Premises Licence

You will need to apply for a premise licence if you want to:

• Sell alcohol on your premises
• Serve late night refreshment on commercial premises between 23.00 and 05.00 hours
• Provide regulated entertainment.

Applicants must be 18 years or older.

Applications must be sent to the licensing authority for the area where the premises are located.

Summary of the regulations

• A summary of the regulation relating to this licence

To apply for the grant of a premises licence, you will need to complete an application form and pay the relevant fee

You will need to supply:

• a plan of the premises
• a form of consent from the proposed Designated Premises Supervisor
• an operating schedule

You will also need to advertise your application by the following:

• a public notice on the premises
• a notice published in a local newspaper

Unless you submit an electronic application, you must also provide a complete copy of your application to each of the responsible authorities.

Your licence will be granted unless representations from other persons or responsible authorities are made. In this case your application will be considered at a hearing. Other persons, includes any individual, body or business.

The licensing authority must grant the application, which can be subject to conditions, if no representations are received. A hearing must be held if any representations are made in respect of the application. If a hearing is held the licence can be granted or granted subject to additional conditions, licensable activities listed in the application can be excluded or the application can be rejected.

The licensing authority will serve a notice of its decision on the applicant, any person who has made relevant representations (representations that were not deemed frivolous or vexatious) and the chief of police.

How we evaluate your application

Applications must be sent to the licensing authority for the area where the premises are located.

Applications must be in a specific format and be accompanied by any required fee, an operating schedule, a plan of the premises and a form of consent from the premises supervisor (for applications where the sale of alcohol will be a licensable activity).

An operating schedule will include details of:

• the licensable activities 
• the times when the activities will take place 
• any other times when the premises will be open to the public 
• in the case of applicants who wish to have a limited licence, the period the licence is required for 
• information in respect of the premises supervisor 
• whether any alcohol that is to be sold is for consumption on or of the premises or both 
• the steps proposed to be taken to promote the licensing objectives 
• any other required information

Applicants will be required to advertise their application and to give notice of the application to any other person or responsible body, for example the local authority, chief police officer or fire and rescue authority.

The licensing authority must grant the application, which can be subject to conditions, if no representations are receive. A hearing must be held if any representations are made in respect of the application. If a hearing is held the licence can be granted or granted subject to additional conditions, licensable activities listed in the application can be excluded or the application can be rejected.

The licensing authority will serve a notice of its decision on the applicant, any person who has made relevant representations (representations that were not deemed frivolous or vexatious) and the chief of police.

Applications can also be made to vary or transfer a licence. A hearing may have to be heard if representations are made or conditions relating to a transfer are not met.

Applications can also be made to vary or transfer a licence. A hearing may have to be heard if representations are made or conditions relating to a transfer are not met.

Other applications that can be made are applications for an interim authority notice following the death, incapacity or insolvency of a licence holder or review applications.

How to apply

Visit the gov.uk link below to download and complete the application form. When you are on the gov.uk page, you need to follow the instructions to download the application form.

You'll need a debit or credit card to pay the fee.

• Application for a minor variation to a premises licence 
• Application for a premises licence 
• Application for need for a designated premises supervisor to be disapplied 
• Application to transfer premises licence 
• Application to vary a premises licence 
• Application to vary a premises licence to specify an individual as designated premises supervisor 
• Consent to be DPS 
• Consent to transfer 
• Interim Authority Notice 
• Notification of an interest in premises under section 178 
• Provisional Statement 
• Request to be removed as DPS

What to do if we refuse your application

An applicant will receive notice of the refusal of an application for a licence or variation of a licence from the local licensing authority.

If a local licensing authority refuses an application for grant or or a variation of a licence, the licence holder may appeal the decision. A licence holder can appeal against a decision to put conditions on a licence or to exclude any licensable activity. Appeals may also be made against the variation of any condition.

Appeals must be made to the local Magistrates' court within 21 days of the decision appealed.

Appeals against the decision of a review can be made. Appeals must be made to the local Magistrates' Court within 21 days of the decision appealed.

Other complaints

The chief police officer for the police area where the premises are located can apply to the licensing authority for a review of the licence if the premises are licensed to sell alcohol by retail and a senior officer has given a certificate that they are of the opinion that the premises are associated with either serious crime or disorder or both. A hearing will be held and the licence holder and other interested parties may make representations.

A chief police officer can give a notice to the licensing authority if they believe that the transfer of a licence to another could undermine crime prevention objectives. Such a notice must be given within 14 days of receiving notification of the application.

Other persons, which include any individual, body or business or a responsible authority may make representations in relation to a licence application or an application to review a licence. 

An individual, body or business or a responsible authority may also apply to the licensing authority to review the premises licence. A hearing will be held by the licensing authority.

View the review application and guidance here (Word document).

An individual body or business, or a responsible authority who made relevant representations may appeal against the granting of a licence or against any condition, variation, licensable activity or premises supervisor decisions.

Appeals are made to a Magistrates' court within 21 days of notice of the decision.