Apply for a personal alcohol licence

You need to get a personal alcohol licence if you:

• are designated as the premises supervisor (DPS) on a premises Licence for a premises where alcohol is to be sold
• want to sell alcohol under a premises licence or authorise others to sell alcohol under a premises licence
• if you want to use more than 5 Temporary Event Notices in each calendar year

You can only apply if you have not forfeited a personal licence in the last 5 years.

It costs £37 to apply for a licence.

Before you start, you should read our personal licence guidance notes.

You must be 18 or over to apply.

During you application you'll be asked to upload:

• a scan or photograph of the physical copy of your award for Personal Licence Holders (Level 2) certificate (we cannot accept a digitally issued certificate)
• a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check issued within the last month
• a copy of your proof of entitlement to work in the UK, such as a British or Irish passport or a right to work share code
• 2 certified passport photos (certified by a solicitor or professional individual). Complete and attach your photos to the form provided showing the front of the first photo and the back of the signed photo. You will be asked to upload this as part of the application

Ensure you have these documents available before you begin.

You’ll be asked to register or log in to your account.

You'll need to pay a statutory fee of £37 to apply for a licence.

Do not send cash or cheques, we'll contact you for payment once we have verified your application.

We'll issue your licence within a month of receiving your application. Your licence will not expire unless it is cancelled or revoked.

As part of your application, you must declare any unspent convictions for a relevant offence or foreign offence as set out in Licensing Act 2003.

If you apply with a current conviction, we must notify the police of your application. The police can submit their objection on crime and prevention grounds. If this happens, the licensing panel will hold a hearing to decide if we grant the licence.

If you're charged with a relevant offence after receiving your licence, you must:

• notify a court that you're a personal licence holder during your first appearance
• let us know by contacting the licensing team

Failure to do either of these is an offence subject to a level 2 penalty of £500.

Applicants and other parties may appeal a decision of the licensing committee.

Appeals must be lodged within 21 days of the date the applicant was informed of the committee’s decision at the local Magistrates Court.

If you need help making your application, contact the alcohol and entertainment licensing team.