You need to apply for a premises licence if you intend to sell alcohol or provide ‘licensable activities’ from a particular venue, unless you have a temporary event notice or club premises certificate.
Licensable activities include:
You’ll also need a licence if you provide the following types of entertainment:
You still need a licence even if the activities are for charity.
The rules regarding premises licences are in the Licensing Act 2003 and the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005. You must also have regards to the Dorset Council's Statement of Licensing Policy 2024 - 2026 when applying for a licence.
Alcohol licensed premises with gaming machines must protect children and vulnerable people by preventing under 18s from accessing adult only machines. Measures may include supervised machine placement, clear signage, and providing support information such as GamCare helpline details.
You don’t need a licence for the following types of entertainment:
The application fee for a new premises licence is based upon the premises non-domestic rateable value (business rates). Check the rateable value of your property.
Each premises licence is subject to an annual fee, due on the day your licence was granted.
| Rateable value | Band | Application fee | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
Not rate up to £4,300 |
A |
£100 |
£70 |
£4,301 to £33,000 |
B |
£190 |
£180 |
£33,001 to £87,000 |
C |
£315 |
£295 |
£87,001 to £125,000 |
D |
£450 |
£320 |
£125,001 and above |
E |
£635 |
£350 |
An additional fee may apply for larger scale events.
| Number of people | Additional fee | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
5,000 - 9,999 |
£1,000 |
£500 |
10,000 - 14,999 |
£2,000 |
£1,000 |
15,000 - 19,999 |
£4,000 |
£2,000 |
20,000 - 29,999 |
£8,000 |
£4,000 |
30,000 - 39,999 |
£16,000 |
£8,000 |
40,000 - 49,999 |
£24,000 |
£12,000 |
50,000 - 59,999 |
£32,000 |
£16,000 |
60,000 - 69,999 |
£40,000 |
£20,000 |
70,000 - 79,999 |
£48,000 |
£24,000 |
80,000 - 89,999 |
£56,000 |
£28,000 |
90,000 and over |
£64,000 |
£32,000 |
| Application or notice | Fee |
|---|---|
| Replacement of a premises licence/summary (due to theft, loss etc) | £10.50 |
| Application of a provisional statement where premises are being built | £315 |
| Notification of change of name or address | £10.50 |
| Application to vary the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) | £23 |
| Application to transfer the premises licence | £23 |
| Interim authority notice following death etc of premises licence holder | £23 |
| Notification of a change of name or altering the club rules | £10.50 |
| Change of registered club address | £10.50 |
No fee applies if:
You must be, or appoint, a designated premises supervisor (DPS) when you apply for a premises licence. A DPS must have a personal licence to sell alcohol.
There may be other conditions added to your licence, such as having an age-checking policy if you sell alcohol.
Before applying we recommend you:
You will need the following information to complete this form:
You must display your ‘application notice’ at or on the premises for 28 days, this must start the day after you submit your application to us. View the advertising requirements.
Once you have completed your application you will be prompted to make an online payment. We cannot process your application until payment has been received.
If you already have an account, you can login and apply. You will be prompted to pay for your permit at the end of this application.
After you apply there is a 28 day consultation period, this means responsible authorities and any other person can make representations about a new premises licence application. If no representations are received, the application is granted with the relevant mandatory conditions and any conditions consistent with your operating schedule.
If representations are received, the application process can take longer as a licensing sub-committee might need to be arranged to to hear the application.
You can be fined up to £1,000 for failing to produce your licence on request.
If you carry out any licensable activities at your premises without a premises licence, you can be fined, sent to prison for up to 6 months, or both.
You'll need to provide:
The police have 14 days to comment on the application and can object if they think the application undermines the crime and disorder licensing objective. If the police object the application may be decided by the licensing sub-committee.
Change the designated premises supervisor (DPS)
By transferring the licence, the new owner will be able to carry out the same licensable activities as the previous owner.
You'll need to provide:
The police have 14 days to comment on the application and can object if they think the application undermines the crime and disorder licensing objective. If the police object the application may be decided by the licensing sub-committee.
Transfer the licence to a new operator
You'll need to provide:
You will also need to advertise your variation. View the advertising requirements.
There is a 28 day period during which the responsible authorities and any other person can make representations about a new premises licence application.
If representations are received, the application process can take longer as a licensing sub-committee might need to be arranged to hear the application.
Minor variations include:
You can't apply to increase the times for selling or supplying alcohol.
Full variations include:
You can't apply to increase the times for selling or supplying alcohol.
You'll need to provide:
You will also need to advertise your variation. View the advertising requirements.
There is a period of 10 working days during which the responsible authorities and any other person can make representations about a premises licence application. We will consider representations when deciding whether or not the minor variation should be allowed. If the application is refused there is no right to a hearing but you can resubmit your application as a full variation.
