Applying for and obtaining a valid liquor licence in South Africa is a time-consuming and tedious process. Unfortunately, once you have received your liquor licence, it does not mean that the maintenance and upkeep of that licence is over.Applying for and obtaining a valid liquor licence in South Africa is a time-consuming and tedious process.

Unfortunately, once you have received your liquor licence, it does not mean that the maintenance and upkeep of that licence is over.

If you ever wish to make any kind of structural changes to the premises to which the licence is issued, you will need to apply to the Regional Liquor Board for an Alteration Certificate. This Alteration certificate is granted after the successful submission of an Alteration application.

An application for alteration and  or extension to a licenced premises can be granted in terms of Section 43 of the South African Liquor Act. Alteration applications and certificates are required so as to regulate the changes made to a restaurant, pub, hotel or similar type of establishment.

Obviously, when an owner of one of these types of places makes a change to their structure, they could also be changing the way in which they will be serving and selling liquor to their clientele. The Regional Liquor Board needs to know that when they serve liquor in these new ways, they are doing so within the ambit of the law.

A successful Liquor Licence Alteration application is best compiled and lodged by a professional liquor consultant to ensure a favourable response from the board. The required information and material for this type of application includes but is not limited to:

• An application fee
• A description of the proposed changes
• Plans of the premises
• Photos of the premises
• Validation that the Liquor Licence granted to sell and serve liquor on the premises is valid and up to date

The decision to grant and allow the alteration to commence is entirely up to the board. The board can also determine the time within which the premises must be altered.
Failure to meet the requirements of an Alteration Application can result in a refusal from the board and this could result in:

• Costly alterations that the applicant is not allowed to sell liquor in
• The need to re-apply for a liquor licence, relevant to the new premises that complies with the Liquor Act