RENEWALS OF LIQUOR LICENCES
There are nine elements of liquor legislation, each dealing with a procedure for the renewal of a licence validly in force under each element of liquor legislation.
In terms of the KZN legislation, the holder of a liquor licence must apply for its renewal six months before its expiry date. All licences under the old 1989 Liquor Act in KZN retained their validity period from 1 January until 31 December each year. Accordingly, applications for the renewal of those licences had to be filed by 30 June 2022. There is a provision for late renewal. Licensees falling in this category must urgently obtain legal advice on the status of their licences and the renewal thereof.
The rest of the KZN licences require renewal at the latest on the day before the validity of such licence expires. Once again, the renewal application must be made six months before the expiry date. A practical example will be where a licence was granted on 22 February. It is valid until 21 February of the next year, and the renewal application must be lodged not later than 21 September of the year of validity.
The process of renewal of licences in KZN is quite involved in addition to the KZNLQA (Kwa-Zulu Natal Liquor Authority), adding to the confusion by adding requirements over and above and sometimes in conflict with the requirements of section 64 of the KZN Liquor Act.
It is recommended that licensees in KZN should obtain legal assistance from persons duly experienced. Should assistance be needed, we can be contacted at liquor@mariusblom.co.za. Please let us have a copy of your licence and the latest renewal receipt in your possession.
In the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, Northern cape, Limpopo, and North West Province, all licence are valid until the 31 December of a year and must be renewed before 31 December.
Each of these provinces has its own processes for renewal, and a licensee must attend to the relevant process by at least October of this year. Once again, we can assist if you let us have a copy of your latest renewal with proof of payment for the year's renewal fee.
In Gauteng, a licence must be renewed at the latest on the day immediately before its date of issue. If a licence was issued on 7 May, it must be renewed before or on 6 May. We can assist with all Gauteng renewals if a licensee provides us with the renewal for the current year and proof of payment thereof.
Mpumalanga also provides for renewal at the latest on the issue date, but in Mpumalanga, one must apply for renewal three months before the expiry date.
Except for the Eastern Cape, provision is made for late renewal. This differs from province to province; if a licensee needs help, we will be able to help. Direct inquiries to liquor@mariusblom.co.za.
Suppose a licensee wishes to make use of our services for the renewal of a licence. In that case, enquiries can be directed to liquor@mariusblom.co.za and an advice document, also containing a quote, inclusive of the fee payable for renewal, will be e-mailed to such licensee.
Lastly, there are the registrations with the DTI through the NLA. Such registrations must be applied for thirty days before the expiry date of an existing registration. The NLA makes use of an exclusive electronic so-called dashboard. If we are not already acting on behalf of a registrant, the registrant will not appear on our dashboard. To assist with renewals, we will have to request that the registration in question be migrated to our dashboard before we can access it for any purpose, including the renewal of a registration. Should you need assistance with the renewal of your NLA registration you can contact Christine at christine@mariusblom.co.za or you can enquire to liquor@mariusblom.co.za.
Your licence or registration is the very foundation of your business, and great care must be taken to manage and keep it alive.