Personal licence - apply
A personal licence is required by anyone authorising the sale of alcohol from a licensed premises. Applicants must apply for a licence in the borough where they live.
You no longer need to renew your personal licence every 10 years and any expiry date shown on the licence can be disregarded.
After you apply
We will check the application to make sure all the required documents have been sent. If your application is correct and you do not have any relevant convictions or foreign offences to declare, the application will be processed and you will be sent your licence.
If any relevant convictions, foreign offences or civil immigration penalties have been declared, we will give notice to the police and Home Office (Immigration Enforcement).
These authorities have 14 days to make an objection to the application. If an objection is made, the application will usually be decided at a council Licensing Sub Committee hearing.
The licence is issued in two parts, the paper copy is usually sent out first, followed by the photo card.
We only send documents to the person named as the applicant to their given home address.
Personal licence holders are required to produce their licence on request by an authorised officer.
Licence holders must notify us of any change of name or address.
The personal licence is granted indefinitely and does not need to be renewed. However, it will lapse if the holder ceases to be entitled to work in the UK.
Right to appeal
You are entitled to appeal the decision if your application is refused.
If your application is granted despite a police or Home Office’s Secretary of State objection notice, then these parties are entitled to appeal against our decision.
Appeals must be made to the magistrates’ court within 21 days of receiving written notification of the outcome of the licensing decision.