Licensed premises include any premises allowed to sell alcohol under a premises licence or club premises certificate. You don’t need a personal licence to sell alcohol under a temporary events notice or to be employed in a pub or other business that sells alcohol.
About the licence
A personal licence allows the holder to authorise sales of alcohol at a licensed premises and to be named as the Designated Premises Supervisor on a premises licence.
Once you receive your personal licence, you can act as the designated premises supervisor for any business that sells or supplies alcohol.
The Deregulation Act 2015 means that personal licences no longer need to be renewed. The licence will continue until it's either surrendered or revoked and the expiry date no longer applies. Your personal licence must always show your current address.
Who can apply
To apply for a personal licence, you must:
- be aged 18 years or over
- hold a relevant licensing qualification
Accredited personal licence qualification providers on GOV.UK.
Before you start
You'll need to provide:
- a copy of an acceptable document proving that you have the right to work in the UK
- 2 photographs, one of which is endorsed to be a true likeness of yourself by a solicitor or notary, a person of standing in the community or an individual with a professional qualification
- an approved licensing qualification certificate
- produce a current (less than 1 month old) DBS check
- have no relevant criminal convictions
- pay the required fee
Request a basic DBS check on GOV.UK.
Updating your licence if you've changed your name or address
You must inform the council if you change your name or address so that your personal licence can be updated. Failing to do so is an offence.
You will need to contact us with your new details, enclosing the following:
- both the paper part and the card part of your personal licence, or tell us why you are unable to do this
- the required fee
Moving to another area
Your personal licence is portable throughout England and Wales. This means that you can use your personal licence to be the Designated Premises Supervisor at a premises anywhere in England and Wales. However if you do move, you must notify the council of your new address.
Personal licence fees
- Application for a grant or renewal - £37.00
- Application for a copy following theft or loss - £10.50
- Notification of a change of name or address - £10.50
Apply for a personal licence
To apply for a personal licence, please complete the following application form.
- Personal licence application form (word 74 kb)
- Personal licence notification of change of details (word 524 kb)
- Personal licence disclosure of convictions, penalties and declaration (word 522 kb)
- Personal licence photograph endorsement declaration (word 126 kb)
- Personal licence guidance (pdf 150 kb)
We aim to process your application within 40 days.
Designated Premised Supervisor (DPS)
A personal licence holder may give consent to become a Designated Premised Supervisor (DPS) for a licensed premises where the activity of supply of alcohol is authorised.
The DPS has a legal responsibility for authorising the sale of alcohol and will generally be responsible for the day to day running of the establishment and the court can forfeit their licence if they are convicted of any relevant offences.
It is worth ensuring that should the DPS not be present on the premises there is a clear management structure with which the staff are familiar.
Designated Premises Supervisor forms
- Vary DPS on a premises licence - tacit consent applies after 14 days
- DPS consent form - part of application
- Disapply DPS requirement - tacit consent applies after 56 days
- Request to be removed as DPS - tacit consent applies after 56 days
More information about tacit consent can be found on our website.