Dealing with licences and regulations

Find licences you need for your business

How to identify and apply for the licences, permits, and registrations your business needs using GOV.UK Licence Finder. Covers premises licences, food registration, transport, entertainment, and environmental permits.

UK-wide
Guide summary

Use the GOV.UK Licence Finder to check which licences your business needs. Apply for them before you start trading. You could face fines or closure if you operate without the right licences. Common licences include food registration, alcohol premises, and waste carrier permits.

  • Use GOV.UK Licence Finder to identify required licences
  • Register your food business at least 28 days before trading
  • Apply for alcohol premises licence (£100 to £1,905)
  • Get a waste carrier licence (£184 for 3 years) if moving waste
  • Check local council rules for street trading or market stalls
  • Operating without licences can lead to unlimited fines
  • Licences are separate from registering your business
  • Some licences need renewing every year
  • Fees vary by local authority — check your council’s rates
  • A restaurant may need food, alcohol and entertainment licences
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Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Business licences by activity type

A quick-reference lookup of UK business licences organised by activity type, covering food, alcohol, entertainment, waste, street trading, …

Most businesses need at least one licence, permit, or registration to operate legally. The type of licences you need depends on your business activity, location, and industry sector.

Operating without required licences is a criminal offence with penalties including unlimited fines, closure orders, or imprisonment. The GOV.UK Licence Finder helps you identify exactly what you need based on what you do and where you operate.

Why licences matter

Business licences exist to:

  • Protect public safety: Food hygiene, alcohol licensing, taxi licences
  • Protect the environment: Waste carrier registration, environmental permits
  • Ensure professional standards: FCA authorisation (financial services), CQC registration (healthcare)
  • Regulate specific activities: Entertainment, gambling, late-night trading

Licences are separate from registering your business structure with Companies House or HMRC. You must first register your business, then apply for activity-specific licences before you start trading.

Common licensing scenarios

Opening a restaurant or café

A typical food business needs:

  • Food business registration (FREE) - Register with local authority at least 28 days before trading
  • Premises licence for alcohol (£100-£1,905) - If selling alcoholic drinks
  • Late night refreshment licence - If selling hot food/drink between 11pm-5am (usually included in premises licence)
  • Music/entertainment licence - If providing live music or other regulated entertainment (usually included in premises licence)

Starting a construction business

Construction businesses typically need:

  • Waste carrier licence (£184 for 3 years) - Required to transport construction waste
  • Environmental permits - For certain waste operations or emissions
  • Skip licence - If placing skip bins on public roads (apply to local council)

Selling goods online or at markets

Retail businesses may need:

  • Street trading licence - For market stalls, mobile vendors, or selling from public spaces (fees vary by council)
  • Food business registration (FREE) - If selling any food products
  • Product-specific licences - Pet shops, fireworks, knives, alcohol all require specific licences
Food, Drink & Hospitality Requirement

Alcohol and entertainment licensing for hospitality businesses

If you run a pub, bar, restaurant, or venue serving alcohol or providing entertainment, you'll need a premises licence from your local licensing authority.

What the premises licence covers

  • Sale of alcohol - For consumption on or off the premises
  • Regulated entertainment - Live music, recorded music, plays, films, indoor sporting events, dancing
  • Late night refreshment - Hot food or drink sold between 11pm and 5am

Application requirements

  • Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS): You must nominate someone with a personal licence to supervise alcohol sales
  • Operating schedule: Describe your activities, opening hours, and how you'll promote the four licensing objectives (crime prevention, public safety, public nuisance prevention, child protection)
  • Consultation period: 28-day public consultation - local residents and responsible authorities can make representations
  • Licensing Sub-Committee hearing: If objections are raised, you may need to attend a hearing

Fees (based on rateable value)

  • Band A (£0 to £4,300): £100
  • Band B (£4,301 to £33,000): £190
  • Band C (£33,001 to £87,000): £315
  • Band D (£87,001 to £125,000): £450
  • Band E (£125,001 and above): £635 (or £1,905 for alcohol-primary premises with multiplier)

Annual maintenance fee

Once granted, you pay an annual fee (proportionate to the application fee) to maintain your licence. Fees are due on the anniversary of when your licence was granted.

Personal licence

The Designated Premises Supervisor must hold a personal licence, which requires:

  • Accredited licensing qualification (e.g., BIIAB Level 2 Award in Personal Licence Holders)
  • Personal licence application to local licensing authority (£37 fee)
  • Criminal record check

Personal licences are valid indefinitely (no expiry or renewal required since April 2015 under the Deregulation Act in England and Wales) and are portable between premises. In Scotland, personal licences remain valid for 10 years and require renewal with mandatory 5-year refresher training.

Who this applies to: All businesses selling alcohol, providing regulated entertainment, or offering late night refreshment (hot food/drink 11pm-5am). This includes pubs, bars, restaurants, cafés, nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, and takeaways.
Enforcement: <p>Enforced by:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Local Licensing Authority</strong> (usually the district or borough council)</li>
<li><strong>Police</strong> (for crime and disorder issues)</li>
<li><strong>Environmental Health</strong> (for public nuisance)</li>
</ul>
<p>Operating without a licence is a criminal offence with penalties including unlimited fines and imprisonment up to 6 months. Licences can be reviewed and revoked if licensing objectives are breached.</p>
Apply for a premises licence (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab)
Retail & Consumer Goods Requirement

Food business registration - mandatory and FREE

If you prepare, handle, or sell food - even occasionally or from home - you must register with your local authority's environmental health department at least 28 days before trading.

