# Premises licence: when you need one to sell alcohol, play music or serve late-night food Starting up Editorial team tischlein · Updated on October 16, 2026 ## The short answer In England and Wales you need a premises licence from your local council if you sell alcohol, put on live or recorded music or serve hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am. If you sell alcohol you also need a designated premises supervisor (DPS) who holds a personal licence. A café that sells only food and soft drinks before 11pm does not need a premises licence, but it must still register as a food business at least 28 days before it opens. ## What the premises licence covers The premises licence comes from the Licensing Act 2003 and is issued by the licensing team of your local council. It covers three kinds of licensable activity: selling alcohol, regulated entertainment such as live or recorded music, and late-night refreshment, which means hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am. The licence belongs to the premises, not to you. It names the activities, the opening hours for them and the conditions the council sets. If you later want to add music, extend the hours or start selling alcohol, you ask the council to change the licence first. The Licensing Act 2003 applies to England and Wales. Scotland has its own Act and Northern Ireland its own system, so check the rules of your nation with the local council before you plan. ## Designated premises supervisor and personal licence If you sell alcohol, the licence names a designated premises supervisor (DPS), the person who is responsible for the day-to-day running of alcohol sales. The DPS must hold a personal licence, which is a separate licence for a person, issued by the council. Council pages put the fee at about £37, and a personal licence no longer has to be renewed. You can be the DPS yourself, or name a manager you trust. Decide this before you apply. ## What it costs The application fee depends on the rateable value of your premises and runs from £100 to £1,905 according to GOV.UK. After the licence is granted an annual charge follows. ## How to apply, step by step The council publishes the timetable on its website. A public notice at the premises for 28 days is part of it, and councils advise applying about two months before you want to open. We have not verified the statutory timetable, so use your council’s page as the reference. 1. 1 Decide which activities you need: alcohol, music, late-night food, or a mix. 2. 2 Choose the DPS and make sure that person holds a personal licence. 3. 3 Prepare a plan of the premises and an operating schedule with your activities and hours. 4. 4 Apply to your local council and pay the fee for your rateable value band. 5. 5 Display the public notice at the premises for 28 days. 6. 6 Answer any questions the council has. 7. 7 Open only when the licence has been granted. ## Other licences and registrations you may need Several things run alongside the premises licence. They are separate, so tick them off one by one. - Food business registration with your local council, at least 28 days before you start trading. It applies to every venue that cooks, stores, sells or handles food, and councils say it is free. - A pavement licence for tables and chairs on the public pavement in England. The fee is capped at £500 for the first application and £350 for a renewal, a licence lasts up to two years, and the council has 14 days to consult and 14 days to decide. If the council stays silent it is deemed granted. Pavement licences have been permanent since 31 March 2024. Private forecourts are a planning matter, not a pavement licence. - A music licence for live or recorded music in a restaurant, café or pub. TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS is the usual route; the price depends on the venue and how you use music, and royalty-free music needs none. - A fire risk assessment by the responsible person, which is usually you as the employer or whoever controls the premises. The fire and rescue authority inspects. - Planning permission if you change how the premises are used. A change within one use class needs no application, but a hot food takeaway is a category of its own and local policies can exclude it. Ask the planning team before you sign a lease. ## Common mistakes Most delays come from planning too late, not from the council itself. - Signing the lease before you know whether the premises can be used the way you want. - Applying for alcohol only and adding music later, which means a second application. - Naming a DPS who does not hold a personal licence. - Forgetting the 28-day food registration, which is separate from the licence. A short call to the council’s licensing team often saves weeks. Ask what they most often send applications back for, and bring your concept. ## Status and sources Status 16 October 2026, not legal advice. Rules and fees change and differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; confirm with your local council before you act. Sources: - GOV.UK: Premises licence (https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/premises-licence) - GOV.UK: Pavement licences guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pavement-licences-guidance/pavement-licences-guidance) - GOV.UK: Licence to play live or recorded music (https://www.gov.uk/licence-to-play-live-or-recorded-music) - GOV.UK: Register a food business (https://www.gov.uk/food-business-registration) - GOV.UK: Workplace fire safety, your responsibilities (https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities) ## While the council decides: prepare your website and menu You can use the waiting time. tischlein sets up your website, a digital menu with allergens and your rota, so there is nothing left to build on opening day. You publish when everything is approved. New venues get a discount on the plans in the Startup Center at /gruenden. - [Website →](https://tischlein.pro/en/products/restaurant-website) - [Menu →](https://tischlein.pro/en/products/digital-menu) - [Scheduling & time tracking →](https://tischlein.pro/en/products/scheduling-time-tracking) [Try free for 14 days →](https://app.tischlein.pro/en/signup?country=GB) ## Frequently asked questions Do I need a premises licence for a restaurant? + Only if you sell alcohol, put on live or recorded music or serve hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am. A restaurant that does none of these does not need one, but it still has to register as a food business. How much does a premises licence cost? + According to GOV.UK the application fee runs from £100 to £1,905, depending on the rateable value of the premises, plus an annual charge. A personal licence costs about £37 according to council pages. How long does it take? + There is no single answer, because it depends on the council and on objections. The public notice runs for 28 days, and councils advise applying about two months ahead. Check your council’s timetable. Do I need a licence for background music? + Playing live or recorded music in a restaurant, café or pub usually needs a music licence, TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS. Royalty-free music needs none. Whether the music also needs to be on the premises licence depends on how you use it, so ask your council. Can I put tables on the pavement? + In England you need a pavement licence from the council. The fee is capped at £500 for a new application and £350 for a renewal, and a licence lasts up to two years. ## Keep reading - [Startup Center →](https://tischlein.pro/en/start-up) Starting up with tischlein: discount, tools and guides. - [Opening a restaurant in the UK: the checklist from concept to first guest →](https://tischlein.pro/en/guides/open-a-restaurant-checklist) - [Opening a bar or pub in the UK: licences, music, staff and pricing →](https://tischlein.pro/en/guides/open-a-bar-or-pub) - [What does it cost to open a restaurant in the UK? Start-up costs and funding →](https://tischlein.pro/en/guides/restaurant-startup-costs) - [Glossary: Pop-up-Restaurant →](https://tischlein.pro/lexikon/pop-up-restaurant) --- Source: https://tischlein.pro/en/guides/premises-licence