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.
26 of 426 licences for Hospitality, restaurants, bars and catering
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
Amusement permit (Northern Ireland)
You need an amusement permit to operate gaming machines in Northern Ireland
Your council · Northern Ireland
C
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
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
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
Discharging effluent or waste water (England)
You may need an environmental permit to discharge liquid effluent or waste water to surface water or the ground.
Environment Agency · England
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
F
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
Licence to sell alcohol (Northern Ireland)
You need a licence to sell alcohol in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland
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
Personal licence (Scotland)
You need a licence to sell alcohol from a licensed premises
Your council · Scotland
Personal licence to sell alcohol (England and Wales)
You need a licence to sell alcohol from a licensed premises
Your council · England and Wales
PSV (Public Service Vehicle) operator’s licence
You need a public service vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence to operate a vehicle for hire or reward (payment or payment in kind) that can …
Traffic Commissioners · England, Wales and Scotland
Public entertainment licence (Scotland)
Get a public entertainment licence for your site if it's used for public entertainment.
Your council · Scotland
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
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
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.
We have not yet mapped an enabling instrument for 2 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.