The Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety’s Racing, Gaming and Liquor (RGL) division is continuing to progress reforms to improve business systems and customer experience.
As part of this reform process, RGL is publishing information to support transparency and establish a baseline for ongoing performance monitoring for liquor licensing applications. This level of transparency is not currently published by any other Australian or international liquor regulators.
Reporting commenced in Quarter 1 of 2026.
About these reports
These reports present detailed information on liquor licensing application timeframes in Western Australia. The time taken to finalise an application reflects the full start-to-finish process, not only the time when the application is being actively assessed by the department.
Timeframes are measured in business days, from when the application is lodged, to when a final decision is made, and vary across licence types.
The variations reflect legal requirements, consultation processes, and the individual complexity of applications. The department’s licensing system does not currently capture where an application is in the process, for example whether it is actively assessed or on hold whilst the applicant provides the requested information.
This means the timeframes shown include all elapsed business days across the full application process.
How liquor licensing applications progress
Applying for a liquor licence in Western Australia involves several stages. While the licensing authority is the entity that will progress the application, depending on the specific licensing type, some of these steps such as input from WA Police, local governments, other government departments, and the community are outside the direct control of the licensing authority.
These extra steps will impact the overall time it takes to process a licence.
An important factor that will affect processing timeframes is if, under the current legislation, the licence type being applied for requires a Public Interest Assessment (PIA).
| Licence types NOT requiring a PIA | Licence types requiring a PIA |
|---|---|
| Small Bars Restaurants Wholesalers Producers Clubs and Club Restricted licences Approved Managers Some Special Facility licences | Tavern and Tavern Restricted Hotel and Hotel Restricted Liquor Stores Nightclubs Some Special Facility licences |
While PIA requirements generally extend processing timeframes, each application is unique. Some PIA applications progress smoothly, whereas complex non PIA applications may experience delays if additional information is required.
However, as a rule applications that are lodged with all required information and documents are able to be assessed much faster than those that are incomplete.
For more information, please also see Applying for a liquor licence.
Current report
LGIRS Liquor Licensing Performance Report - March Quarter 2026
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