Licences and permits
The permissions a business needs before it can trade, each one tied to the law that creates it and to the body that issues it. We point at GOV.UK for fees and forms, and never copy them.
48 of 426 licences for Arts and recreation
Choose from all 48 activities
A
Adventure activities licence (England, Wales and Scotland)
Adventure activities licence, when you need it, what outdoor activities you need it for, caving, climbing, trekking, watersports, penalties for not having a licence
UK Government · England, Wales and Scotland
Alcohol license for conference centres (Northern Ireland)
You need a licensing letter before you apply to sell alcohol in your conference centre in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland
Amusement permit (Northern Ireland)
You need an amusement permit to operate gaming machines in Northern Ireland
Your council · Northern Ireland
B
Boat hire licence (Scotland)
Get a boat hire licence to let out a boat or use it to transport up to 12 passengers for a fare - exemptions, …
Your council · Scotland
Bookmaker's licence (Northern Ireland)
To operate as a bookmaker and take on-course and off-course bets in Northern Ireland you need a licence from the local magistrates' court
Your council · Northern Ireland
Bookmaker's premises licence (Scotland)
You need a licence in Scotland to operate as a premises based bookmaker from your local authority
Your council · Scotland
Busking licence (England and Wales)
You may need a busking licence or permit from the council before busking in that area. Find out the council's rules on busking and …
Your council · England and Wales · No national statute
C
Child employment licence (Northern Ireland)
You need a permit from your local Education and Library Board to employ a child of compulsory school age in part-time employment
Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland
Child performance licence (Northern Ireland)
You must have a licence for a child to take part in a public performance in Northern Ireland
Your council · Northern Ireland
Child work permit (England and Wales)
To employ a child in the UK, you may need to get a work permit from your local authority
Your council · England and Wales
Cinema licence (Northern Ireland)
You must be licensed to use premises as a cinema in Northern Ireland
Your council · Northern Ireland
Club gaming permit (Scotland)
You need a club gaming permit if you run a members' club or a miners' welfare institute
Your council · Scotland
Club machine permit (Scotland)
You need to get a permit from your local authority to provide gaming machines eg fruit machines in a club in Scotland
Your council · Scotland
Club premises certificate
Apply for a club premises certificate through your council if you're a social, sporting or political members club and you want to do activities …
Your council · England, Wales and Scotland
Consent for leaflet distribution (Northern Ireland)
You must have permission from your local council to distribute leaflets within designated litter control areas
Your council · Northern Ireland
D
Dispensation to allow the display of fireworks late at night (Scotland)
You need to get permission from your council to have a fireworks display between 11pm and 7am.
Your council · Scotland
Dive at protected wrecks licence (Wales)
You must have a licence in order to dive designated shipwreck sites.
Welsh Government · Wales
E
Entertainment licence (Northern Ireland)
Get an entertainment licence to stage indoor entertainment on a site.
Your council · Northern Ireland
Extended hours application (Scotland)
You need to apply for an extended hours licence if you want to serve alcohol outside your premises' licence hours
Your council · Scotland
G
H
Holding birds of prey (Northern Ireland)
You need a wildlife licence if you want to keep, breed or exhibit birds of prey in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland
Hypnotism permit (England, Scotland and Wales)
You must hold a permit to stage a public performance of hypnotism for entertainment purposes in England, Wales and Scotland - learn how to …
Your council · England, Wales and Scotland
K
L
Licence to use music on the radio
You need a licence to broadcast copyright music on the radio
DCMS · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Licences to use music on television
You need a licence to use copyright music in TV programmes
DCMS · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Licences to use music online or on mobile technology
You may need a licence to use copyright music online or on mobiles
IPO · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Licensed premises gaming machine permit (Scotland)
You must have a gaming machine permit to have three or more category C or D gaming machines on your premises
Your council · Scotland
N
O
P
Pavement or street display licence (England and Wales)
Get a licence to put an advertising sign on the road or pavement in England and Wales - restrictions, fines, penalties
Your council · England and Wales
Permission to distribute leaflets (England and Wales)
You may need to get permission to distribute free printed material in certain areas controlled by the local council.
Your council · England and Wales
Permission to place tables and chairs in the road (Scotland)
Get permission from your local council to place tables and chairs outside your premises.
Your council · Scotland
Permission to place tables and chairs on the pavement
Get a licence to place furniture on the pavement in England and Wales - how to apply, restrictions, fines, penalties
Your council · England and Wales
Permission to use street or pavement space for displays (Scotland)
You must get written permission to put advertising signs or displays on the road or pavement in Scotland - fines, penalties
Your council · Scotland
Pleasure permit (Northern Ireland)
You need a permit if you offer amusements with prizes on your premises in Northern Ireland
Your council · Northern Ireland
Protected wrecks licence (Scotland)
A protected wrecks licence allows you to dive, survey, dig, take away historical objects and anchor near a protected wreck in Scotland
Scottish Government · Scotland
Public entertainment licence (Scotland)
Get a public entertainment licence for your site if it's used for public entertainment.
Your council · Scotland
R
Raised structure approval (Scotland)
You need approval from your local authority to use a raised structure to provide seating or standing accommodation in Scotland
Your council · Scotland
Registration of private member's clubs (Northern Ireland)
You must register your private members' club if you intend to supply, consume or keep for supply any alcohol on your premises
Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland
S
Sex establishment / sex cinema licence (Northern Ireland)
Contact your council for a licence if you want to run a sex establishment or sex cinema in Northern Ireland
Your council · Northern Ireland
Sex shop and cinema licence (England and Wales)
Contact your council for a sex establishment licence if you want to run a sex shop or adult cinema
Your council · England and Wales
T
Temporary Events Notice (England and Wales)
You need a Temporary Event Notice if you want to carry out a 'licensable activity' on unlicensed premises in England or Wales
Your council · England and Wales
Theatre licence (Scotland)
You must get a licence from the council if you want to run a theatre or put on a public performance of a play
Your council · Scotland
TV Licence
You need a TV Licence to watch or record programmes on a TV, computer or other device as they're broadcast, and to watch on-demand …
DCMS · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
U
Where GOV.UK lists a licence separately for each nation, it appears here once with a link to each nation's version. They are separate licences in law, often resting on different legislation.
1 licence on this list has no national enabling statute behind it. The regime is council byelaws or a local Act, or a statute that reaches only part of the area, and those pages say so plainly rather than citing something that does not apply to you. We have not yet mapped an enabling instrument for 9 licences on this list. That is a gap in our graph, not a statement about the law, and those pages say so rather than guessing.
Checking approvals more broadly?
A licence is one of several things you may need before your first day of trading. The pre-trading quick check walks the registrations, insurances and approvals alongside it.
Not sure which of these apply to you?
Our guides on finding a licence and dealing with your local council walk through the questions that decide it.