- Enforced by
- Local Authority, Gambling Commission
- Status
- Amended (in force with amendments)
- Penalty ceiling
- Imprisonment 19 of 93 obligations carry a fine up to £1,000. 31 carry different penalties and 43 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Does it bind you?
Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.
Plus 30 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.
Other Acts binding the same actors
If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.
Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts
Licence Holder — also bound by 225 other Acts
Occupier — also bound by 235 other Acts
Director or Officer — also bound by 429 other Acts
What it requires
Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.
Core provisions
1 of 4 sections shown- Sell alcohol without a licenceAny Person
3 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Licensing bodies and officers
9 of 15 sections shown- Attempt to influence licensing board membersAny Person
Fine up to £1,000
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Boards must publish an annual functions reportLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Boards must publish annual financial reportsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Boards must hold annual joint meetings with Local Licensing ForumsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Boards must consider advice from Local Licensing ForumsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Chief constable must report annually on alcohol policing and child safetyLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Councils must appoint Licensing Standards OfficersLocal authority
- Obstruct officer or refuse to comply with inspectionAny Person
Fine up to £1,000
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Councils must ensure Licensing Standards Officers are trained or terminatedLocal authority
6 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Premises licences
17 of 44 sections shownOther duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must determine alcohol premises licence applicationsLocal authority
- Fail to notify licensing board of convictionAny Person
Fine up to £500
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must issue premises licence and summary upon grantLocal authority
- Apply to transfer a premises licence to a new holderLicence Holder
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must notify you of premises licence review decisionsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must cancel a licence revocation if a valid application is madeLocal authority
- Fail to notify changes to connected personsAny Person
Fine up to £500
- Fail to notify court of premises licenceAny Person
Fine up to £500
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Courts must notify the Licensing Board of premises licence holder convictionsTribunal / Court
- Fail to notify Licensing Board of a convictionAny Person
Fine up to £2,500
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must process conviction notices and may review licencesLocal authority
- Fail to notify change of name or addressAny Person
Fine up to £500
- Fail to produce premises licence when requiredAny Person
Fine up to £500
- Submit planning, building, and food certificates with licence applicationsAny Person
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must notify you of alcohol licence decisions and provide reasonsLocal authority
- Fail to keep, display or produce premises licenceAny Person
Fine up to £1,000
- Notify Licensing Board within 7 days if your premises manager leavesLicence Holder
27 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Occasional licences
3 of 6 sections shownOther duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must notify Police and Licensing Standards Officer of applicationsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must determine occasional licence applicationsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must notify parties of occasional licence decisionsLocal authority
3 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Licensed hours
3 of 10 sections shown- Sell, serve or allow removal of alcohol outside licensed hoursAny Person
Fine up to £1,000
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must notify chief constable and standards officer of extended hours applicationsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must determine extended hours applications and provide reasonsLocal authority
7 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Personal licences
15 of 26 sections shownOther duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must notify the police of personal licence applicationsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Standards Officer must review personal licence applicationsLocal authority
- Fail to notify licensing board of convictionAny Person
Fine up to £1,000
- Fail to surrender or pass off a void personal licenceAny Person
Fine up to £1,000
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must notify applicants of personal licence decisionsLocal authority
- Fail to notify court of personal licenceAny Person
Fine up to £500
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Courts and Licensing Boards must share notice of personal licence convictionsLocal authority
- Fail to notify licensing board of convictionAny Person
Fine up to £2,500
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must review personal licences following criminal convictionsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must hold a hearing after three licence endorsementsLocal authority
- Complete refresher training for your personal licence every 5 yearsLicence Holder
- Fail to notify licence board of name or address changeAny Person
Fine up to £500
- Fail to produce personal licence on demandAny Person
Fine up to £500
- Fail to surrender or misuse a void replacement personal licenceAny Person
Fine up to £1,000
- Fail to produce personal licence on demandAny Person
Fine up to £500
11 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Control of order
5 of 8 sections shown- Enter licensed premises in breach of exclusion orderAny Person
- Open premises in breach of a closure orderAny Person
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Police and Licensing Boards must terminate closure orders when safeStatutory regulator
3 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Offences
