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 regulated entertainment such as live or recorded music, indoor sports events, plays, films or other events.
Our licensing policy shows how we make decisions about applications for licences that involve alcohol, entertainment and late night refreshment. It’s based on the Licensing Act 2003 and is effective from 1 August 2018 for a maximum of 5 years.
Before you apply
Most premises licences don’t need renewing
You only need to apply for a premises licence once, but you need to pay a fee every year.
If you have a premises licence that has an end date, you need to apply as if it was the first time.
Who can apply for a premises licence?
You need to be 18 years old or above. Individual applicants also need to have the right to work in the UK. Businesses, charities and public service organisations can apply for a premises licence.
Areas where you can get a premises licence
You’re more likely to get a premises licence in some areas in Hackney than in others. See our licensing policy.
Find a designated premises supervisor
For every premises licensed for the supply of alcohol, a personal licence holder must be specified as the designated premises supervisor (DPS).
This will normally be the person who has day-to-day responsibility for running the premises.
There may be a number of personal licence holders working at a premises but there can only be one designated premises supervisor.
The designated premises supervisor must be appointed by the premises licence holder (who may hold both positions).
If you want to be a designated premises supervisor, you need to have a personal licence. You need to be 18 years old or older to apply. You also need to have the right to work in the UK.
If you have a criminal conviction, you need to include that information when you apply for a personal licence.
If the designated premises supervisor named on the premises licence application already has a personal licence, download and sign this form:
Please ensure your plan meets these requirements as an incorrect plan is one of the main reasons why a licence application can be delayed.
Preparing an operating schedule
You need to include an operating schedule with your premises licence application which sets out how the premises is intended to operate when carrying on licensable activities.
It should ideally be discussed with the responsible authorities to avoid any potential disputes.
Most premises licences cost between £100 and £635, depending upon the non-domestic rateable value of the premises. Find your non-domestic rateable value.
The annual fee once a licence has been granted is a little less than the application fee, although a late night levy will be payable for premises that sell alcohol after midnight.
Read more about the cost of a premises licence: LA06 fees list.
Time it takes to get a premises licence
It usually takes 2 months to get the final decision about your application for a premises licence, however in some cases this can take longer.
As soon as you have sent your premises licence application, you need to put up a notice about it. This notice needs to be in a place on the premises that people can easily see. If your premises are larger than 50m², you will need to put up more than one notice.
At the end of the 28 day notice period, you will have the chance to respond to any objections.
It’s your responsibility to answer any questions. If you can’t agree, we will take the application and objections to a sub-committee and make a decision.
Vary or transfer a premises licence
Variation of a premises licence
A premises licence holder may apply to the licensing authority to vary the licence. Variations could include the changes to operating hours, the layout of the premises, licensable activities or conditions attached to the existing licence.
If you think your change is minor it may be covered by applying for a minor variation. We suggest you contact us in the first instance to determine whether your proposed changes meet the requirements for a minor variation application.
Transfer of a premises licence
If an individual or business wants to take over an existing premises licence from the current premises licence holder by you need to apply for a transfer of the licence.
Variation of a designated premises supervisor
For every premises licensed for the supply of alcohol, a personal licence holder must be specified as the designated premises supervisor.
The Licensing Act 2003 (“the Act”) recognises that volunteer and social clubs give rise to different issues for licensing law than commercially run premises selling direct to the public.
These clubs (such as the Royal British Legion, working men’s or cricket or rugby clubs) are generally organisations where members join together for a particular social, sporting or political purpose and then combine to purchase alcohol in bulk for its members.
The clubs carry on activities from premises to which public access is restricted and alcohol is supplied other than for profit. Find out more about a club premises certificate.
Late night levy
The levy allows us to raise revenue by charging everyone who’s authorised to sell alcohol between midnight and 6am.
If you hold a premises licenses or club premises certificates and you’re authorised to sell alcohol between 1 minute past midnight and 6am on one or more days in a year, you’ll be required to pay an additional annual fee. The levy applies to all of Hackney.
If you’re concerned about how a licensed premises is operating please contact us in the first instance as we may be able to address your concerns effectively through our complaints procedure:
An officer will investigate your complaint, work with the premises and, where relevant, liaise with other relevant services to put things right.
The Licensing Act 2003 also allows a premises licence or club premises certificate to be formally reviewed:
A review of a licence is generally the last stage in trying to resolve problems with a premises if the complaint has not resolved through the complaints procedure.
Notification of interest in a premises
A notification of interest allows a person with an interest in any premises to receive notifications from us about any changes made to the statutory licensing register. The notice has effect for a period of 12 months beginning on the day it is received by us.
A person has a property interest in the premises if he/she:
has a legal interest in the premises as freeholder or leaseholder
is a legal mortgagee in respect to the premises
is in occupation of the premises
has a prescribed interest in the premises
Apply
To apply please send us a completed application form and the appropriate fee, which is currently £21:
The Licensing Act 2003 allows a quick process for attaching interim conditions to a licence.
The powers allow:
the police to trigger a fast track process to review a premises licence where the police consider that the premises are associated with serious crime or serious disorder (or both); and
the licensing authority to respond by taking interim steps quickly, where appropriate, pending a full review
In summary, the process is:
a local chief officer of police may apply to the licensing authority for an expedited review of a premises licence where a senior police officer has issued a certificate stating that in his/her opinion the premises are associated with serious crime or serious disorder (or both)
on receipt of the application and the certificate the licensing authority must within 48 hours consider whether it is necessary to take interim steps pending determination of the review of the premises licence – the authority must in any event undertake a review within 28 days of receipt of the application
The range of options open to the licensing authority at the interim steps stage are:
modification of the conditions of the premises licence
the exclusion of the sale of alcohol by retail (or other licensable activities) from the scope of the licence
removal of the designated premises supervisor from the licence; and
suspension of the licence
Interim authority notice
A premises licence will remain in force for as long as the licence holder continues to operate the business. In the event of the licence holder:
dying
becoming mentally incapacitated or
becoming insolvent
Persons with an interest in the premises or connected to the licence holder can give an ‘interim authority’ notice to the licensing authority.
The interim authority notice must be submitted to us within 28 days of the insolvency/bankruptcy or death, otherwise the licence will lapse. An interim authority notice will allow premises to trade until the licence can be transferred.