If you are intending to sell alcohol or hot food and drink between 11pm-5am you will need a premises licence. Regardless of whether you are a commercial business or a charity you will still need a licence. A premises licence is needed if you are providing various types of entertainment; these will include showing a film, playing live or recorded music, theatre and dance. There are however a number of exemptions where you will not need a licence; these would include educational or promotional films, films that are part of an exhibition in a museum or incidental music.

Experience has shown that you are always best making enquiries with the Licensing Authority to check whether you need a Premises Licence. Other things to think about would be the need to appoint a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) when you apply for a licence if you are intending to sell alcohol. A DPS must also have a personal licence to sell alcohol.



SL Consultants provides a comprehensive service for premises owners who need a premises licence or wish to amend an existing licence. Liaising with the Licensing Authority is always a good move and helps to smooth out any problems later on down the line. Premises licences are generally granted for the lifetime of the business and there is an annual fee to pay the Licensing Authority to maintain the licence.