Alcohol licensing, applying and fees

Alcohol licensing

Individuals, businesses and organisations providing licensable activities, such as selling or supplying alcohol, regulated entertainment, or  late night refreshment, must have a licence or other authorisation under the Licensing Act 2003. The Home Office oversees the law and policy governing this area.

For information on the different types of licences available, the fees payable and guidance about how to apply visit www.gov.uk.

As the application process can be complicated we have produced the following guidance to help you:

• Guide for applicants
• Statement of licensing policy

The Home Office also issues its own guidance.

Apply for a licence

The quickest and easiest way to apply and pay for the following licences is online at gov.uk. The Home Office automatically sends us your completed application and we will share it with the police and other responsible authorities. Apply online for:

Premises licences

A premises licence is a permanent licence granted for a specific location, that authorises the holder to carry on any or all of the following licensable activities:

• The sale of alcohol.
• The provision of regulated entertainment (including plays, films, indoor sports, music and dancing). 
• The sale of late-night refreshment (hot food and drink supplied between 11pm and 5am).
• Premises licences can also be used to licence one-off events at which more than 500 people are expected to attend. For smaller one-off time limited events, a Temporary Event Notice may be more appropriate.
• Application for a premises licence
• Make annual payment for a premises licence
• Application to vary a premises licence
• Application for a minor variation to a premises licence
• Provisional statement
• Application to transfer premises licence
• Consent to transfer
• Notification of an interest in premises under section 178
• Premises licence interim authority notice
• Notification of change of name or address

Designated premises supervisor

• Vary a premises licence to specify an individual as a Designated Premises Supervisor
• Consent to be designated as a Designated Premises Supervisor
• Request to be removed as a Designated Premises Supervisor
• Notification of change of name or address
• Need for a Designated Premises Supervisor to be dis-applied (only relevant to community premises)

Club premises certificates

• New club premises certificate
• Make annual payment for a premises licence
• Variation to a club premises certificate
• Minor variation to a club premises certificate
• Notification of change of details or club rules
• Notification of change of name or address

Advertising your application

• Guide for advertising your application
• Blue notice
• Blue notice - club certificate

Personal licence

A personal licence allows an individual to authorise the sale or supply of alcohol. All premises with a premises licence need at least one personal licence holder where one of their activities is the sale or supply of alcohol. One personal licence holder will need to be the designated premise's supervisor (DPS).

You do not need a personal licence to sell alcohol under a temporary events notice.

Apply for a personal licence. 

Permitted temporary activity

You need a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) if you want to carry out a licensable activity on unlicensed premises in England or Wales.
Licensable activity includes:

• Selling alcohol.
• Serving alcohol to members of a private club.
• Providing entertainment, such as music, dancing or indoor sporting events.
• Serving hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am.
• The process of applying is known as serving a Temporary Event Notice.
• Temporary event notice

Regulated entertainment

For information about whether you need a licence for certain types of regulated entertainment visit www.gov.uk.

Alcohol licensing fees

Fees for licences are set nationally and details can be found on www.gov.uk. They will vary dependent on the national non-domestic rateable value of the premises. You can check your rateable value on the Valuation Office Agency website.

Other information

• Operators of premises need to register your business at least 28 days before taking over control of licensed premises.
• Usually if copyrighted music is being played in public, a licence is required from the PRS for Music and the PPL. These are independent to the premises licences issued by us.