Licensing

People can object to or support a premises licence application during the 28 day notice period.

A representation must address one or more of the licensing objectives:

• prevention of public nuisance
• prevention of crime and disorder
• protection of children from harm
• public safety

You can only object in writing to a premises licence application. See how to comment on a licence application for further information.

There is a public register of all current and pending licence applications.

These are the licence applications the council is deciding about.

You need a premises licence if you want to use a place for: 

• selling alcohol 
• selling hot food or drink between 11pm and  5am

You may also require a licence if you are putting on live or recorded music, indoor sports events, plays, films or other events.

If you’re applying for a premises licence that sells alcohol, you need to include a designated premises supervisor.

This person needs to have a personal licence.

All food businesses that prepare, store, sell or distribute food in Hackney must be registered and it is a legal requirement for you to register.

Every place that sells alcohol,  needs a designated premises supervisor.

If you want to be a designated premises supervisor, you need to have a personal licence.

If you want to use a place as a private members’ club (ie not for profit, run by its members for the benefit of its members) you need a club premises certificate.

From 1 November 2017, everyone who has a licence to sell alcohol in Hackney between 12am and 6am has to pay an extra fee.

Find out more about the late night levy and rates.

Our licensing policy shows how we make decisions about applications for licences that involve alcohol, entertainment and late night refreshment.

It is based on the Licensing Act 2003 and is effective from 1 August 2018 for a maximum of 5 years.

Licensing public register

You can use our online licensing register to search for and view active, suspended, and some older premises licenses issued under the Licensing Act 2003.

Search our licensing public register

Temporary event notice (TEN) public register

You can use our online public register to search for and view temporary event notices submitted on 4 March 2024 or later.

Search our temporary event notice public register

We offer a pre-application advice service. It is for those considering applying for a licence or varying an existing licence. It helps them:

• familiarise them with our Licensing Policy and the standard set by the Hackney Nights accreditation scheme
• choose the right type of licence and / or application
• fully complete the application correctly and signposting to relevant sources of information for drawing the plans (where relevant), site and newspaper notices
• understand the reasons for applying certain policies to an application
• give specialised advice around safety and policies to reduce nuisance

Request advice

To request pre-application advice, email hackneynights@hackney.gov.uk.

The pre-application service advice is currently free. It’s funded by the Greater London Authority’s business friendly licensing fund.

What happens next

The Hackney Nights team will contact you to provide advice or arrange a site visit.

The advice given will not include views from other responsible authorities. For example the police or Fire Authority, who have the legal right to make a representation relating to the application.

The Licensing Sub-Committee will determine if any application is subject to representations. The committee will consider the application and the representations on its own merits. It will determine the application accordingly having regard to the Council’s Licensing Policy and guidance from the Home Office.

You need a temporary event notice (TEN) to enable the authorisation of small-scale ad hoc events held in or on any premises, involving no more than 499 people and for less than 168 hours at any one time.

The event may involve selling alcohol, serving food late or undertaking another licensable activity.

If you propose to have more than 499 persons, or have already had the maximum number of TENs (15 TENs and maximum number of days is 21) this year, you’ll need to apply for a premises licence.

To submit a TEN the premises user must be 18 or over.

You need to have a market trading licence licence if you want to have a market stall in Hackney.

Find out more about the different kinds of licences, costs and how to apply.

If you want to sell something outside your shop or have tables and chairs outside your restaurant you need a shop front trading licence.

If you want to put something on a public road, like scaffolding, hoarding, building materials, containers or temporary cross-overs, you need a highways licence.

You also need a licence to put a skip on a public road.

Only registered, approved skip companies can apply for skip licences in Hackney.

You need a massage and special treatment (MST) premises licence if you want to carry out various special treatments on your premises. This includes tattooing and laser/IPL treatment.

You need to register as an MST practitioner to carry out the following treatments at a premises in the London borough of Hackney.

• massage
• sauna
• manicure
• pedicure
• cosmetic piercing
• tattooing
• nail treatment

We’re committed to making renting in Hackney fairer – which means working with landlords to create a more professional rented sector, and tackling those who mistreat or fail to provide a good, safe home to their tenants.

To help achieve this, we’ve expanded property licensing across thousands of homes in Hackney so that more landlords will have to hold a licence before they can let out their homes. These licences require landlords to keep their homes in good condition and ensure high standards of management, or risk enforcement from the Council.

Apply for a property licence

You need a gambling licence to run a small lottery, or set up a casino, betting shop or bingo hall.

It’s Council policy to not give out new sex establishment licences.

If you have an existing one, you can renew or vary your licence.