Last updated 3 October 2026 — by Adrian Tan, SDM. Marketing guidance, not legal advice. Liquor licensing is administered by the Singapore Police Force; check your own licence conditions before you build a campaign around them.
Search for “alcohol advertising law Singapore” and you will not find one. There is no statute that sets out what a beer, wine or spirits advertisement may say, in the way the tobacco, moneylending or medical advertising regimes do. Marketing teams sometimes take that to mean the category is open.
It is not. The limits on liquor marketing in Singapore come from five places at once: the liquor licensing law, which treats an online offer to sell as “supply”; the online age-18 duties that took effect on 2 January 2024; the trading-hour and public-drinking rules that decide what a late-night delivery ad can promise; the advertising industry’s own code, which has a dedicated alcohol appendix; and the ad platforms, whose policies are the strictest of the lot. This guide works through each, then applies them to five campaigns bars, retailers and brands actually run.
The licence comes first: an online offer to sell is “supply”
The Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015 defines “liquor” as a beverage containing more than 0.5% ethanol by mass or volume (s 2). It defines “supply” widely: to sell, barter or exchange liquor, to “offer or agree to so sell”, or to serve, send, forward or deliver it in connection with a sale.
That “offer” limb is the point a marketer needs. A product page with a price and an add-to-cart button is an offer to sell. So is a WhatsApp catalogue or an Instagram shop listing. Supplying liquor without a licence is an offence under s 4(1), with a fine of up to $20,000, and for repeat offenders up to $20,000 and/or three months’ imprisonment (s 4(3)). Before any ad goes out, the question is whether the business taking the order holds the right licence.
Marketplaces were brought inside the regime from 2 January 2024. An exemption order (S 720/2023) exempts online services that merely carry other people’s sales from the licence requirement, but carves out “electronic commerce platforms” — platforms where the buyer buys, pays and confirms a delivery address. The Police confirm that such platforms “will require a licence to supply liquor”.
Section 7 adds a signage rule: an unlicensed person must not display any sign, writing, painting or other mark falsely implying that premises are licensed or that liquor is supplied there, with a fine of up to $10,000. It is written for physical premises; whether it extends to a pop-up’s social listing is untested, but the safe reading is that you do not advertise liquor at a venue that cannot lawfully supply it.
The online age-18 rules since January 2024
The minimum age is 18. Under the Liquor Licensing Regulations 2015, licensees must not supply liquor on licensed premises to anyone under 18 (reg 11(1)(b)), and anyone under 18 must not buy or attempt to buy liquor (reg 11(3)). Amendments in S 718/2023, in force from 2 January 2024, extended this to e-commerce:
| Regulation | Duty | Who it binds |
|---|---|---|
| 11(1A) | No supply to under-18s online or through a telecommunication service | Every licensee selling remotely |
| 11(1B) | Warn the buyer that buying under 18 is an offence, and state the penalty | Sellers selling direct online |
| 11(1C) | Do not sell through a marketplace you know, or ought to know, does not take reasonable steps to check buyers are 18+ and give the warning and penalty notice | Sellers using third-party marketplaces |
| 15 | Fine of up to $10,000 for breach | — |
Two practical consequences. First, the law requires a warning and penalty notice and, for platforms, “reasonable steps” to check age. It does not prescribe an age-gate design, so a click-through “I am over 18” pop-up is not something the regulation specifically blesses or bans; what matters is that the warning is given and the steps are reasonable. Second, reg 11(1C) puts a diligence duty on the seller about its marketplace. A brand choosing which marketplace to list on should check how that platform verifies age, and keep a record that it did.
For a campaign, the age rules also shape targeting. If your sales channel cannot lawfully sell to a 17-year-old, an ad that reaches 17-year-olds is driving traffic to a sale that cannot happen — which is exactly why every platform below imposes an 18+ floor. Our guide to age assurance and marketing in Singapore covers the wider online-safety direction of travel.
