Food, Drink & Hospitality

Northern Ireland business compliance checklist

A quick compliance checklist for businesses operating in Northern Ireland. Covers NI-specific obligations including fair employment monitoring, HSENI registration, fire safety, business rates, and other requirements that differ from Great Britain.

Northern Ireland
Guide summary

Check if your Northern Ireland business meets local rules. Register with the Equality Commission if you have 11+ employees and report workforce details yearly. Follow NI-specific health and safety rules, including farm safety checks.

  • Register with ECNI if you have 11 or more employees
  • Submit annual workforce details to ECNI by 1 January
  • Review employment practices every 3 years if 251+ employees
  • Follow HSENI health and safety rules for NI workplaces
  • District councils check safety in shops and offices
  • HSENI inspects farms, factories and construction sites
  • Farm safety is a priority in Northern Ireland
  • Failure to register with ECNI is a criminal offence
  • Pay business rates to your local council
  • Check fire safety rules for your premises
On this page
Northern Ireland

Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Use this checklist to verify your business meets Northern Ireland-specific requirements. These are obligations that differ from or do not exist in Great Britain.

Fair employment and equality

  1. 1

    Register with ECNI if you have 11 or more employees

    Under the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, employers with 11 or more employees must register with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI). Failure to register is a criminal offence.

  2. 2

    Submit annual monitoring return to ECNI

    Registered employers must submit an annual monitoring return recording the community background composition of their workforce. The reference date is 1 January each year.

  3. 3

    Conduct triennial Article 55 review (if 251+ employees)

    Employers with 251 or more employees must review workforce composition and employment practices at least every three years to assess whether members of each community enjoy fair participation.

  4. 4

    Check which equality statutes apply to your business

    The Equality Act 2010 does not apply in Northern Ireland. You must comply with individual anti-discrimination statutes covering religion, political opinion, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, and age.

Health and safety

  1. 1

    Identify your NI health and safety enforcer

    HSENI enforces in higher-risk workplaces (factories, construction sites, farms). District councils enforce in lower-risk premises (offices, shops, restaurants, hotels). Contact the correct body for guidance.

  2. 2

    Use NI-specific health and safety regulations

    NI has its own parallel health and safety regulations enacted as Northern Ireland Statutory Rules. Ensure your risk assessments, policies, and procedures reference the correct NI legislation, not GB equivalents.

  3. 3

    Report workplace incidents to HSENI (not HSE)

    NI still uses the RIDDOR (NI) 1997 regulations, which differ from GB RIDDOR 2013. NI requires reporting of over-3-day injuries (GB requires over-7-day). Report incidents to HSENI, not to the GB HSE.

Fire safety

  1. 1

    Complete a fire risk assessment for your premises

    The Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 requires the responsible person to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. This is a separate requirement from GB fire safety law.

  2. 2

    Ensure fire safety training is provided to staff

    The responsible person must provide adequate fire safety training to employees, including on appointment and when exposed to new or changed risks.

Business rates and premises

  1. 1

    Register for NI business rates with Land and Property Services

    Business rates in NI are administered by Land and Property Services (LPS), not the local council billing department as in England. Your rate bill combines a regional rate and a district rate.

  2. 2

    Check for NI-specific rates relief

    Northern Ireland has its own relief schemes including Small Business Rate Relief, industrial derating (which does not exist in England), and Back in Business rate support. Check with LPS for current schemes.

  3. 3

    Confirm NI planning requirements if developing premises

    Planning permission in NI is governed by the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and administered by 11 district councils. NI has different use classes, permitted development rights, and policy frameworks from England.

Employment

  1. 1

    Use the Labour Relations Agency (not ACAS) for employment guidance

    The LRA is the NI equivalent of ACAS. Early conciliation before an Industrial Tribunal claim must go through the LRA. LRA codes of practice (not ACAS codes) apply in NI tribunals.

  2. 2

    Check whether Employment Rights Act 2025 provisions apply in NI

    Most Make Work Pay reforms do not automatically extend to Northern Ireland. The NI Assembly must separately adopt equivalent provisions. Until then, existing NI employment law continues to apply (e.g. 1-year unfair dismissal qualifying period remains).

Product standards (if selling goods)

  1. 1

    Confirm whether your products need CE or UKCA marking

    Under the Windsor Framework, CE marking is required for products placed on the Northern Ireland market. UKCA marking alone is not sufficient in NI. If you sell goods in both GB and NI, you may need both marks.

Alcohol licensing (if applicable)

  1. 1

    Apply to the county court for a liquor licence (not the local council)

    Alcohol licences in NI are granted by the county court under the Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (as amended by the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021). The PSNI must be notified. For new pub (publican's) licences and off-licences only, an existing licence must be surrendered to obtain a new one — other categories do not require a surrender.

  2. 2

    Diarise your 5-year licence renewal date

    NI liquor licences expire after 5 years and must be renewed through the magistrates' court. A lapsed licence cannot be reinstated without a new court application.

If you answered 'no' to any of the above items, take action promptly. Many of these are statutory obligations with criminal penalties for non-compliance. The Doing business in Northern Ireland guide provides detailed context for each area of divergence.

Key NI regulatory bodies