In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Do you need a liquor licence to sell alcohol online?
- 02Which liquor licence class: 3A, 3B or 4
- 03Delivery hours for online liquor orders
- 04Age checks: the under-18 rules for online sales
- 05Setting up a Shopify store for liquor sales
- 06Liquor licence costs and set-up at a glance
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
You need an SPF liquor licence, usually Class 3A (all liquor) or Class 3B (beer only) for retail delivery, at S$110 a year. Your store must not sell to under-18s and must warn buyers that under-18 purchase is an offence and state the penalty.
Do you need a liquor licence to sell alcohol online?
Yes. SPF says a liquor licence is required to supply any liquor unless an exemption applies, and "supply" includes selling, offering to sell and delivering liquor in connection with a sale (SPF: Apply for Liquor Licence). Liquor means a drink with more than 0.5% alcohol. That covers wine, beer, spirits, sake, hard seltzers and most "craft" drinks.
Supplying liquor without a licence can lead to a fine of up to S$20,000, and for repeat offenders up to three months' jail as well. SPF also says it asks e-commerce platforms to take down listings from unlicensed sellers, so a marketplace listing is not a way around the licence.
If you also sell other regulated products, our overview of licences you may need to sell online in Singapore lists the other common permits.
Which liquor licence class: 3A, 3B or 4
SPF has eight licence classes. Online shops and delivery businesses normally need one of the off-premises classes below. Fees are from SPF's types of liquor licences and fees page, as of October 2026.
| Class | What it allows | Trading hours | Fee per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3A | Retail supply of all liquor for drinking elsewhere (deliveries, takeaway) | 7am to 10.30pm | S$110 |
| 3B | Retail supply of beer only for drinking elsewhere | 7am to 10.30pm | S$110 |
| 4 | Wholesale supply (to licensees, or 30 litres or more to anyone) | 7am to 10.30pm | S$110 |
| 1A / 1B | All liquor for drinking at your premises (bars, restaurants) | 6am to midnight / 10pm | S$880 / S$660 |
| 5 | Temporary licence for events, up to 30 days | As stated | From S$22 a day |
"Retail" means a supply of less than 30 litres. A restaurant with a Class 1 licence that wants to deliver bottles to homes will usually need a Class 3A licence as well, because Class 1 covers drinking on the premises. Each class is applied for separately on GoBusiness, and SPF says processing takes about three weeks if the documents are complete.
- ACRA business profile (or Registry of Societies certificate)
- NRIC or FIN of the contact person
- Land-use approval for the premises: an HDB supporting letter, or URA or SLA planning permission
Delivery hours for online liquor orders
This is the part most new sellers get wrong. SPF's rules for licence holders of an online business are:
- Orders: customers can place orders through your online store at any time.
- Deliveries to non-public places (homes, private function rooms in condos, hotel rooms, offices only staff can enter) may be made outside your licence's trading hours.
- Deliveries to public places (parks, void decks, beaches) only from 7am to 10.30pm daily.
- Inside the Geylang and Little India Liquor Control Zones, public-place deliveries stop at 7pm on weekends, public holidays and the eve of public holidays.
In practice, set your delivery slots in Shopify so late-night slots are only offered for residential and office addresses, and train drivers not to hand over at a void deck or park after 10.30pm. Common spaces such as void decks count as public places, not homes.
Age checks: the under-18 rules for online sales
From 2 January 2024, SPF amended the liquor licensing regulations to cover online and phone sales. If you sell through your own website, app, WhatsApp or phone, you must:
- not supply liquor to anyone younger than 18,
- warn the buyer that it is an offence for a person under 18 to buy liquor, and
- inform the buyer of the penalty for that offence.
If you sell through a third-party marketplace instead, you must not do so if you know, or ought reasonably to know, that the platform does not take reasonable steps to confirm buyers are 18 or older and show the same warning. A breach is an offence with a fine of up to S$10,000.
SPF does not prescribe a specific technology for age checks. A reasonable set-up for a small online shop is an age gate when the site loads, a required "I confirm I am 18 or older" tick box at cart or checkout, the warning text on product and checkout pages, and an ID check by the driver on handover when the recipient looks young. Record that the check is part of your delivery procedure.