Trading hours, late-night delivery and what an ad can promise
Licence class decides when liquor may be supplied, and supplying outside trading hours is an offence under s 6, with a fine of up to $10,000.
| Licence class | What it covers | Standard hours (reg 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1A | Consumption on the premises | 6am to midnight |
| Class 1B | Consumption on the premises | 6am to 10pm |
| Class 3A / 3B | Retail, consumption elsewhere | 7am to 10.30pm |
| Class 4 | Wholesale | 7am to 10.30pm |
| Class 5 | Temporary licence | As licensed |
Extensions of trading hours are possible under reg 6, and since 1 March 2023 Class 1 and 2 licensees must display their trading hours and a warning about drinking outside them (reg 7A).
Public drinking and the Liquor Control Zones
Drinking in a public place is banned from 10.30pm to 7am (Restrictions on Consumption Regulations, reg 2; Act s 12, fine up to $1,000). Two areas, Geylang and Little India, have been Liquor Control Zones since 1 April 2015. Inside them, public drinking is also banned from 10.30pm Friday to 7am Monday and from 7pm on the eve of a public holiday, retail outlets close at 7pm on weekends and holidays, and the maximum penalties for licensing, public-drinking and drunkenness offences are 1.5 times the normal figure (s 16).
The delivery rule that decides your ad copy
The Police’s licensing guidance sets out how delivery works, and it is the most useful page in the regime for an online liquor marketer. Class 3A, 3B and 4 licensees, “including online liquor businesses”, may deliver after trading hours to non-public places: homes (but not void decks), private function rooms, private hotel or club rooms, and staff-only offices. Customers of an online business “can place their orders through the online service anytime”. Physical shops may only take orders during trading hours, although delivery can happen later. Deliveries to public places are limited to 7am to 10.30pm, and inside a Liquor Control Zone to 7am to 7pm on weekends, public holidays and their eves.
So “Order 24/7, delivered to your door” fits the guidance for a licensed online business. “Midnight delivery to the park” or “late-night drinks delivered to the beach” promises a delivery the guidance does not allow, to a place where drinking at that hour is itself an offence. The copy line is our reading of the Police guidance rather than a statutory test, but it is the reading a cautious licensee should adopt.
Happy hours, free-flow and lucky draws
There is no statutory rule on happy hours, discounts or price promotions in the Liquor Control Act or its regulations. A happy hour is limited in law only by the venue’s trading hours. The constraints on promotions come instead from the advertising code and the platforms:
- ASAS Appendix K6: advertisements must never encourage over-indulgence or excessive drinking. “Unlimited free-flow until you drop” is a K6 problem regardless of whether the price is legal.
- TikTok: globally prohibits offering alcohol as a prize, and “offers or incentives” that encourage drinking.
- Google: prohibits ads that encourage excessive drinking.
Lucky draws and contests are governed by the Gambling Control Act regime. A “trade promotion game or lottery” — run mainly to promote goods or services, with entry free or tied to buying the promoted goods — runs under a class licence from 1 February 2023, with no application needed. We found no Singapore rule specific to alcohol prizes, but TikTok will not let you advertise one, and our guide to lucky draw and contest rules covers the class-licence conditions.
The ASAS code: Appendix K
The Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (third edition, still the current download from ASAS) has a dedicated Appendix K, “Advertising for Alcoholic Drinks”. It is self-regulatory rather than statutory, but it is the standard media owners and ASAS apply, and the platforms’ own rules echo it.
| Clause | Rule | Creative it rules out |
|---|---|---|
| K1 | No children in alcohol ads, except where their presence is natural (for example, a family scene) and it is clear they are not drinking | Kids at the table with the bottle in focus |
| K2 | Not directed at young people or encouraging them to start drinking; anyone shown drinking “should be obviously over 18” | Campus-style creative; very young-looking models |
| K3 | No emphasis on stimulant, sedative or tranquillising effects | “Unwind instantly”; “the drink that knocks you out” |
| K4 | No suggestion the drink is mainly for intoxication, or that drinking is needed for social success or acceptance | “Get wasted”; “be the life of the party” |
| K5 | No unsafe settings: no drinking while driving, operating machinery, in water, at heights, or in activities needing concentration | Rooftop-edge shots; yacht diving; drinks in a car |
| K6 | Never encourage over-indulgence or excessive drinking | Bottomless or “drink till you drop” promotions |
Two things Appendix K does not require, despite common belief: a mandatory responsible-drinking message, and a specific “sexual success” clause (that wording comes from Google’s policy). Adding a responsible-drinking line is good practice, not a code requirement.
