Apply for a manager's certificate

To be granted a manager’s certificate you must:

• Hold a prescribed qualification (a identified in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol, Act Regulations s23. There are currently two accepted forms of qualification:
  1. Attend and pass an alcohol licensing course under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 (ie after December 2013).  This is the Licence Controller Qualification (LCQ)(external link)under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012; or
  2. You held already held an LQC under the Sale of Liquor Act AND after December 2013 completed the Bridging Test. (Note the bridging test was only available until December 2016).
  3. If you hold an LQC under the Sale of Liquor but did not sit the Bridging test, then you will have to completed the qualification under 1. above.
•  have a minimum of six months relevant experience in the hospitality industry working at a licenced premises.
• be currently employed at a licenced premises
• be 20 years of age or older
• Eligible to work in New Zealand. If you are not a NZ citizen or permanent resident you must already hold the appropriate visa.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 does not provide for club manager’s certificates and these will be phased out. Please contact the Alcohol Licensing Team if you have any questions about club manager’s certificates.

If you completed your Licensed Controller Qualification (LCQ) certificate under the Sale of Liquor Act 1989, prior to January 2014, you will need to resit your Licensed Controller Qualification (LCQ) course and reapply for a new certificate that references the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

A fee of $316.25 applies for a manager's certificate. This is set by the regulations. Refer to the alcohol licence fees for all fees and any other charges related to alcohol licensing.

Payment of fees

The fees for processing your application are non-refundable and must be paid when you apply for your licence.

Most fees are set by regulations. However, any fees set by Council may be subject to annual review and any changes take effect on 1 July each year.

You will need to have an invoice from us first before you can make your payment. This will be provided to you when you file your application documents.

Payments can be made by cash, EFTPOS or credit card at a service desk or by internet banking. Internet banking payment account and reference details can be found on your invoice.

We no longer accept payments by cheque.

For internet banking, you will need to provide proof of payment that includes confirmation of the payment details (e.g. a screenshot of the completed transaction).

We can only process your applications once we have both the proof of payment of fees and the required application form and documents.

Refer to the full list of documents on the last page of the application form. Documents include:

• Copy of photo identification (or birth certificate) so we can confirm your legal name
• Copy of Passport and any visas you hold
• Photocopy of your Licence Controller Qualification (LCQ) qualification
• Letter from your employer detailing why you need to have a manager’s certificate and confirming your position and duties.
• Reference(s) supporting any previous experience in the hospitality industry.
• Character reference from an independent person such as an ex-employer.
• Your CV.

Note: If you have been appointed as a Temporary Duty Manager at your place of work, you need to ensure you have your new managers certificate application filed with us within two working days of that appointment. Also remember to make arrangements to booking into an Licensed Controller Qualification (LCQ) course as soon as possible.

The assessment includes an interview (including a verbal test) and reports assessing your overall application information by the Regulatory Agencies:  The Council Licensing Inspector and the Police.

Once the assessments and reports are completed your application is then provided to the District Licensing Committee (DLC) for a decision.

When deciding whether to issue a manager's certificate, the DLC must consider the following criteria:

• Your suitability to be a manager.
• Any convictions you have.
• Your experience in controlling a licenced premises.
• Your qualifications and training.
• Your age - you must be over 20 years.
• Matters dealt with in the reports from the Police or Licencing Inspector.

These criteria are the main considerations for the assessment of your application by the statutory reporting agencies (Police and the Inspector).  If you have any questions about these criteria please contact the Alcohol Licensing Team to discuss before you submit your application.

When your application is received, the Council’s Alcohol Licensing Team will send you a letter asking you to contact us to arrange a time to attend an interview and test.

The interview consists of two parts:

1. A verbal test of your knowledge of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. The questions are similar to the ones asked in the test for the LCQ. We have some sample test questions [PDF, 58 KB] to help you prepare. Some of the questions the interviewer asks you may specifically relate to how the Act relates to the premises you will be working at.

The pass mark is 100% as managers are expected to know and enforce the Act. If you fail the test you may be allowed to re-sit it.

2. The interview will also include a discussion with you about your current role and place of work, your experience in the industry and in particular in controlled licenced premises, confirm the information you’ve provided about your experience and training and other relevant experience. 

When you pass your test, Council's Alcohol Licensing Team will ask for reports from the Police and the Alcohol Licensing Inspector.

If there are no bad reports, applications take four to six weeks to be processed and referred for a District Licensing Committee (DLC) decision after which your Certificate will be issued and sent to you.

If the Police or Inspector oppose your application it may be set down for a public hearing before the DLC held in Christchurch. 

Workings  as a Duty Manager - Once your certificate is issued, your employer needs to complete a Notification of Duty Manager Appointment or Change form, and return this to the Council and Police, to formally appoint you as a Duty Manager for your place of work so that you can then work as a duty manager for that premises.

If you have lost your general manager's certificate you can get a replacement. If the certificate was issued in Christchurch you should contact the Council’s Alcohol Licensing Team who will send a duplicate copy to you free of charge.

Phone 03 941 8068 or email alcohollicensing@ccc.govt.nz.

If the certificate was issued outside of Christchurch, you will need to contact the agency who issued it.

If you have lost your Licensed Controller Qualification (LCQ) Certificate you should contact Service IQ(external link)