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.

22 of 426 licences in Northern Ireland for Arts and recreation

Choose from all 48 activities

A

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

Arts and recreation · Events · Hospitality, restaurants, bars and catering

Amusement permit (Northern Ireland)

You need an amusement permit to operate gaming machines in Northern Ireland

Your council · Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation · Gambling and betting, including arcades, bingo and racing · Hospitality, restaurants, bars and catering +1 more

B

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

Arts and recreation · Gambling and betting, including arcades, bingo and racing

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

Arts and recreation · Events · Sports

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

Arts and recreation · Events · Media and broadcasting

Cinema licence (Northern Ireland)

You must be licensed to use premises as a cinema in Northern Ireland

Your council · Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation

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

Any trade

E

Entertainment licence (Northern Ireland)

Get an entertainment licence to stage indoor entertainment on a site.

Your council · Northern Ireland

Any trade

G

Gaming machine supply and maintenance certificate (Northern Ireland)

To sell, supply or maintain gaming machines in Northern Ireland you need a certificate issued by the local court

Your council · Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation · Gambling and betting, including arcades, bingo and racing · Tourist accommodation, including hotels and campsites

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

Arts and recreation · Environment conservation and wildlife

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

Arts and recreation

Licences to use music on television

You need a licence to use copyright music in TV programmes

DCMS · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation · Media and broadcasting

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

Arts and recreation · Media and broadcasting

N

Notification to process personal data

You must notify the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if your organisation processes personal data in an automated form

UK Government · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Any trade

O

Occasional clay pigeon shoot notification (Northern Ireland)

You need permission from the police to hold an occasional clay pigeon shoot in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation · Firearms, explosives and fireworks · Sports

Occasional licence (Northern Ireland)

You need a licence to sell alcohol away from your usual alcohol trading premises for a special occasion.

Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation · Events · Hospitality, restaurants, bars and catering

P

Pleasure permit (Northern Ireland)

You need a permit if you offer amusements with prizes on your premises in Northern Ireland

Your council · Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation

Protected wreck site licence (Northern Ireland)

A protected wrecks licence allows you to dive, survey, dig, take away historical objects and anchor near a protected wreck in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation · Environment conservation and wildlife

R

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

Arts and recreation

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

Arts and recreation · Media and broadcasting

T

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

Any trade

U

Using a boat on inland waterways

You usually need to register your boat to use it on inland waterways, such as rivers and canals.

Environment Agency · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation · Driving and motor vehicles · Environment: water +1 more

We have not yet mapped an enabling instrument for 5 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.

Run the pre-trading quick check

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.

Find a licence