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 for Sports

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

Arts and recreation · Sports

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

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

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

E

Entertainment licence (Northern Ireland)

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

Your council · Northern Ireland

Any trade

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

I

Indoor sports entertainment licence (Scotland)

You need a licence from your local authority to use a property for public sporting events in Scotland.

Your council · Scotland

Sports

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

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

P

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

Any trade

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

Riding establishment licence

Your council

Wales and Scotland · Northern Ireland

Animals, including pets and zoos · Sports

S

Safety certificates: sports grounds

Your council

England, Wales and Scotland · Northern Ireland

Sports

Shotgun and firearm certificates

You need a firearm or shotgun certificate issued by the police to possess, buy or acquire a firearm or shotgun, and buy ammunition

Home Office · England, Wales and Scotland

Agriculture: animals · Firearms, explosives and fireworks · Sports

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

Any trade

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

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 4 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