FAQ - Fees  

• How much will a licence/certificate cost
• Who sets the fees?
• What is the fee for?
• Will the fees vary from area to area?
• These figures are more than I pay for my current licence – why is this?
• Will it cost more for a premises licence to be authorised for the provision of regulated entertainment or late night refreshment?
• What about the fees for giving temporary event notices?
• Will a fee be payable if I make an application for a premises licence on behalf of a village or community hall or a school?
• What about fees for variations and other notices etc?
• What will happen if I don't pay my annual fee?
• Can I pay in instalments?
• Will the fees stay the same forever?

How much will a licence/certificate cost?

The fee for applying for a premises licence or club premises certificate is between £100 and £635, based on the rateable value of the premises. A multiplier fee applies to premises licences in bands D and E where they are exclusively or primarily in the business of selling alcohol (mainly large town and city centre pubs). There will also be an annual charge of between £70 and £350 to cover any subsequent inspections and enforcement. An additional premises fee is applicable for exceptionally large events of a temporary nature and based on the number in attendance at any one time.

The fee for a personal licence application is £37, with the same fee on each renewal, at ten yearly intervals.

Who sets the fees?

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport..

What is the fee for?

The fee is to fully recover the administration, inspection and enforcement costs of licensing authorities, which arise out of the carrying out their licensing functions under the Act. This is to avoid any need for council tax payers to subsidise these costs.

Will the fees vary from area to area?

The central setting of fees will remove the considerable and widespread regional inconsistencies that currently exist with fee levels in relation to the provision of regulated entertainment and late night refreshment. For example, the current cost of an existing public entertainment licence varies across the country by as much as 600 percent between neighbouring authorities.

However, in order to reflect certain differences in the costs of administering the licensing regime the Government has used the non-domestic rateable value of an individual premises as the basis for allocating a fee band. The Government favours non-domestic rateable value because it is in part calculated on the size, turnover and location of a premises. Premises without a non-domestic rateable values are allocated to the lowest fee band, given that such applicants are unblikely to give rise to significant inspection and enforecment costs.

These figures are more than I pay for my current licence – why is this?

The Government believes that licensing fees must be set at a level to recover fully the licensing authorities' costs of administration, inspection and enforcement. Unless an applicant requests otherwise, a premises licence will be valid until it is surrendered or forfeited, it lapses, or it is revoked. This is compared to the current requirement for an annual application for the grant of a public entertainment licence, or the three yearly renewal for justice's licences. Overall, we estimate that industry will save almost £2 billion over the first ten years as a result of the reforms contained in the Act, largely through savings in legal costs and the applications for the many additional permissions, renewals etc which are required under current law.

Will it cost more for a premises licence to be authorised for the provision of regulated entertainment or late night refreshment?

No. The fee for a premises licence or club premises certificate is the same regardless of whether you apply at the same time for it to authorise one, two or all of the licensable activities.

What about the fees for giving temporary event notices?

Temporary event notices (TENs) replace the current system of occasional permissions and will cost £21 per event. More details on a TEN can be obtained in the permitted temporary activities section of this website.

Will a fee be payable if I make an application for a premises licence on behalf of a village or community hall or a school?

Although you will still require a premises licence for such premises if they are used to carry on licensable activities, there is to be an exemption from the requirement to pay the fee in respect of the provision of regulated entertainment only (in the case of the school if the entertainment is provided by the school but not otherwise). If the authority for use of the school or hall also requires permission to sell alcohol or provide late night refreshment, then the fee for a premises licence or a temporary event notice for the supply of alcohol or the provision of late night refreshment will be payable. Licensing authority costs in respect of these exemptions for the provision of regulated entertainment are being met by central government.

What about fees for variations and other notices etc?

Fees for variations (excluding changes of name and address etc or changes of designated premises supervisor) will be between £100 and £635, depending on the rateable value band.

During transition, an additional charge will apply to vary conditions which relate to the supply of alcohol. The fee will be between £20 - £120, and based on the rateable value bands.

What will happen if I don't pay my annual fee?

If you do not pay your annual fee, the fee will be recoverable as a debt by the licensing authority.

Can I pay in instalments?

No. The fee will be payable in full at the time of application and also at the time stipulated in regulations in respect of the annual fee.

Will the fees stay the same forever?

Not necessarily. The Secretary of State can alter fee levels at any time by means of amending regulations and fee levels will be monitored to ensure that they are enabling licensing authorities to recover fully their costs. If it proves necessary to raise the fees in the future, they would be increased. Similarly, the fees could be reduced if experience showed that they had been set too high.