Premises licence: everything you need to apply
Written by Sam Allcock · Last updated 23 August 2026 · Facts checked against GOV.UK guidance on the date above
A premises licence lets you sell alcohol, provide late-night refreshment, or put on regulated entertainment such as live music or film screenings from a specific venue.
The statutory application fee is banded by your premises' rateable value, from £100 up to £1,905 (GOV.UK, alcohol licensing fee levels, checked 23 August 2026), and it's issued by your local council under the Licensing Act 2003 - not by GOV.UK centrally.
This guide walks through what a premises licence actually covers, who applies, what you need before you start, the 28-day representation period, what happens if someone objects, and the real fee bands - all sourced from GOV.UK's own alcohol licensing guidance.
This is general information, not legal advice. For anything specific to your premises or application, contact your council's licensing team or a licensing solicitor. If you're not sure a premises licence is the right route at all, our alcohol licences hub explains how it compares with a personal licence or a one-off Temporary Event Notice.
What is a premises licence?
A premises licence is the permission your local council grants for licensable activities at a specific address, rather than to a person.
It's issued under the Licensing Act 2003 by the council covering the area the premises sits in, and it stays attached to that address even if the business running it changes hands.
It's separate from a personal licence, which authorises an individual to sell alcohol and is what your Designated Premises Supervisor must hold (more on this below).
What does a premises licence actually authorise?
A premises licence can cover up to three separate licensable activities, and you only pay one application fee whichever combination you need.
| Licensable activity | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Sale of alcohol | Retail sale of alcohol, for consumption either on the premises or off it. |
| Late-night refreshment | Selling hot food or hot drink to the public between 11pm and 5am. |
| Regulated entertainment | Things like live or recorded music, dance performances, film screenings, or theatrical performances. |
You state which of these you actually need on your operating schedule when you apply, so you don't have to apply for all three if your business only needs one - a shop selling alcohol off the premises doesn't need the entertainment strand, for example.
Who needs to apply, and who is the Designated Premises Supervisor?
Anyone wanting to run licensable activities from a venue applies for the premises licence, and must also name a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) as part of that application.
You must be 18 or over to apply for a premises licence.
The DPS is the named point of contact for the police and the council, and carries day-to-day responsibility for how the premises is run - it's often the manager, but it can be the owner.
Because the DPS must already hold their own personal alcohol licence, it's worth sorting that first if you don't already have one - see our personal licence guide for what's involved.
What you need before you apply
You need an operating schedule, a plan of the premises, and your named DPS's written consent before you submit.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Operating schedule | A description of the licensable activities you want and the hours you want to carry them out. |
| Plan of the premises | A scale plan showing the areas of the building or site covered by the licence. |
| DPS consent | Written consent from the personal-licence holder you're naming as Designated Premises Supervisor. |
| The correct fee | The banded application fee for your premises' rateable value - see "What does a premises licence cost," below. |
How to apply for a premises licence, step by step
You apply to your local council, not to GOV.UK directly, and the process runs over several weeks because of the statutory 28-day representation period.
- Confirm which licensable activities you need - sale of alcohol, late-night refreshment, regulated entertainment, or a combination.
- Prepare your operating schedule and a plan of the premises.
- Arrange your Designated Premises Supervisor and get their written consent - see our personal licence guide if they don't already hold one.
- Submit your application, plan and operating schedule to your local council, together with the correct banded fee.
- Display the public notice at or on the premises for 28 consecutive days from the day after you submit.
- Sit out the 28-day representation period, during which responsible authorities and the public can comment on your application.
- If no relevant representations are made, the council must grant your licence in line with your operating schedule; if there are representations, your application goes to a hearing.
Advertising your application and the 28-day representation period
You must publicly display a notice about your application at or on the premises for 28 consecutive days, starting the day after you submit it.
GOV.UK confirms the notice has to stay up "for 28 days from the day after it was submitted" (GOV.UK, find-licences: premises licence, checked 23 August 2026).
Many councils also expect a notice in a local newspaper covering the area, though exact local requirements can vary - check with your council's licensing team before you submit, rather than assuming.
