Sale & supply of alcohol

We administer legislation regulating the sale and supply of alcohol and provide advice to the Government on policy relating to alcohol-related offending and crime prevention.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 aims to improve New Zealand's drinking culture and reduce the harm caused by excessive drinking. It replaced the Sale of Liquor Act 1989.

Key features of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act

  • increasing the ability of communities to have a say about alcohol licensing in their local area
  • allowing local-level decision-making for all licence applications
  • requiring the consent of a parent or guardian before supplying alcohol to a minor
  • requiring anyone who supplies alcohol to under 18-year-olds to do so responsibly
  • strengthening the rules around the types of stores allowed to sell alcohol
  • introducing maximum default trading hours for licensed premises
  • restricting supermarket and grocery store alcohol displays to a single area.

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