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.
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:
You need to include a scale plan with your premises licence application.
See detailed requirements in how to apply for a premises licence.
Please ensure your plan meets these requirements as an incorrect plan is one of the main reasons why a licence application can be delayed.
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.
See detailed requirements in how to apply for a premises licence.
Cost of getting a premises licence
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.
Apply for a premises licence
You’ll need:
- a completed application form which includes your operating schedule
- a scale plan of the premises in the prescribed form
- a signed copy of the designated premises supervisor consent form if you’re planning to sell alcohol
- copies of documents that show that you and the supervisor (if that is someone else) can work in the United Kingdom
- the relevant fee based on the rateable value of the premises as postal order or cheque made out to ‘The London Borough of Hackney’
Email your application and relevant documents to licensing@hackney.gov.uk. Payment can be taken by phone or we’ll provide a link for the payment.
- Chief officer of police for any police area where the premises are (the police)
- The fire authority
- The environmental health authority (environmental protection and environmental enforcement)
- The area child protection officer
- The environmental health authority (health and safety)
- The local planning authority
- The weights and measures authority
- Public health authority
- Licensing authority
- Home Office immigration enforcement
LA99 responsible authorities contact details (google doc).
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.
Print on light blue paper. The text needs to be at least 16pt. It needs to be up for 28 days. This is called a notice period.
You also have to have a notice in a local Hackney newspaper within 10 working days of applying.
Send this form to one of the newspapers listed on the form.
People can object to or support your premises licence application during the 28 day notice period. This is called a representation.
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
Objections to a premises licence application have to be in writing: see how to comment on a licence application.
Responding to objections
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
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.
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.
Other information regarding premises licences
Change of details
To change your name or address on the premises licence complete the form below and send it to us by email. There is a fee of £10.50 to pay.
Copy of premises license
For a copy of your premises licence complete the form below and send it to us by email. There is a fee of £10.50 to pay.
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.
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.
Find out more about the late night levy and rates.
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.
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
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.
Apply
You must submit:
Please note that this notice is intended only as temporary cover and you should transfer your licence as soon as possible.
Page updated on: 11 September 2023