A manager’s certificate is issued for 12 months. Renewals are issued for three years (if you do not come to the attention of the agencies).

Apply for a manager's certificate

If you have your Licensed Controller Qualification (LCQ) you can download and complete a Manager's Certificate (New) application form.

Send your completed application form, documents, and fee payment to:

Christchurch City Council, Alcohol Licensing Team, PO Box 73013 Christchurch 8154.

Incomplete applications may be returned.

Apply

Prerequisites for a manager's certificate

To be granted a manager’s certificate you must:

  • attend and pass an alcohol licensing course since December 2013 under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.  This is the Licensed Controller Qualification (LCQ) under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.
  • 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.

Fees

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

All application fees are non refundable and are for the processing of your application.

Payment of Fees

View Alcohol licensing fees [PDF, 1.6 MB]. The fees for processing your application are non-refundable and must be paid when you apply for your licence. 

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

Payments can be made by: Cash, Cheque, or EFTPOS.

For other payment options please contact directly a Technical Officer in the Alcohol Licensing Team to discuss and for more information, ph 03 941 8999 or alcohollicensing@ccc.govt.nz .

NB: We can only process your applications once we have both the Proof of Payment of fees AND the required paperwork (application form and required documents).

View a summary of this page on the Alcohol licensing fees information sheet [PDF, 1.6 MB]. [PDF, 1.6 MB]

Documents to include with your application

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 Licensed 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.

Assessment of your application

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.

Interview and test

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. 

Police and Alcohol Licensing inspector reports

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

Issuing of certificates

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.

Lost certificates

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)