Liquor licences

Manager's certificates

A Manager’s Certificate is needed by anyone who intends to be a manager of a licensed premises, such as a bar, supermarket, hotel, tavern or club.

You should only apply to Upper Hutt City Council (your local District Licensing Agency) if your business/workplace is based in Upper Hutt.

A new Manager’s Certificate expires after 12 months.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to apply
for a renewal before the expiry date of your certificate.  We cannot issue a renewal for an expired
certificate.  You will need to start as a new applicant instead.

Renewals are issued for three years.

Make a NEW application
All liquor licence applications and supporting documentation need to be sent to us with one additional
copy i.e. the original application and attachments, and one complete copy.

1.	When you are ready to make a NEW MANAGER”S application, you will need to fill in the following – please check you have completed it in full, including signing and dating:
		Application for new manager's certificate  (PDF,46K)
	Please ensure you have filled out all the information in detail on the form.
2	Along with your application provide:
		two written character references a copy of your Licence Controllers Qualification (general manager applications only) payment of $134.93

 
Make a RENEWAL application
The renewal application needs to be sent to us with one additional copy i.e. the original application,
and one complete copy.
 

1.	When you are ready to make your RENEWAL MANAGER’S application, you will need to fill in the following – please check you have completed it in full, including signing and dating:
		Application for renewal of manager's certificate  (PDF,46K)
2	Along with your application, we require payment of $134.93.

Processing your application
Once we have received your completed application, a report is obtained from Council’s Licensing
Inspector and also the Police.  We approve your application if no objection is received.  

Part of the Manager Certificate process may involve an interview by the Council’s Licensing Inspector.
If so, we will contact you.

If an objection is received, your file is sent to the Liquor Licensing Authority in Wellington for a
decision.  Usually this process would involve a hearing.  If any objections are received you will be
notified by us in the first instance and a copy of the objection will be sent to you.

How long will it take?
Applications will take four to six weeks for uncontested applications.  If the application is objected to
and sent to the Liquor Licensing Authority (LLA) as explained above, it then becomes subject to the
LLA’s hearings timetable.  The LLA will notify the applicant of the date of hearing in due course.   

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