It's during this same period that responsible authorities - the police, fire service, environmental health, and others - and any interested party, such as a nearby resident or business, can lodge a formal representation about your application.
What happens if someone objects to my application?
If a relevant representation is made, the council must hold a hearing before deciding your application, rather than granting it automatically.
GOV.UK's alcohol licensing guidance is clear that "the licensing authority must hold a hearing to consider" any representations judged relevant to the licensing objectives (GOV.UK, alcohol licensing, last updated 8 August 2025).
This hearing is normally conducted by the council's licensing sub-committee, which can grant the licence as applied for, grant it with modified conditions, reject specific activities, or refuse the application outright.
If no relevant representations are made within the 28 days, the council must grant your licence in line with what you applied for, without needing a hearing at all.
What does a premises licence cost?
The statutory application fee is set on a banded scale tied to your premises' rateable value, and ranges from £100 to £1,905, with an annual fee once the licence is granted.
| Band | Rateable value | New application fee | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £4,300 | £100 | £70 |
| B | £4,301–£33,000 | £190 | £180 |
| C | £33,001–£87,000 | £315 | £295 |
| D | £87,001–£125,000 | £450 (£900*) | £320 (£640*) |
| E | £125,001+ | £635 (£1,905*) | £350 (£1,050*) |
*The higher fee in bands D and E applies only to premises used "exclusively or primarily for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises" - broadly, pubs, bars and nightclubs rather than restaurants or shops (GOV.UK, alcohol licensing fee levels).
Properties without their own rateable value are placed in the lowest band, A.
Most premises licences run indefinitely once granted rather than expiring, but you pay the annual fee for as long as you hold the licence.
You don't have to use our service - most applicants apply directly to their council for the statutory fee alone. The free official route on GOV.UK →
✓ Fee bands verified against GOV.UK, 23 August 2026
The band figures above were published by GOV.UK on 25 April 2012 and remained the current statutory scale when checked on 23 August 2026; on top of them, many applicants also budget for a local newspaper notice and, if a hearing happens, possibly licensing-solicitor time, which sit outside the council's own fee.
Where our optional help fits
We don't replace the council or reduce the statutory fee - our optional service is a paid check of your operating schedule, plan and paperwork before you submit, to reduce the risk of a rejected application or a representation that could have been avoided.
Most people are entirely capable of applying to their council directly for the statutory fee alone, and that's always the free official route linked above.
If you'd rather have someone experienced check it first, or you're short on time, that's what our optional £249 fee covers - see how it works - and it's shown separately from the statutory fee at every stage, never bundled in.
If your event is a one-off rather than an ongoing venue, a full premises licence usually isn't the right tool at all - our Temporary Event Notice guide covers the lighter-weight route for single events.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a premises licence to sell alcohol from a shop, not just a pub?
Yes - a premises licence is required to sell alcohol from any specific venue, including a shop, an off-licence or a one-off retail unit, not only pubs, bars and entertainment venues.
How much does a premises licence cost?
The statutory application fee is banded by your premises' rateable value and ranges from £100 to £1,905, plus an annual fee of £70 to £350 once the licence is granted.
What is a Designated Premises Supervisor?
The DPS is the personal-licence holder named on your premises licence as the day-to-day point of contact for the police and council - every premises licence for the sale of alcohol needs one.
How long does the representation period last?
You must display a public notice at or on the premises for 28 consecutive days from the day after you submit your application, and this is the window in which responsible authorities and the public can object.
What happens if someone objects to my application?
If a relevant representation is made, the council must hold a hearing, usually before its licensing sub-committee, which can grant, grant with conditions, reject specific activities, or refuse the application.
Does a premises licence expire?
No - most premises licences have an unlimited duration once granted, but you must pay an annual fee to your council for as long as you hold it.
apply for licence is an independent guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to GOV.UK, your local council, the police or any government body. This page is general information, not legal advice - for anything specific to your premises or application, including a refusal or a hearing, contact your council's licensing team or a licensing solicitor.