For creator content, ASAS’s Guidelines for Interactive Marketing Communication and Social Media require marketing to be identifiable as such and paid relationships disclosed (para 3.1), with disclosure early, clear and not hidden behind a hyperlink (para 3.5). Put together with K2, an influencer campaign for a spirits brand needs both a clear paid-partnership label and creators who are obviously adults — see our influencer and KOL marketing guide for the disclosure mechanics.
Broadcast: IMDA’s TV and radio code
IMDA’s Television and Radio Advertising and Sponsorship Code took effect on 1 September 2025, replacing the 2018 version. Its clause 5.12, “Alcoholic Drinks”, says advertisements for alcoholic drinks should not target underage audiences. That is the only alcohol clause we found; there is no alcohol watershed time in the current code. Footnote 1 says the code does not apply to OTT or video-on-demand services, so a streaming placement is governed by the platform’s own rules and the ASAS code rather than this one.
The platforms: the strictest rules in practice
For most liquor marketers the ad platforms are the binding constraint, because they can reject or remove the ad before any regulator sees it.
| Platform | Singapore position | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | Allowed; Singapore is on neither the banned nor the higher-age list | Comply with local law; do not target under-18s |
| Google Ads | Allowed location | No targeting or mainly appealing to under-age people; no “social or sexual success” claims; no excessive drinking; no drinking before activities needing sobriety; no minors or pregnant people drinking; ABV on the landing page; not available in some formats |
| TikTok | Allowed with conditions (Singapore entry shared with the Philippines) | 18+ restriction and disclaimers; alcoholic drinks and alcohol delivery services must work with a TikTok sales representative and provide registration documents; sponsorship and surrogate ads need an age-gated landing page; no alcohol accessories or drinking games; globally, no one under 25 or pregnant featured, and no alcohol as a prize |
TikTok’s “nobody under 25” rule is the one that catches campaigns built for other platforms. A creator who is 22 is fine for Meta and fine under ASAS K2, and unusable in a TikTok alcohol ad. Cast to the strictest platform you plan to run on. Our Meta ads for F&B guide covers the venue-side campaign setup.
Two adjacent rules worth knowing
Nutri-Grade does not apply. The Nutri-Grade definition excludes beverages containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume at 20°C, so alcoholic drinks need no Nutri-Grade mark and are outside its advertising prohibition. A low- or no-alcohol variant at or under that line is a different matter, and our food advertising claims guide covers what applies then.
Drink-driving is why K5 matters. Under Road Traffic Act s 67, a first drink-driving offence carries a fine of $2,000 to $10,000 and/or up to 12 months’ imprisonment, with disqualification for at least two years; a repeat offence carries $5,000 to $20,000 and up to two years. Creative that places a drink anywhere near a steering wheel is outside K5, and Google bans drinking before activities needing sobriety.
Five campaigns, checked
1. A bar’s happy-hour Instagram post
“Happy hour 5–8pm, $8 pints.” Legal: no statute limits the price, and 5–8pm is within a Class 1A venue’s hours. Fix only the creative: no K4 social-success angle, no K6 “unlimited” framing, and adults who look obviously over 18. Target 18+.
2. An online wine shop’s checkout
The checkout needs the reg 11(1B) warning that buying under 18 is an offence, with the penalty stated, and a reasonable age check. If the shop also lists on a marketplace, reg 11(1C) requires it to satisfy itself the marketplace checks age and gives the notice. Google additionally requires ABV on the landing page.
3. “24-hour delivery” for a spirits retailer
Fine for a licensed online business delivering to homes, per the Police guidance. Not fine if the creative shows a midnight beach party, which implies delivery and drinking in a public place after 10.30pm. Keep the visual indoors.
