Business licences by activity type

GOV.UK Licence Finder: find licences you need for your business

Overview of GOV.UK Licence Finder tool covering 30+ government departments and common business licensing requirements.

The GOV.UK Licence Finder helps you identify which licences, permits, and registrations your business needs based on your business activity and location. The tool covers requirements from over 30 government departments and local authorities.

Why use the Licence Finder: Licensing requirements vary by what you do, where you operate, and which industry sector you're in. Operating without required licences is a criminal offence with penalties including fines, closure orders, or imprisonment.

Common business licences covered

Alcohol premises licence: £100 to £1,905 depending on rateable value - Required to sell or supply alcohol from premises. Apply to local licensing authority.
Food business registration: FREE - Register with local authority at least 28 days before trading. Mandatory for all food businesses.
Late night refreshment licence: Included in premises licence - Required for hot food or drink sold between 11pm and 5am.
Waste carrier licence: £191.02 for new upper tier registration, £130.25 to renew every 3 years - Required if transporting business waste. Apply to Environment Agency.
Street trading licence: Varies by local authority - Required for selling goods on streets or in public places. Apply to local council.
Entertainment licence: Usually included in premises licence - Required for regulated entertainment such as live music, plays, films, or indoor sporting events.
Taxi and private hire licence: Varies by local authority - Both driver and vehicle licences required. Apply to local council.

How the Licence Finder works

Enter your business activity: Select what your business does from categories covering retail, food, entertainment, transport, professional services, and more.
Provide your location: Enter your postcode to identify local authority requirements and contact details.
Review results: The tool lists all licences you may need with application links, fees, and local authority contacts.
Apply for each licence: Follow links to online applications or local council contacts for each required licence.

Licence categories covered

The Licence Finder covers over 30 government departments and includes:

Premises and property: Alcohol licensing, late night refreshment, planning permission, building regulations, HMO licensing
Food and catering: Food business registration, food hygiene ratings, mobile food vendors
Transport: Taxi and private hire, goods vehicle operator licences, public service vehicles
Entertainment and events: Live music, theatre, cinema, outdoor events, temporary events notices
Retail and trading: Street trading, market stalls, Sunday trading, scrap metal dealing
Environmental: Waste carrier registration, environmental permits, water abstraction, discharge consents
Professional services: FCA authorisation (financial services), CQC registration (healthcare), Ofsted registration (childcare)
Sector-specific: Pet shops, animal boarding, dog breeding, tattooing, gambling, fireworks, firearms

Important notes

Multiple licences often must Most businesses need more than one licence. For example, a restaurant needs food business registration (free), premises licence for alcohol (£100-£1,905), and potentially late night refreshment permission.

Separate from business registration: Licences are separate from registering your business with Companies House or HMRC. Must register your business structure first, then apply for activity-specific licences.

Renewal requirements: Some licences require annual renewal (food hygiene, taxi licences), while others are permanent until varied or revoked (premises licences). Check renewal deadlines when you receive your licence.

Local authority variation: Fees, processing times, and specific requirements vary between local councils. Always check with your local licensing authority for exact requirements.

Find licences for your business activity and location

Selling or serving alcohol

If your business involves the sale or supply of alcohol, you need a premises licence from your local licensing authority. This also covers regulated entertainment and late-night refreshment (hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am).

A Designated Premises Supervisor with a personal licence must be named on every premises licence authorising alcohol sales. For one-off events, a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) may be sufficient instead of a full premises licence.

Preparing, handling, or selling food

Every food business must register with their local authority's environmental health department. This applies to restaurants, cafes, takeaways, market stalls, home-based food businesses, and online food sellers.

Food Business Registration

Free mandatory registration with local authority environmental health required at least 28 days before opening any food business.

All food businesses in the UK must register with their local authority's environmental health department at least 28 days before starting to trade. Registration is free and is a legal requirement under food safety law. This applies whether you operate from commercial premises, home, a market stall, or as a mobile caterer.

Registration cost: FREE
Registration deadline: At least 28 days before trading
Registration validity: Permanent (notify of changes)
Processing time: Immediate confirmation, inspection scheduled later
Home-based businesses: Must register (same as commercial premises)
Mobile food businesses: Register once, with the local authority where the vehicle or equipment is normally kept
Food hygiene rating: Issued after first inspection (rating of 0 to 5)

Who needs to register

Commercial premises: Restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels, takeaways, shops, bakeries, manufacturers
Home-based: Home baking businesses, childminders providing food, food sold online from home
Mobile: Food trucks, market stalls, mobile caterers, ice cream vans
Temporary: Pop-ups, event catering, farmers markets (register even for occasional trading)

Separate from premises licence

Food business registration is separate from premises licences for alcohol. Restaurants serving alcohol require both free food registration with environmental health AND a premises licence (£100-£1,905) from the licensing authority. Both are usually departments within the same local council.

Register a food business (England and Wales)

Register a food business (Scotland)

Transporting or disposing of waste

If you carry waste as part of your business activities, you need to register as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency (England), Natural Resources Wales, SEPA (Scotland), or NIEA (Northern Ireland).

Selling from public land or streets

Trading on public land, from a market stall, or as a mobile vendor requires either a street trading consent or licence from the relevant local council. Requirements and fees vary significantly between councils.

Regulated professions and sectors

Certain sectors require registration with a professional body or sector regulator before you can legally trade. Operating without the required registration is a criminal offence in most cases.

Professional body and regulator registration

Sectors requiring professional registration or regulator authorisation before trading, with typical registration timescales.

Some sectors are legally regulated — you cannot trade without authorisation from the relevant regulator. Operating without authorisation is a criminal offence in most cases.

Financial services (FCA): Must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority before providing regulated financial services (advice, insurance, lending, investment). Takes 6-12 months. Criminal offence to operate without.
Healthcare (CQC): Must register with the Care Quality Commission before providing regulated health and social care activities in England. Takes up to 12 weeks. Criminal offence to operate without.
Legal services (SRA/BSB): Solicitors must hold a practising certificate from the SRA. Barristers must be authorised by the BSB. Alternative business structures need separate licensing.
Childcare (Ofsted): Must register with Ofsted (or CIW in Wales) before providing childcare for children under 8 for more than 2 hours per day. Criminal offence to operate without.
Estate agency (anti-money laundering): Must register with HMRC for anti-money laundering supervision before trading as an estate agent.
Gambling (Gambling Commission): Must hold an operating licence from the Gambling Commission before offering gambling services. Also need a premises licence from the local authority.
Security industry (SIA): Individuals must hold an SIA licence to work as door supervisors, security guards, CCTV operators, or close protection officers.
Transport (DVSA/Traffic Commissioner): Must hold an operator's licence from the Traffic Commissioner before operating goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes or passenger vehicles with 9+ seats for hire or reward.

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Selling or serving alcohol

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Transporting or disposing of waste

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Regulated professions and sectors

Official licensing resources

Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Selling or serving alcohol

Preparing, handling, or selling food

Transporting or disposing of waste

Selling from public land or streets

Regulated professions and sectors

Official licensing resources