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.

18 of 426 licences in Scotland for Events

Choose from all 48 activities

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

Arts and recreation · Events · Marine and marine transport +1 more

D

Discharging effluent (Scotland)

Get permission to send liquid waste out from factories or places where sewage is dealt with and find how to contact Scottish water suppliers …

Scottish Government · Scotland

Any trade

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

Arts and recreation · Events

E

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

Arts and recreation · Events · Hospitality, restaurants, bars and catering +1 more

G

Goods vehicle operator licences

You need a goods vehicle operator’s licence if your business uses a goods vehicle with either a gross plated weight (the maximum weight that …

Traffic Commissioners · England, Wales and Scotland

Any trade

H

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

Arts and recreation · Events

K

Knife dealers licence (Scotland)

You need a licence in Scotland if you want to deal in knives, swords or weapons with blades or sharp points

Your council · Scotland

Arts and recreation · Events · Sports

L

Late hours catering licence (Scotland)

You need a late hours catering licence if you want to sell food or drinks between 11pm and 5am in Scotland

Your council · Scotland

Events · Hospitality, restaurants, bars and catering

M

Market operators licence (Scotland)

You need a market operators licence if you run a private market (including car boot sales, craft fairs and fêtes) in Scotland

Your council · Scotland

Events · Retail: manufacturing and wholesale · Street trading and markets

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 licence (Scotland)

Who can apply for an occasional licence in Scotland; how many licences you can get, who to apply to, costs and penalties

Your council · Scotland

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

P

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

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

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

Any trade

Personal licence (Scotland)

You need a licence to sell alcohol from a licensed premises

Your council · Scotland

Events · Hospitality, restaurants, bars and catering

Premises licence (Scotland)

You'll need a premises licence if you want to sell alcohol or offer entertainment from a particular venue

Your council · Scotland

Events · Hospitality, restaurants, bars and catering · Tourist accommodation, including hotels and campsites

Public entertainment licence (Scotland)

Get a public entertainment licence for your site if it's used for public entertainment.

Your council · Scotland

Any trade

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

Arts and recreation · Events · Sports

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

We have not yet mapped an enabling instrument for 1 licence 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