Personal Licences

• It is granted by the licensing authority to an individual;
• It has effect for an initial period of ten years beginning with the date it was granted;
• It may also be renewed for further periods of ten years at a time; and
• It ceases to have effect when it is surrendered, suspended or revoked.

Regulation Summary	The licensing of alcohol, certain types of entertainment and late night refreshment is now the responsibility of the local authority and is governed by the Licensing Act 2003 (external link)
Apply for a Licence	The following forms must be submitted together when making an application for a personal licence. Downloadable application for a Personal Licence (.pdf, 300KB) Disclosure of Convictions and Declaration (.pdf, 35KB) Unfortunately the facility to apply for this type of licence online is not available.
Guidance	How to apply for a Personal Licence (.pdf, KB)
Public Register	All licensing authorities must keep a public register containing a record of personal licences they issue.
Application Process	The application procedure is:- if the applicant is ordinarily resident in the area of a licensing authority, the application for grant must be made to that authority; in any other cases it can be made to any other licensing authority; application for renewal of a personal licence must be made to the relevant licensing authority; In determining an application for grant of a personal licence the Act provides that:- the authority must grant the licence if it appears to it that:- the applicant is aged 18 years or over; he possesses a licensing qualification; no personal licence held by him has been forfeited in the period of 5 years ending with the day the application is made; he has not been convicted of any ‘relevant offence’ or any ‘foreign offence’. If an applicant has been convicted of a 'relevant offence' or 'foreign offence' as defined and the Chief Officer of Police is satisfied that granting the licence would undermine the crime prevention objective he must object to the licensing authority within 14 days. If an objection is received the Council must hold a hearing unless the applicant, the Chief Officer of Police and the Council agree that it is not necessary. If the Council considers it necessary for the promotion of the crime prevention objective it must refuse the application.
Will Tacit Consent Apply?	No. It is in the public interest that we must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from the Trading Standards & Licensing Section within a reasonable period, please contact us using the contact details below.
Duties of a Personal Licence Holder	The holder of a personal licence must comply with the duties of a personal licence holder (.pdf, KB) as set down by the Act.  Failure to comply with the law is an offence.
Change of Circumstances	Any change of circumstances in relation to an existing licence must be notified to the relevant local authority. This includes:- a change of name and / or address;  a conviction for a relevant offence; surrendering a licence; requesting a copy licence following loss / theft. There is a £10.50 fee due in respect of any change that requires a new licence to be issued. All the above requests must be made in writing to the address shown below.
Failed Application	If the applicant or the police are aggrieved by the decision of the Licensing Sub-Committee either party may appeal to the Magistrates Court within 21 days of receipt of the determination notice.

* This page was last reviewed on 13 February 2012 *

Contact Details