Licensees must notify Council's Alcohol Licensing Team and the Police of any appointments, cancellations and terminations of duty managers within 48 hours. They must also keep records of all duty managers at their premises for at least two years.

Notify Council of a duty manager appointment or change

No one under the age of 20 can be appointed as a duty manager of licensed premises.

A licensee must give notice of the appointment, cancellation or termination of any permanent, temporary or acting duty manager, within 48 hours of the appointment to both the Council’s Alcohol Licensing Team and the Police.

The name of the duty manager must always be displayed on the licenced premises when they are working as the duty manager. The duty manager is responsible for compliance with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, the conditions of the licence and the conduct of the premises.

Permanent Duty Managers

If you have just employed a person who already has their manager’s certificate or have a staff member who just gained their managers certificate and you wish to use then regularly or on a permanent basis as a duty manager then you need to complete the Permanent Certificate Holding Manager section of the form.

If you end the employment of a certified manager you must complete the Termination / Cancellation of Existing Manager Appointment section of the form.

Temporary Managers

If you want to appoint a staff member as a permanent duty manager, but currently who does not hold a managers certificate, you must complete the Temporary Managers section of the form. They must then lodge an application for a manager’s certificate within two working days with the Council’s Alcohol Licensing Team.

If they do not lodge an application their appointment as a temporary manager is null and void. Once they are issued with their new general managers certificate their Duty Manager appointment can then be made a permanent appointment. 

There is no need to notify the two organisations if the temporary manager will be in the role for less than 48 hours.

Acting Managers

You can appoint an acting manager when the manager is ill, absent or on annual leave for a period of no more than three weeks at any one time and for a maximum accumulated period of six weeks within a 12 month period.

This person does not need to apply for a manager’s certificate. 

There is no need to notify the two organisations if the acting manager will be in the role for less than 48 hours.

User Guide for Duty Manager Form

We've created a User Guide [PDF, 135 KB] to assist you with any questions you might have about information to include when completing and submitting a Duty Manager Form. If you still have questions after reading this guide email managerchange@ccc.govt.nz

As the Licensee you must keep a record of information for each manager (full managers, acting managers, and temporary managers) at your premises.

The record must be kept by you, as the licensee, for at least two years (under sections 24-26 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Regulations 2013(external link)). We suggest you retain a copy of the Duty Manager appointment/cancellation forms you send to us and file them in your premises folder on site.

This is in addition to any records the DLC or Police keep of any notice of duty manager appointment or change you send into the Alcohol Licensing Team and the Police (under section 231 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012(external link)).

The Licensing Inspector or the Police can ask to see the record of managers at any time. To assist with this we suggest you keep the record as a log book.

The following information must be recorded for every manager at your premises

Type of manager records Information that must be recorded

Full Manager Records
  • Full name
  • Date of birth, and sex
  • Manager's Certificate number and expiry date
  • Details of appointment/cancellation/termination
    • Date of appointment at premises
    • Date of termination
    • Date of notification of appointment to Council
    • Date of notification of appointment to the Police

Acting Manager Records

(including those appointed to be in the role for less than 48 hours)

  • Full name
  • Date of birth, and sex
  • If one held, the Manager's Certificate number and expiry date
  • Details of appointment and ending of acting role
    • Each date of appointment at premises
    • Date each acting appointment ended
    • Date of notification of appointment (if for more than 48 hours) to Council
    • Date of notification of appointment (if for more than 48 hours) to the Police
  • Details of Manager being replaced by acting appointment
    • Full name
    • Reasons for manager’s absence

Temporary Manager Records
  • Full name
  • Date of birth, and sex
  • Date application made for Manager's Certificate
  • Details of appointment/cancellation/termination
    • Each date of appointment at premises
    • Date each temporary appointment ended
    • Date of notification of appointment (if for more than 48 hours) to Council
    • Date of notification of appointment (if for more than 48 hours) to the Police
  • Details of Manager being replaced by temporary appointment
    • Reason for appointment as Temporary Manager
    • If reason was because of the dismissal or resignation of another manager
      • Give that managers full name