Department for Culture Media and Sport
We are responsible for developing entertainment licensing law, which licensing authorities administer.
The Prime Minister announced on 20 July 2010 that responsibility for the Licensing Act 2003, except for regulated entertainment is being transferred to the Home Office.
The full Written Ministerial Statement is available on the Number 10 website.
Licensing authorities, usually local councils, are responsible for licensing the sale and supply of alcohol, the provision of regulated entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment in England and Wales. They also issue licences for permitted temporary activities.
To carry out these activities, you will need authorisation and should speak to your local council.
Read guidance for:
We also keep data about alcohol, entertainment and late-night refreshment licensing.
On 28th July, the Home Secretary launched a consultation on a wide range of options to overhaul the Licensing Act.
‘Rebalancing the Licensing Act – a consultation on empowering individuals, families and local communities to shape and determine local licensing’ can be found on the Home Office website.
The section 182 Guidance has been revised to take account of:
The new mandatory conditions commencing on 6 April, which impose a duty on those who manage licensed premises and clubs to prohibit irresponsible promotions and prohibit one person from dispensing alcohol directly into the mouth of another; they also require those who manage licensed premises and clubs to provide free tap water to customers on request.
Revised Guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 [30 March 2010]
The section182 Guidance has been revisited to take account of the new provisions under section 33 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009, which commenced on 29 January 2010, to enable councillors, in their capacity as elected members of the relevant licensing authority, to act as ‘interested parties’. The revision to the Guidance is now in force:
Revised Guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 – January 2010 [29 January 2010]
The requirement to apply to replace the requirement to have a Designated Premises Supervisor with a Management Committee is in effect from 29 July 2009. Copies of the Designated Premises Supervisor application form are available online.
The Minor Variations process is in effect from 29 July 2009. An application costs £89. Copies of the Minor Variations application form are available online.
The contents of these pages are provided as guidance only and do not constitute professional or legal advice. Statements on these pages do not replace, extend, amend or alter in any way the statutory provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 or any subordinate legislation made under it or statutory guidance issued in relation to it. No responsibility is accepted by the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport or the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for any errors, omissions or misleading statements on these pages, or any site to which these pages connect. Although DCMS has made every effort to ensure that the information in these pages is correct, changes in the law and the nature of implementation mean that the information in these pages cannot be guaranteed as accurate. Please see also the DCMS website terms and conditions