Setting up a Shopify store for liquor sales
Shopify does not apply Singapore liquor rules for you. The steps below configure a standard Shopify store to follow them. Our guide to what a Shopify store costs in Singapore covers plans and app fees.
Add an age gate and warning text
Use your theme's age verification pop-up or an age verification app. Add a line such as "It is an offence for a person under 18 to buy liquor" with the penalty, as SPF requires the penalty to be stated. Put it on product pages and the cart, not only in the footer.
Require an 18+ confirmation at cart
Add a required tick box to the cart page (a theme customisation) so the order cannot proceed without it. Shopify saves it as a cart attribute on the order, which gives you a record.
Set delivery slots by address type
Use a delivery date and slot app to offer late slots only for residential or office deliveries, and block public-place addresses after 10.30pm.
Configure GST and prices
If you are GST-registered, show GST-inclusive prices and set up tax correctly. See our Shopify GST setup guide.
Check your payment provider
Payment providers restrict some product categories. Stripe, for example, lists alcohol as restricted or prohibited in some countries but not in its Singapore list (Stripe restricted businesses). Confirm with your provider before launch.
Brief your drivers
Write a one-page delivery rule: check ID if in doubt, never leave liquor with a minor, no public-place handovers outside 7am to 10.30pm.
Importing your own stock is a separate matter: SPF points importers to Singapore Customs for liquor import procedures, duty and GST.
Liquor licence costs and set-up at a glance
Government fees are low. Most of the cost of launching an online liquor shop is the store itself and stock. Licence fees below are from SPF as of October 2026.
- Class 3A liquor licence (all liquor, retail)Class 3B (beer only) is also S$110S$110 / year
- Trading hours extension (if needed)For extensions of 3 months or more; S$22 per hour for shorter onesS$4 per hour
- Licence amendment (e.g. company name)Premises changes need a new licenceS$22
- Shopify Store set-up by IT SortedOne-off; Shopify plan and apps billed by ShopifyS$1,890
Licence plus store build, first yearFrom S$2,000
Excludes Shopify plan, apps, stock, import duties and delivery costs.
Do it yourself or get help?
You must apply for the liquor licence yourself through GoBusiness with your Singpass or Corppass; nobody else can hold it for you. The store set-up is where help saves time: age gate, required 18+ tick box, warning text, address-based delivery slots and payments that accept alcohol.
Our Shopify Store package (S$1,890) builds the store with these controls in place, and Online Payment Setup (S$290) connects a payment provider that accepts liquor sales. This page is general information, not legal advice; check the latest licence conditions with SPF's Police Regulatory Department before you launch.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Selling, offering to sell or delivering liquor requires a liquor licence from the Singapore Police Force, unless an exemption applies. Liquor means drinks with more than 0.5 percent alcohol. For retail delivery you usually need a Class 3A licence for all liquor or Class 3B for beer only, each costing S$110 a year.
Licensed online businesses may deliver after trading hours to non-public places such as homes, offices that only staff can enter, private function rooms in condos and hotel rooms. Deliveries to public places such as parks and void decks are only allowed from 7am to 10.30pm, and earlier on weekends and public holidays in the Geylang and Little India zones.
You must not supply liquor to anyone under 18, and when selling through your own website or by phone you must warn buyers that it is an offence for under-18s to buy liquor and state the penalty. SPF does not prescribe a tool. An age gate, a required 18-plus confirmation at checkout and ID checks on delivery are common.
No. Every seller supplying liquor needs a licence. SPF says platforms that let buyers pay online and confirm a delivery address also require a licence, and it asks platforms to take down listings from unlicensed sellers. Sellers must also avoid platforms that do not take reasonable steps to confirm buyers are at least 18.
SPF says processing takes about three weeks from receipt of a complete application. You apply on GoBusiness with Singpass or Corppass and need your ACRA profile, the contact person's NRIC or FIN, and land-use approval for the premises from HDB, URA or SLA. Incomplete applications are rejected, so prepare the documents first.