Hong Kong liquor licence: three types, government fees and the process
To sell alcohol for customers to drink on your premises, you need a separate liquor licence. It is issued by the Liquor Licensing Board under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109); a restaurant licence does not cover selling liquor. The premises must already hold, or be applying for, a restaurant licence.
Government fees (one year): with bar $3,940, without bar $1,990, club liquor licence $1,100; for more than one year, $5,910, $2,990 and $1,650. A liquor licence runs for up to 2 years. Selling liquor without one carries, on conviction, a fine of up to $1,000,000 and 2 years' imprisonment.
TCSP licence TC010617 · Updated October 2026
Selling alcohol takes two licences. Many owners apply for only one.
Do I need a separate licence to sell alcohol?
Yes. To sell alcohol for customers to drink on your premises, you must hold a liquor licence. A restaurant licence does not cover selling liquor.
Liquor licences are issued by the Liquor Licensing Board (LLB) under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) and the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations (Cap. 109B). The FEHD acts as the Board’s secretariat, but the decision is the Board’s.
Selling without one is expensive. Under section 17(3B) of Cap. 109, on conviction the penalty is a fine of up to $1,000,000 and imprisonment for 2 years. The Board lists this penalty in its “Important Notes”.
How does a liquor licence fit with the restaurant licence?
Restaurant first, liquor second. A liquor licence is only granted for premises that hold, or are applying for, a restaurant licence.
So the restaurant licence sets the timetable. Two figures to know:
- Provisional licence: once essential health, building and fire requirements are met, it can be issued over the counter in as little as 1 working day, valid for 6 months.
- Full licence: the Audit Commission calculated that a new full restaurant licence took an average of 187 working days in 2022.
Hong Kong had 34,407 licensed food premises in 2024 (FEHD Annual Report). A liquor licence is a further layer on top.
Which restaurant licence you need is covered in which Hong Kong food licence do you need, and the annual fire-safety inspection in annual fire inspection (FS251). Both are handled through our food licence service.
What types of liquor licence are there, and what are the government fees?
Three. Fees are set under Cap. 109H, for one year or for more than one year.
| Licence type | For | One year | More than one year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquor licence (with bar) | Licensed restaurants with a bar | $3,940 | $5,910 |
| Liquor licence (without bar) | Licensed restaurants without a bar | $1,990 | $2,990 |
| Club liquor licence | Clubs (applied for by the club secretary) | $1,100 | $1,650 |
| Transfer / amendment / duplicate | Existing licensees | $140 each | — |
These are all government fees, collected by the Liquor Licensing Board, as at 2026. Our service fee is separate; please ask for a quote.
A licence with a bar costs about 2 times one without. Settle which category your premises falls into before you file.
Are liquor licence fees waived right now?
Partly, but check each item.
The 2025 Policy Address waived first-issue and renewal fees for food business licences and restricted food permits taking effect between 1 November 2025 and 31 October 2026; prepaid fees are refunded. The Policy Address also named liquor licences in its fee waiver.
For the exact liquor licence arrangement, the Liquor Licensing Board’s notice governs. Note that this window closes on 31 October 2026.
What is the application process?
File the prescribed form with the Board, then wait for departmental comments.
- Confirm the restaurant premises. The premises hold, or are applying for, a restaurant licence.
- Submit the form. A liquor licence uses FEHB 106; a club liquor licence uses FEHB 107, filed by the club secretary.
- Departmental consultation. The Board consults the Police, the Home Affairs Department, and departments including Planning, Buildings, Fire Services and the FEHD.
- The Board decides. It considers the comments and decides whether to grant the licence, and for how long.
The departments look at location, structure, fire safety and hygiene. Public sources do not set out each department’s specific considerations.
How long does a liquor licence take?
The Board does not publish an overall processing target, and our sources give no average processing time for liquor licences.
What is certain: the liquor licence waits on the restaurant premises. A full restaurant licence averaged 187 working days in 2022; a provisional licence can come in 1 working day. To sell alcohol sooner, get the restaurant side done first.
What leads to objections or refusal?
The Board does not publish a refusal rate. What is known is what it looks at: location, structure, fire safety and hygiene.
These overlap with restaurant licensing. Buildings, Fire Services and the FEHD have already looked at the premises once. The points that most often stall a restaurant licence are worth clearing first:
- Unauthorised building works: Buildings Department requires removal first.
- Fire safety: fire service installations and the FS251 certificate, or the ventilation certificate, incomplete.
- Lease: a land-lease use restriction needs a waiver from the Lands Department.
- Planning: the premises’ zoning does not permit the use.
If these are unresolved at the restaurant stage, the liquor licence will not get far either.
How long is a liquor licence valid, and how do I renew?
Up to 2 years.
A 2-year renewal requires the premises to have a good track record for at least 2 consecutive years.
Transfer, amendment of particulars or a duplicate licence each carries a government fee of $140.
How do I check whether a shop has a liquor licence?
Check the Liquor Licensing Board’s website, which lists liquor-licensed premises. Clubs with certificates of compliance are listed on the Home Affairs Department’s Office of the Licensing Authority site (hadla.gov.hk).
Check before you sign a lease or take over a shop. If the previous operator held a liquor licence, a change of operator goes through a transfer, at a government fee of $140.
Spirits duty changed in 2024. Does that affect the licence?
No. From 16 October 2024, spirits above 30% alcohol moved to a two-tier duty: for each bottle of up to 1 litre, the first $200 of import value is taxed at 100% and the portion above $200 at 10%. Wine and beer remain at 0%.
This is a duty change, not a licensing relaxation. Liquor licence requirements and fees did not change because of it.
Personal name or company name?
Decide before you open. If you plan to trade through a limited company, register the company first, then apply for the restaurant and liquor licences in its name.
Questions? Contact us and we reply within 30 minutes.
Government fees, terms and penalties in this article reflect public information as at October 2026. Sources: Liquor Licensing Board and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (liquor licence fee schedule, Cap. 109H, as at 2026; LLB “Important Notes”), Audit Commission Report No. 81, Chapter 2 (October 2023), FEHD Annual Report 2024, Government press release (10 October 2025), HKU Community Legal Information Centre (CLIC) on spirits duty. Liquor licences are decided by the Liquor Licensing Board. This article is general information, not legal advice.