Personal licences

A personal licence allows the holder to authorise the sale or supply of alcohol on licensed premises. You need a Personal Licence if:

You want to be a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) for a business selling alcohol.

A DPS is the individual specified on a premises licence as the premises supervisor. A DPS MUST hold a personal licence.

You want the authority to sell alcohol under a Premises Licence.

Every sale of alcohol must be made or authorised by a personal licence holder. This means that anyone who sells or authorises the sale or supply of alcohol on licensed premises must have a personal licence.

You do not need a Personal Licence for temporary events covered by a Temporary Event Notice (TEN), although having one will allow you to issue more notices in any year.

To apply for a personal licence, you must:

• Have the right to work in the UK.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Possess an accredited licensing qualification, such as the Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders. The GOV.UK website has a list of Accredited personal licence qualification providers
• Provide a copy of your criminal record.
• Not have forfeited a personal licence within the last five years.

Yes, but your application may need to be referred to a Licensing Sub-Committee.

The Licensing Act lists certain offences that are considered relevant to the grant of a personal licence. These include offences related to dishonesty, alcohol, or drugs.

If you have been convicted of a relevant offence we can not grant a personal licence until we have consulted with the Police. If the Police object to the issue of a licence then we must ask a Licensing Sub-Committee to decide whether a licence can be issued. In these circumstances, you would be able to attend the hearing and make representations.

You apply to the local authority where you live, not where you work.

Your application must include copies of several documents besides the application form itself. If you do not provide all the required documents, your application will be rejected.

Providing false or misleading information about any matter related to your application is a criminal offence. This can lead to prosecution and disqualification from holding a personal licence.

The application should include:

• A completed application form
• Proof of your licensing qualification
• Two passport-sized photographs
• A basic criminal record check done within one month of your application
• Evidence of your right to work in the UK
• Fee

Yes. There are businesses that will help you to apply for a personal licence, including providing training for a licensing qualification and completing the application for you. They can apply for a personal licence on your behalf as an agent.

However, you do not have to use an agent to apply for a personal licence. You can apply directly to the licensing authority.

If you do make an application through a solicitor or agent, you must sign the application form and the criminal conviction declaration yourself. Ensuring the accuracy of the information provided is always your responsibility as the person who will be issued with the licence.

A licensing qualification is one of a number of approved courses that cover:

• Licensing law.
• Responsibilities when selling alcohol.
• Preventing crime and disorder.

You must have an approved qualification to be granted a personal licence.

Accredited qualifications must be issued by one of the Accredited personal licence qualification providers listed on the GOV.UK website.

We have to check that you have not been convicted of any offence that prevents you from being issued with a personal licence. All the relevant offences are listed in Schedule 4 of the Licensing Act 2003.

So that we can see whether you have any relevant convictions, we need you to provide us with a copy of your criminal record. You can get one by applying for a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Request a check directly from the Disclosure and Barring Service - Request a basic DBS check - GOV.UK.

Once you have the results of the check, you can include a copy of the check certificate with your application or share the results directly by providing a share code (how to get a share code is on the DBS website - Allow someone access to view your certificate - DBS)

You must submit a basic criminal record check that was done within one month of your application.

Your photograph should be:

• taken on a plain, light background
• be 'passport-sized' (45mm x 35mm)
• show your full face uncovered, without sunglasses, and without any head covering (other than one worn due to your religious beliefs),

One of the photographs must be endorsed (signed) to confirm that it is a true likeness of you, or be attached to a document that confirms it is a true likeness.

The person signing the form must be a solicitor, person of standing in the community, or any other individual with a professional qualification.

Having the right to work in the UK is crucial for getting and keeping a personal licence under the Licensing Act 2003. The law requires licensing authorities to conduct checks to ensure that applicants and existing licence holders have the right to work in the UK. If there are doubts or if the Home Office identifies an issue, the authority can refuse an application or revoke a licence.

When applying for a personal licence, applicants must provide evidence that they have the legal right to work in the UK. This can include:

• A UK passport or biometric residence permit.
• A certificate of naturalisation.
• A permanent residence card or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
• A share code from the Home Office online right to work service - Prove your right to work

There are other ways to prove your entitlement to work in the UK. You can find out more on the GOV.UK website here Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview and from Citizens Advice: Proving your right to work in the UK - Citizens Advice

If your right to work in the UK is revoked for any reason, your personal licence will no longer be valid for authorising alcohol sales. If you are a DPS then you must inform the premises licence holder immediately so they can appoint a new DPS.

Yes. We will reject your application if

• You fail to meet the eligibility criteria.
• You do not submit all the required documents in support of your application.

Your application may be refused by a Licensing Sub-Committee if you have relevant convictions and the police object on crime prevention grounds.

A Personal Licence is valid indefinitely (there is no expiry date under current legislation). You can surrender your licence at any time.

No, your Personal Licence is not tied to a specific premises and is valid across England and Wales.

A personal licence allows you to authorise the sale or supply of alcohol on licensed premises.

The sale of alcohol must always take place from a premises that has a premises licence, or where temporary authorisation for alcohol sales has been obtained by a Temporary Event Notice.

No, an individual can hold only one personal licence at a time.

However, you do not need to have more than one personal licence, because it remains valid when you move to a different area or premises (you must tell the licensing authority that issued your licence when you move house so the licence details can be updated).

You must notify the council that issued your licence in writing if you change your name or address. Failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £500. There is a fee of £10.50 to make the changes and reissue your licence. You can update the photograph on your licence at the same time.

If a personal licence is revoked:

• The licence is no longer valid for authorising alcohol sales.
• The premises where the individual acts as the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) must appoint a new DPS immediately. Alcohol sales will be illegal until a properly licensed DPS is in place.