A personal licence authorises an individual to supply alcohol, or to authorise the supply of alcohol, in accordance with a premises licence. These licences are portable between different premises in England and Wales.
A personal licence:
- Is granted to an individual;
- Has effect indefinitely; and
- Ceases to have effect when lapsed, expired, surrendered, suspended or revoked.
Application Process
All applications for personal licences should be made to the authority in which you are ordinarily resident.
Before applying, please ensure you have read the guidance for new applicants.
The following supporting documents must be submitted with every application. Failure to do so will result in the application being returned, and any fee paid refunded.
- Two Passport Style Photographs (one of which is endorsed)
- A Relevant Licensing Qualification Certificate
- A Criminal Record Certificate (i.e. DBS*)
(Please note that the date of issue on this document cannot be more than one calendar month when submitted)
- A completed Disclosure of Criminal Convictions and Declaration Form
- Proof of Entitlement to Work in the UK
- Payment of £37.00 .
You can obtain a Criminal Record Certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Payment should be made online and the payment date and reference quoted with the application when submitted.
This application can be emailed to licensing@wigan.gov.uk or alternatively can be submitted via post and sent to: Licensing Team, PO Box 100, Wigan, WN1 3DS.
How long will my application take?
We aim to determine applications within 21 days from receipt of a completed application, including all supporting documents and payment.
In determining an application for a personal licence the Act states that we must grant the licence if it appears to us that the applicant is:
- 18 years-old or over
- Possess a relevant licensing qualification
- Has not been convicted of any relevant or foreign offence; and
- No personal licence has ever been forfeited in a period of five years ending with the date an application is made.
If an applicant has been convicted of a relevant or foreign offence and the Chief Officer of Police is satisfied that granting the licence would undermine the crime prevention objective, he must send us an objection within 14 days. We must then hold a hearing unless it is deemed unnecessary by us, the Chief Officer of Police and the applicant or their agent.
If it is necessary for the promotion of the crime prevention objective we must refuse your application.
If relevant objections are received from the Chief Officer of Police the application cannot be determined within the above timescale, as the application will be referred to the Council's Licensing Sub-Committee for determination.
Renewal Applications
The Government has now removed the requirement for personal licence holders to renew their licence every 10 years. The Deregulation Bill (external link) now known as the Deregulation Act 2015 received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015, with the requirement to renew a personal licence being formally removed from 1st April 2015.
Will Tacit Consent apply?
No. It is in the public interest that we must process your application before we can grant it. Please contact us if you have not heard from us within 21 days.
Failed Application
If an applicant or the police are aggrieved by our decision, either party can appeal to the Magistrates’ Court within 21 days receipt of the determination notice.
Duties of a Personal Licence Holder
The holder of a personal licence must comply with the duties of a personal licence holder as set down by the Act, and failure to comply is an offence.
Change of Circumstances
You must let us know of any change in circumstances. This includes:
- A change of name and / or address
- Any conviction for a relevant or foreign offence
- If you wish to surrender a licence
- If you require a duplicate copy of a licence following loss / theft.
There is a fee of £10.50 for any change that requires a new licence to be issued. All the above requests must be made in writing. You can email licensing@wigan.gov.uk or alternatively submit a letter via post to: Licensing Team, PO Box 100, Wigan, WN1 3DS.
Payment should be made online via the above link, and the payment date and reference quoted with any correspondence that is submitted.
Public Register
We are legally required to keep a public register. If you wish to check if someone is a personal licence holder please email licensing@wigan.gov.uk