliance of fire safety requirements including submission of Certificate of Fire Service Installations and Equipment (F.S.251) and Annual Inspection Certificate of the premises.
- In case of amendment of change of size of the premises, the application must be accompanied by 4 copies of identical layout plans and/or 3 copies of ventilation plans showing the proposed alteration(s) and/or addition(s) to the premises. Proposed layout/ventilation plan must be drawn in metric unit and in scale commonly used of not less than 1:100. The application will be referred to the Hong Kong Police Force, Home Affairs Department, Planning Department, Fire Services Department, Buildings Department/Independent Checking Unit under the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Housing
/ Architectural Services Department etc. and government departments concerned for comment.
- It will take longer processing time than normal liquor licence applications.
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Transfer of Liquor Licence |
The transferee applicant is required to complete an application form and return it to the Licensing Office together with the documents previously mentioned above.
The process of application is also similar to that of new issue of liquor licences.
For liquor licence application in respect of the premises not under application for or covered by Restaurant Licence or Certificate of Compliance
- For transfer of liquor licence, except for premises in Government properties or Housing Authority properties, the transferee of an existing liquor licence is required to submit (in person or by mail) certification made by recognised professional(s) (i.e. authorized persons/ structural engineers registered under Section 3 of the Buildings Ordinance (Cap.123)) certifying that the premises are free of unauthorized building works to Liquor Licensing Board in prescribed form (FEHB 267) as in accordance with the corresponding guidelines listed in the application for new issue of liquor licence in respect of the premises.
- It will take longer processing time than normal liquor licence applications.
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Application Procedures under Reserve Licensee Mechanism |
- The Mechanism comprises of vetting application for nomination of reserve licensee and application of authorization of reserve licensee.
- A person to be nominated as a reserve licensee should meet the "fit and proper person" criterion and not be a licence holder or reserve licensee of other liquor licensed premises.
- The maximum period for authorization of the reserve licensee during the absence of the liquor licensee is capped at 25% of the number of days of the validity period of the liquor licence, and for a liquor licence with a validity period of more than one year, each period must not exceed 90 days (and the aggregate periods must not exceed 90 days within any 12 consecutive months in the validity period of the licence)
Application for Nomination of Reserve Licensee
- An application for nomination of reserve licensee has to be submitted together with application for new issue / renewal / transfer of liquor licence. The application form for nomination of reserve licensee is attached at the Annex I/II of application form for new issue (FEHB 106/107), renewal (FEHB 106A/107A) and transfer (106B/107B) of liquor/club liquor licence. It is optional to apply for nomination of reserve licensee. An individual application for nomination of reserve licensee will not be processed.
- All applications for nomination of reserve licensee are referred to the Police for comment. After seeking comments from the Police, the Secretary of Liquor Licensing Board will, in general, consider the application in about 8 weeks upon the approval to new issue / renewal/ transfer applications.
- Not more than one application for nomination of reserve licensee should be submitted during the validity period of liquor licence except transfer application and in case of refusal of the first nomination application during the validity period of liquor licence.
Application for authorization of reserve licensee upon sudden departure of Licensee
- Should there be a sudden departure of licensee, the licensee /owner / proprietor of liquor selling business is required to submit the following documents for authorization of the nominated reserve licensee to take over the role of the licensee at least 7 working days before the licensee's departure:
- an application for authorization of reserve licensee (FEHB 266A); and
- a declaration of reserve licensee's (FEHB 266B).
[Note: In parallel, the concerned owner / proprietor should submit application of new issue / transfer of liquor licence as appropriate.]
- Subject to the reserve licensee's self-declaration of not being an existing liquor licence holder and no change in criminal record subsequent to approval for nomination, the Secretary of Liquor Licensing Board will consider to grant approval-in-principle to the authorization of reserve licensee in 2 to 4 working days. At the same time, the application with the declaration will be referred to the Police for comment.
- Upon receiving the comments of the Police, the Secretary will consider formally approve the authorization or revoke the approval-in-principle for authorization. The authorization will only take effect upon payment of a prescribed fee.
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Application Procedures for Temporary absence of Licensee |
- In case of illness or temporary absence of the licensee, the licensee is required to submit an application for permission to authorise a person to manage the licensed premises at least 7 working days before the start date of temporary absence if leave period is not more than 30 days and 15 working days before the start date of temporary absence if leave period is more than 30 days. The application should be submitted to the respective Liquor Licensing Office together with the following documents:
- a recent photograph of the authorized person;
- a copy of the authorized person's HKID card or other identification document; and
- a copy of the leave approval letter from the company/ employer if the applied period is more than 10 days.
- With a reserve licensee in place, the application form can be submitted at least 7 working days before start date of temporary absence.
- The maximum period for authorization of a person to manage the licensed premises during temporary absence of the licensee is the same as that of reserve licensee mechanism.
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Licensing Conditions for Liquor Licence |
- No disorder shall be permitted on the premises.
- No person shall be allowed to become drunk on the premises, nor shall liquor be supplied to any person who is drunk.
- No games of chance shall be played on the premises.
- The licensee shall personally supervise the premises.
- The licensee shall display a warning notice at a conspicuous place inside the premises containing the words "NO LIQUOR FOR PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF 18". In the said notice, the size of each Chinese character shall not be less than 3 cm (height) x 3 cm (width) and the size of each English letter shall not be less than 2 cm (height) x 2 cm (width).
- The licensee shall exhibit and keep exhibited a notice denoting its licensed status provided by the Board at the main entrance of the premises.
- The licensee shall not permit any person to occupy or use any portion of the premises for any immoral or illegal purpose.
- The licensee shall not permit any common prostitutes or reputed thieves to assemble or remain on the premises.
- The licensee shall not permit drunkenness, or violence, quarrel or other disorderly conduct on the premises and shall not permit persons of known bad character to assemble and remain on the premises.
- The name of any liquor for which a standard of quality is prescribed by regulations shall be clearly marked on the container in or from which the liquor is supplied to any customers.
- No bar business shall be operated on the premises, except with the permission of the Board endorsed herein.
- No dancing shall be permitted on the premises, except with the permission of the Board endorsed herein.
- Toilets shall be maintained in a state of cleanliness and good repair for the use of customers.
- Except exempted by the Board, the licensed premises shall be concurrently covered by a valid restaurant licence issued by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene.
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Licensing Conditions for Club Liquor Licence |
- No disorder shall be permitted on the club premises.
- No person shall be allowed to become drunk on the club premises, nor shall liquor be supplied to any person who is drunk.
- The licensee shall personally supervise the club premises.
- The licensee shall display a warning notice at a conspicuous place inside the club premises containing the words "NO LIQUOR FOR PERSON UNDER AGE 18". In the said notice, the size of each Chinese character shall not be less than 3 cm (height) x 3 cm (width) and the size of each English letter shall not be less than 2 cm (height) x 2 cm (width).
- The licensee shall exhibit and keep exhibited a notice denoting its licensed status provided by the Board at the main entrance of the club premises.
- The licensee shall not permit any person to occupy or use any portion of the club premises for any immoral or illegal purpose.
- The licensee shall not permit any common prostitutes or reputed thieves to assemble or remain on the club premises.
- The licensee shall not permit drunkenness, or violence, quarrel or other disorderly conduct on the club premises and shall not permit persons of known bad character to assemble and remain on the club premises.
- Toilets shall be maintained in a state of cleanliness and good repair for the use of members.
- Except exempted by the Board, the club liquor licence shall be concurrently covered by a valid Certificate of Compliance issued by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs.
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