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If you want to sell or supply alcohol in England or Wales, you will require a licence or authorisation from the licensing authority, which is typically the local council. This requirement for a licence is true for businesses, organisations and individuals.
Businesses and organisations that require alcohol licences include but are not necessarily limited to:
Whilst the phrase pub licence might be relatively common, a ‘pub licence’ does not exist. However, pubs will require both a premises licence and have a designated premises supervisor who holds a personal licence. Your pub will be required to publicly display the premises licence and the personal licence so that customers can easily see them/
Whilst the phrase pub licence might be relatively common, a ‘pub licence’ does not exist.
Instead, you will need a premises licence and a designated premises supervisor with a personal licence.
There are multiple types of licences that might be required, depending on your circumstances, these being:
The premises licence authorises the use of a premises for the licensable activities as defined in section 1 of the 2003 Licensing Act. There are four licensable activities covered within Section 1, these being:
The designated premises supervisor for a pub must hold a personal licence. They will act as the person specified on the premises licence, and will be responsible for authorising the supply of alcohol within the pub. This designated person must be easily and readily identifiable at any stage. This person will need to be the one with the day to day responsibility for the running of the premises.
Operating schedules are a key requirement of the so-called ‘pub licence’, the premises licence. When applying for a premises licence, you will be required to provide details of when and which licensable activities are planned to take place on the premises, as well as other times that members of the public will be present on the premises. When stating who the designated premises supervisor is, you will also need to state what steps the licence holder will take to ensure that the licensing objectives are promoted and adhered to.
As previously stated, there is no such ‘pub licence’, however there are certain licences you will require to run a pub, namely the premises licence and a designated premises supervisor to have a personal licence.
Once you have a personal licence, you will be able to act as the valid Designed Premises Supervisor for any venue with a premises licence. To apply for a personal licence, you will be required to hold a relevant licensing qualification. A full list of accredited qualifications for personal licences to sell alcohol can be found on the Gov website.
In addition to the relevant qualification, you will be required to demonstrate that you understand the responsibility required to sell alcohol, such as preventing public nuisance, protecting children and preventing crime and disorder. As part of the application, you will need to declare any name or address changes, and any convictions for relevant offences such as crime, drugs or sex offences. Applying for a personal licence will cost £37.
To apply for a premises licence, you will need a designated premises supervisor. You will also need to provide a detailed plan of the premises, and a schedule of when licensed activities will take place. To apply for a premises licence, you will need to be over the age of 18 and prove that you are eligible to live and work in the UK. Your premises licence will remain valid unless revoked or otherwise specified.
The cost of applying for a premises licence will vary depending on the type of premises, but ranges between £100 and £1,905. There is also a yearly fee.
When searching for pubs for lease or sale it is important to check if a premises licence is current and active. If the licence is active, you can apply for a licence transfer which might also involve a change in designated premises supervisor. If a pub that you have purchased does not have an active licence, you will in most circumstances be required to apply for a new licence.
Live Music is not defined as a licensable activity if the following conditions are met:
There are many licences and regulations that you will need to apply and adhere to run a pub. If you are looking to start running a pub, our team of leisure property experts are on hand to help.
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