Request a refund of licence or approval fees
You may be eligible for a refund of licence or approval fees in certain circumstances.
Refunds can only be issued to the person who made the original payment.
We assess applications on a case-by-case basis. If we decline your refund request, we will advise you in writing and outline our decision.
When you may be eligible for a refund
Annual fees
You may receive a partial refund of annual fees if your licence or approval is no longer needed because:
- a business has closed
- a business has changed ownership
- a duplicate or overpayment has been made.
We calculate the refund amount based on the number of full months remaining in the licensing period.
Daily fees
If you have paid for a daily approval and cancel it before the approval period ends, you may receive a refund for the days you did not use.
We calculate the refund amount from the date you cancel the approval to the end of the approved period. This excludes the day the cancellation is requested.
Daily fees only apply to the following Commercial use of public land and roads activities:
- Events, filming and camping
- Jetty landing
- Jetty mooring
Application fees
Food business licences
You may receive a refund of food business licence application fees if you:
- withdraw your application
- lodge an application by mistake.
The refund amount depends on how far the assessment has progressed when you withdraw the application.
Local law approvals
You may receive a refund of local law approval fees if you lodged an application in error or withdraw it before assessment starts.
Once the assessment starts, the application fee is non-refundable.
Bonds
You may be eligible for a bond refund once the final inspection is complete and all conditions are met.
How we process your refund
Where possible, we will reverse the original payment to the bank account it was made from.
Otherwise, we will pay your refund by electronic funds transfer (EFT) to your nominated bank account.
Processing may take up to 30 days.
How to request a refund
Download and complete the Licence/approval refund request form.
Submit it, with proof of payment:
Proof of payment
We will not process refunds unless we receive proof of payment. We accept:
- a copy of the receipt issued
- a copy of a bank statement showing the transaction and account details (BSB, account number and account name).
If you are requesting a refund because of a duplicate payment, you must provide copies of both payment transactions.