Food, Drink & Hospitality Food, hospitality and tourism

Specialist hospitality licences and permissions

Gaming machines, civil wedding venues, tourist accommodation registration, HMO licensing and other specialist permissions for hospitality businesses with specific activities or business models.

UK-wide
Guide summary

Check if your hospitality business needs extra licences for gaming machines, weddings, tourist lets or HMOs. Apply to your local authority or the Gambling Commission. Fees and rules vary by activity.

  • Apply for gaming machine permits if offering more than 2 machines
  • Register with local authority for lotteries over £20,000/year
  • Get approval to host weddings (fee £2different000-£5,000)
  • Check if your short-term lets need registration (Scotland mandatory)
  • License HMOs housing 5+ unrelated people (fee £500-£1,200)
  • Use TEN notices for small outdoor events (fee £21)
  • Apply for club premises certificates if running a members' club
  • Follow smoking ban rules for shisha (limited exemptions)
  • Contact local authority to confirm required licences
  • Renew licences on time (frequency varies by type)
On this page
UK-wide

Related guides in Alcohol Licensing

Additional licensing for specific activities

Beyond the core licences required for alcohol, food and entertainment, certain hospitality businesses need additional permissions depending on the specific services or facilities they offer.

This guide covers specialist licences for gaming machines, civil ceremonies, tourist accommodation registration, events, and other niche requirements.

Gaming machines in pubs and bars

If you want to offer gaming machines (fruit machines, digital games) in your licensed premises, specific rules and permits apply.

Running raffles and lotteries

If you run raffles, tombolas or lotteries to raise funds for your sports club, members' club or charitable cause, you may need to register depending on the amounts involved.

Hosting weddings and civil partnerships

Hotels, stately homes, unique venues and other hospitality premises can apply to become approved for civil marriage and partnership ceremonies.

Outdoor events and temporary variations

If you want to host outdoor events such as weddings, festivals, fetes or other special occasions at your hospitality venue, you may need event-specific licensing.

Tourist accommodation and short-term lets

Registration requirements vary significantly across the UK for tourist accommodation including B&Bs, guesthouses, hotels and short-term holiday lets.

House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing

If you provide accommodation where 5 or more unrelated people share facilities (such as certain types of guesthouses, hostels or staff accommodation), HMO licensing may apply.

Members' clubs and club premises certificates

Qualifying members' clubs can operate under a club premises certificate rather than a standard premises licence, with certain advantages.

Shisha smoking premises

The smoking ban applies to shisha premises - there is no exemption for shisha, so it can only be offered in outdoor areas or structures that are not substantially enclosed.

Assessing which licences you need

Not all hospitality businesses need all these licences. Consider your business model and activities:

  • Standard pub/restaurant: Premises licence, music licence, food registration, potentially pavement licence
  • Hotel with weddings: Add approved premises licence for ceremonies
  • Members' club: Consider club premises certificate instead of standard licence
  • Holiday let/B&B: Check tourist accommodation registration requirements for your nation
  • Pub with gaming: Check gaming machine permit requirements
  • Event venue: May need event licence variations or TENs for one-off events

Contact your local authority licensing team to discuss your specific business plans and confirm which permissions apply.