Business licences by activity type

The licences you need depend on what your business does and where it trades. Most businesses need more than one, and you need each of them in place before you start the activity it covers.

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.

Allow time before you open. Once you apply for a premises licence in England or Wales, responsible authorities such as the police, and anyone else, have 28 consecutive days to make representations. If the council decides a representation is relevant, it must hold a hearing before it decides.

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.

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).

Environmental permits

You may also need an environmental permit if your business could pollute the air, water or land. That includes sites where waste is stored, treated, recycled or disposed of, and some businesses such as dry cleaners, petrol stations and food factories. Operating without a permit you need is against the law.

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.

Tables and chairs on the pavement

In England, to put removable furniture such as tables and chairs on the pavement outside your premises, you need a pavement licence from your council. It does not replace any other approval you need, such as a licence to sell alcohol or food business registration.

Councils can charge up to £500 for a first application and £350 for a renewal. After you apply there is a 14-day public consultation, then the council has 14 more days to decide. If it does not decide in time, the licence is treated as granted for 2 years.

Taxis and private hire

In England and Wales, taxi and private hire drivers need a driver licence and a vehicle licence. If you take bookings for private hire vehicles, you also need a private hire operator licence from the licensing authority where you will operate: the council, or Transport for London in London. It lasts up to 5 years, and you can be prosecuted for taking payment for bookings without one.

Premises, building work and skips

Licences are separate from planning permission. In England and Wales, you will probably need planning permission to change the use of a building, build something new or make a major change such as an extension. Work done without permission you needed can lead to an enforcement notice ordering you to undo it. Ask your council's planning team before you commit to premises.

In England and Wales, you need permission from the highway authority, usually your council, to put a builder's skip on a road or pavement.

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.

Go to the GOV.UK Licence Finder and search by business activity and country to see licences that may apply. It may not include every licence you need, so check with your council and any regulator for your sector.