What is a Premises licence?
- You will need a Premises licence to run any licensable activities or wish to sell alcohol at a premises. This is under the Licensing Act 2003.
Some activities between 8am and 11pm no longer need a licence, these include:
- live music
- theatre performances
- dance
- some indoor sports
- entertainment provided by or on behalf of a local authority, school or hospital.
We grant Premises licences to the named licence holder. If the licence includes the sale of alcohol, a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) must be specified. The DPS must also have a Personal Licence.
Licences have conditions. These include things like opening times and age ID policies.
You do not need to renew a Premises licence. You can find out how to make changes to your licence on our licence changes page.
We recommend that off licences become members of the Responsible Traders’ Scheme. This scheme is operated by the Trading Standards Service.
Fines and penalties
Breaching your licence or making false statements may result in a fine or sentence.
Designated premises supervisor (DPS)
Any premises where alcohol is sold under a Premises Licence must have a DPS. It is the role of the DPS to supervise the sale of alcohol.
The DPS can name others to sell alcohol under the authority of their own Personal licence. This is usually made in writing.
The DPS will not always be the Premises licence holder, although this may sometimes be the case.
The DPS should be the first point of contact for the premises at all times. Licensing authorities, police or fire services will contact the DPS for any issues.