23 of 23 sections shown- Sell alcohol to a child or young personAny Person
3 months imprisonment · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
- Allow sale of alcohol to a child or young personAny Person
3 months imprisonment · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
- Sell liqueur confectionery to a childAny Person
Fine up to £500 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Supply alcohol to a childAny Person
3 months imprisonment · amended 1 time
- Supply alcohol to a young personAny Person
3 months imprisonment · amended 1 time
- Allow a child or young person to consume alcohol on premisesAny Person
3 months imprisonment · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
- Allow child or young person to sell alcohol unsupervisedAny Person
Fine up to £200 · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
- Allow a child to deliver or receive alcoholAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
- Send a child or young person to obtain alcoholAny Person
3 months imprisonment · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Fail to display required age‑restriction noticeAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Drunk person entering or remaining on licensed premisesAny Person
Fine up to £200 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Obtain or provide alcohol to a drunk personAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Sell alcohol to a drunk personAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Premises manager or staff drunk on licensed premisesAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Allow disorderly conduct or drunkenness on premisesAny Person
60 days imprisonment · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Refusal to leave licensed premisesAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Sell alcohol to trade from unlicensed premisesAny Person
Unlimited fine · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
- Sell alcohol from a moving vehicle without a licenceAny Person
3 months imprisonment · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
- Deliver alcohol without proper delivery recordsAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Deliver or allow late-night alcohol deliveriesAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 3 times (opens in a new tab)
- Keep smuggled goods on licensed premisesAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
Miscellaneous and general
30 of 32 sections shown- Sell or allow sale of alcohol contrary to a prohibition orderAny Person
3 months imprisonment · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
- Sell alcohol on ferry in breach of prohibition orderAny Person
3 months imprisonment · amended 2 times (opens in a new tab)
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must consider participant views on hearing formatLocal authority
amended 1 time
- Make false statement in licensing applicationAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 5 times
- Obstruct an inspection before a licence is grantedAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Obstruct a constable exercising entry powersAny Person
Fine up to £1,000 · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
- Be liable for a corporation's licensing offence (consent/neglect)Director or Officer
Unlimited fine · amended 1 time (opens in a new tab)
amended 1 time
- Be held liable for employees' licensing offencesAny Person
amended 1 time
2 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Schedules
13 of 65 shown- Unlawfully acting as a Licensing Board member while disqualifiedAny Person
Unlimited fine
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board members must provide training evidence every 3 monthsLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Licensing Board must hold meetings in public and consider views on meeting formatLocal authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Council must provide staff, property and services to each ForumLocal authority
- Display age-restriction sign at alcohol-on-premises venuesOccupier
- Run all non-alcohol activities in line with your premises licence operating planLicence Holder
- Ensure staff selling or serving alcohol are trained and keep training recordsLicence Holder
- Do not sell alcohol below its minimum priceAny Person
- Do not run irresponsible alcohol promotions on your premisesAny Person
- Provide free tap water and sell non-alcoholic drinks at reasonable pricesLicence Holder
- Ensure every sale of alcohol is authorised by a personal licence holderLicence Holder
- Do not sell alcohol below minimum priceLicence Holder
- Do not run irresponsible drinks promotionsOccupier
52 other schedules
Help complying
Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.
Alcohol licensing for Scottish businesses
Learning path for businesses in Scotland navigating the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 system. Covers the five licensing objectives, Licensing Boards, premises and …
Scotland pub licence compliance checklist
Quick compliance checklist for Scottish premises licence holders covering key obligations under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 and minimum unit pricing.
Starting a hospitality business in Scotland
Complete learning path for new hospitality businesses in Scotland covering alcohol licensing, personal licences, minimum unit pricing, business rates, and the Edinburgh …
Fix Scottish licence renewal problems
Troubleshooting guide for Scottish alcohol licence and short-term let licence renewal and compliance issues, including lapsed licences, missed deadlines, and enforcement action.
Alcohol licensing in Scotland
How alcohol licensing works in Scotland under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 — five licensing objectives, Licensing Boards, premises and personal licences, …
Apply for an alcohol premises licence in Scotland
Step-by-step guide to obtaining a premises licence under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, including operating plans, Licensing Board applications, and premises managers.
Get a personal licence to sell alcohol in Scotland
How to obtain a Scottish personal licence under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, including the SCPLH qualification, Disclosure Scotland check, application process, …
1 more guide that reference this instrument
Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.