Liquor licensees and organised crime

Liquor licensees and staff have an important role in helping keep licensed venues safe.

Queensland law prohibits people from entering or remaining in licensed premises while wearing or carrying certain items associated with an identified organisation. People who do so can face significant penalties, including higher penalties for repeat offences. They must also leave the premises if required and must not resist an authorised person removing them.

A maximum penalty of $17,270 applies if a prohibited person refuses to leave when required or resists an authorised person removing them from the premises.

As a licensee, you should know:

  • which organisations are identified under Queensland liquor laws
  • what clothing, jewellery and other items are prohibited
  • what reasonable steps you and your staff should take if someone is wearing or carrying a prohibited item
  • what to do if you are concerned about your safety.

List of identified organisations

These are the current identified organisations. View the logos of declared identified organisations to help you and your staff know what to look out for.

Bandidos
Black Uhlans
Coffin Cheaters
Comancheros
Finks
Fourth Reich
Gladiators
Gypsy Jokers

Hells Angels
Highway 61
Iron Horsemen
Life and Death
Lone Wolf
Mobshitters
Mongols
Mongrel Mob

Muslim Brotherhood Movement
Nomads
Notorious
Odins Warriors
Outcasts
Outlaws
Phoenix
Raiders

Rebels
Red Devils
Red, White and Blue
Renegades
Satudarah
Scorpions

Prohibited items

A person must not enter or remain in a licensed venue while wearing or carrying a prohibited item, including an item of clothing or jewellery or an accessory that displays:

  • the name of an identified organisation
  • the club patch, insignia or logo of an identified organisation, sometimes referred to as 'colours'
  • any image, symbol, abbreviation, acronym or other form of writing that indicates membership of, or an association with, an identified organisation, including
    • the symbol '1%'
    • the symbol '1%er'
    • any other image, symbol, abbreviation, acronym or other form of writing prescribed under the Liquor Act 1992.

What you need to do

If you or your staff know that a person is wearing or carrying a prohibited item, you must take reasonable steps to:

  • refuse the person entry
  • ask them to leave if they are already inside
  • remove or exclude them from the premises where appropriate.

The maximum penalty for a licensee or staff member for knowingly allowing a prohibited person wearing or carrying prohibited items to enter or remain on the premises is $17,270.

However, you do not commit an offence and will not be fined if you:

  • took reasonable steps to refuse, exclude or remove the person
  • or
  • if you reasonably believe it was not safe or practical to refuse, exclude or remove the person.

Put safety first

Do not put yourself or your staff at risk.

If you believe it is unsafe or impractical to approach or remove a person, contact the Queensland Police Service (QPS) immediately for assistance.

In an emergency or if there is an immediate threat to safety, call Triple Zero (000).

Prepare your staff

Make sure staff know how to recognise prohibited items and understand what to do if someone wearing or carrying one enters your premises.

Your procedures should cover:

  • how to identify prohibited items
  • when and how to refuse entry or ask someone to leave
  • when staff should not approach a person because of safety concerns
  • when to contact QPS
  • how incidents should be reported or recorded at your venue.

Read more about staff training.

Signage for licensed premises

You can display signage at your entrance advising patrons that they must not wear or carry a prohibited item into your premises and entry will be refused.

You can also set your own venue dress codes. Make sure your reasons for refusing entry or service comply with anti-discriminatory laws.

Liquor licence applications and suitability

Holding a liquor licence, permit or approval involves ongoing suitability requirements.

When assessing a person's suitability, the Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming can consider relevant serious and organised crime offences and the terms of a control order or recognised corresponding control order.

A liquor licence, permit or approval cannot be refused or cancelled solely because an organisation or entity is alleged to be an identified organisation, or a person is ‘alleged’ to be a participant in one.

People adversely affected by certain licensing decisions also have rights to reasons for the decision and may have review or appeal rights.

Police notifications about licence holders

The Commissioner of Police may notify the Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming if a licensee, permittee or approval holder is charged with an offence.

This allows the Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming to monitor relevant matters, including whether the person has been charged with, and later convicted of, an offence.

Also consider...