4. A “win a case of champagne” contest
The draw itself can run as a trade promotion under the class licence. The ad cannot run on TikTok, which prohibits alcohol as a prize. Run it on Meta to 18+, or change the prize to a non-alcoholic experience.
5. A whisky brand’s creator collaboration
Paid-partnership label up front (ASAS para 3.5); creators obviously adult (K2) and, for TikTok, at least 25; no driving, rooftop or pool settings (K5); TikTok placements through a sales representative with registration documents.
A liquor-campaign checklist
- Licence: the business taking the order holds the right licence class; marketplaces you list on are licensed.
- Age: 18+ targeting everywhere; checkout warning and penalty notice; reasonable age checks; marketplace diligence on record.
- Hours: promotions within trading hours; delivery promises match the non-public/public distinction; extra care in Geylang and Little India.
- Creative: Appendix K1–K6 — no children drinking, no youth appeal, no effects or intoxication angle, no social success, no unsafe settings, no excess.
- Casting: obviously adult; 25+ for TikTok.
- Disclosure: paid partnerships labelled early and clearly.
- Prizes: class-licence trade promotion; no alcohol prizes on TikTok.
- Landing page: ABV shown; age gate where the platform requires it.
Frequently asked questions
Is alcohol advertising legal in Singapore?
Yes. Singapore has no statute banning or specifically regulating alcohol advertising. The limits come from the liquor licensing law, the online age-18 duties in force since 2 January 2024, trading-hour and public-drinking rules, Appendix K of the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice, IMDA’s TV and radio code, and the ad platforms’ policies.
Do I need a liquor licence to advertise alcohol online?
You need a licence to supply liquor, and the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015 defines supply to include an offer to sell. An online listing with a price and a way to order is an offer to sell, so the business taking the order must hold the right licence. E-commerce platforms that handle the purchase, payment and delivery address also need a licence.
What must an online alcohol shop show at checkout?
Since 2 January 2024, regulation 11(1B) of the Liquor Licensing Regulations requires a seller selling directly online to warn the buyer that buying liquor under 18 is an offence and to state the penalty. Sellers must not supply to under-18s online, and must not sell through a marketplace that fails to take reasonable steps to check age.
Can I advertise late-night alcohol delivery in Singapore?
Police licensing guidance allows Class 3A, 3B and 4 licensees, including online businesses, to deliver after trading hours to non-public places such as homes, private function rooms and staff-only offices. Deliveries to public places are limited to 7am to 10.30pm, and earlier on weekends and holidays in the Liquor Control Zones, so ads should not promise late-night delivery to public places.
Can alcohol be advertised on TikTok in Singapore?
With conditions. TikTok’s Singapore requirements restrict alcohol ads to users aged 18 and above with disclaimers, require alcoholic drinks and delivery services to work with a TikTok sales representative and provide registration documents, and require age-gated landing pages for sponsorship ads. Globally, TikTok bars featuring anyone under 25 and offering alcohol as a prize.
Do alcohol ads need a responsible drinking message?
Not under Appendix K of the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice, which instead prohibits encouraging excessive drinking, appealing to young people, implying social success and showing unsafe settings. A responsible-drinking line is good practice, and some platforms require disclaimers.
The takeaway
Alcohol is one of the few regulated Singapore categories without its own advertising statute, and that makes it easy to underestimate. The working rules are spread across a licensing Act that treats an online offer as supply, age duties that reach the checkout and the marketplace you list on, delivery guidance that decides which late-night promises you can make, an industry code with six clear creative rules, and platform policies that are stricter than all of them. A campaign that clears TikTok’s 25+ casting rule, Appendix K and the checkout warning will clear almost everything else.
If you market a regulated food and drink category and want campaigns built with the compliance layer designed in, that is what our performance marketing team in Singapore does; see our client case studies. Start with our complete guide to performance marketing in Singapore, then digital marketing for F&B and the category with the opposite approach, tobacco and vape advertising.