Who must register

Registration is required for:

  • Restaurants, cafés, takeaways, sandwich shops
  • Food manufacturers and processors
  • Mobile food vendors (street food, ice cream vans, burger vans)
  • Bakeries, butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers
  • Home-based food businesses
  • Market stalls selling food
  • Online food sellers
  • Businesses providing food at events or festivals

Registration is FREE and straightforward. You only need to register once, but must notify your local authority if you move premises or make significant changes to your food operations.

How to register

  1. Find your local authority: Use GOV.UK to find your local council's environmental health department
  2. Complete registration form: Provide business details, food activities, and premises information
  3. Submit at least 28 days before trading: Late registration can result in enforcement action
  4. Receive confirmation: Your local authority will confirm registration and may schedule an inspection

Food hygiene inspection

After registration, your local authority will conduct a food hygiene inspection and assign a Food Hygiene Rating (0-5 stars). In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, you must display this rating if you operate in Wales. In England and Northern Ireland, display is voluntary but recommended.

Ongoing compliance

  • Follow food safety regulations: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), temperature controls, allergen labeling
  • Food handler training: All staff handling food should complete Level 2 Food Safety training
  • Re-inspection: Frequency depends on your risk rating (every 6 months for high-risk premises, every 2 years for low-risk)

Penalties for non-registration: Unlimited fines, closure orders, and imprisonment in serious cases.

Who this applies to: All businesses involved in preparing, handling, storing, or selling food - regardless of size or frequency. This includes home-based businesses, occasional traders, and permanent premises.
Enforcement: <p>Enforced by:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Local Authority Environmental Health</strong></li>
<li><strong>Food Standards Agency (FSA)</strong> provides national oversight and guidance</li>
</ul>
<p>Penalties for operating without registration include unlimited fines, emergency prohibition orders, and imprisonment up to 2 years for serious breaches.</p>
Register a food business (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab)

Environmental and waste licences

Environmental licences protect the environment and ensure responsible waste handling. Common requirements include:

Waste carrier registration

You need a waste carrier licence if you transport business, commercial, or construction waste - including your own waste from your own business.

  • Upper tier registration: £184 for 3 years - required for businesses transporting waste as part of their business (builders, waste removal companies)
  • Lower tier registration: FREE - only for charities and voluntary organisations transporting their own waste

When you need it: If you remove waste from a customer's premises (builders, landscapers, clearance companies) or transport waste as a service. This applies even if you're only moving waste to the local tip.

Exemption: You don't need registration if you only carry your own waste from your own business activities and it's not waste removal or transport as your main business (e.g., an office taking its waste to the recycling centre).

Environmental permits

Environmental permits regulate activities that could harm the environment. You may need a permit for:

  • Waste operations: Storing, treating, or disposing of waste beyond exempt quantities
  • Emissions to air: Industrial processes, combustion plants, solvent use
  • Discharges to water: Trade effluent, surface water drainage from commercial sites
  • Groundwater activities: Discharges that could affect groundwater quality

Fees vary significantly: Part B local authority permits from £1,650 for standard activities. Environment Agency installation permits range from £10,000-£30,000+ depending on complexity. Apply to the Environment Agency (England), Natural Resources Wales, or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

  1. 1

    Use GOV.UK Licence Finder

    Enter your business activity and location to identify all required licences. The tool covers over 30 government departments and local authorities.

  2. 2

    Register before you trade

    Apply for licences BEFORE you start operating. Food businesses must register at least 28 days in advance. Premises licences can take 2-3 months.

  3. 3

    Budget for licence fees

    Licence costs range from FREE (food registration) to £1,905+ (large alcohol premises). Factor these into your business plan.

  4. 4

    Note renewal dates

    Many licences require annual renewal (waste carrier every 3 years, premises licence annual fee). Missing renewals can invalidate your licence.

  5. 5

    Check local authority requirements

    Licensing fees and specific requirements vary between councils. Always confirm details with your local licensing authority.

  6. 6

    Consider multiple licences

    Most businesses need more than one licence. A hospitality venue might need food registration, premises licence, entertainment licence, waste carrier registration, and music licence.

Penalties for operating without a licence

Operating without required licences is a criminal offence. Enforcement is taken seriously by local authorities and regulatory bodies.

Potential penalties

  • Unlimited fines: Courts can impose unlimited fines for serious licensing breaches
  • Imprisonment: Up to 6 months (summary conviction) or 2 years (indictment) for serious offences
  • Closure orders: Immediate closure of premises until compliance achieved
  • Prohibition notices: Ban on trading until issues resolved
  • Product seizure: Removal of goods or equipment involved in unlicensed activities
  • Criminal record: Conviction creates criminal record affecting future business activities

Enforcement powers

Local authorities and regulatory bodies can:

  • Conduct unannounced inspections
  • Enter premises without notice
  • Seize goods and documents
  • Issue fixed penalty notices
  • Prosecute in magistrates' court or Crown Court
  • Apply for closure orders
Unlicensed alcohol sales
Unlimited fine and/or up to 6 months imprisonment (summary), or up to 2 years (indictment). Premises closure possible.
Operating without food registration
Unlimited fine and/or up to 2 years imprisonment in serious cases. Emergency prohibition orders for imminent health risk.
Unlicensed waste carrier
Unlimited fine and/or up to 2 years imprisonment. Vehicle and waste seizure. £300 fixed penalty notice for minor breaches.
Operating without entertainment licence
Unlimited fine. Premises closure possible. Licence application refusal more likely after conviction.
Unlicensed street trading
Fine up to £1,000. Seizure of goods and equipment. Potential prosecution for repeat offences.