Personal licence application for the sale of alcohol

All sales of alcohol must be made by, or under the authority of, a personal licence holder. Personal licences are now granted indefinitely with no expiry date. Equally, if you hold an existing personal licence - this remains valid indefinitely and the expiry date should be disregarded. Should you wish to update your licence to remove the expiry date a fee will be charged.

Do I need a licence?

Not everyone who makes a sale of alcohol must hold a personal licence, but a personal licence holder must authorise the sale. This does not apply to sales that take place at premises which hold a club premises licence, or premises operating under a temporary event notice (TEN).

Applications for a personal licence must be made to the Council in whose district the applicant lives.

More than one personal licence holder can work at the same premises.

Applicants may also choose to become a personal licence holder if they wish to apply for more than five TENs a year (but otherwise would not require one).

If the application for a premises licence includes consent to supply or sell alcohol (but not a club premises licence), a designated premises supervisor (DPS) must be appointed. This is the person(s) who will be the first point of contact with the Council or responsible authorities should they have concerns regarding the operation of the premises.

You cannot become a DPS unless you are a personal licence holder.

Qualifying clubs do not need a DPS to sell alcohol to members and guests but this exemption does not apply if the premises are hired out for functions e.g. wedding receptions.

A full premises licence is required for those activities (unless a small number of events are held, which can be authorised under a TEN) and therefore must appoint a DPS.

Applicants must be over 18.

What do I need to apply?

Checklist

1.Licensing qualification that has been accredited by the Secretary of State

(the current list of accredited qualifications is available on the following web page Accredited Personal Licence Qualification Providers –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accredited-personal-licence-qualification-providers/accredited-personal-licence-qualification-providers ).

This ensures that licence holders are aware of licensing law and the wider social responsibilities attached to the sale of alcohol.

2. basic criminal conviction certificate, which can be obtained online https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record.

the date of issue shall be no earlier than one calendar month before the giving of the application to the relevant authority

Basic DBS Checks Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/basic-dbs-checks-guidance

3. fee of £37.00

4. two photographs which are:

taken against a light background so that the applicant's features are distinguishable and contrast against the background,
45 millimetres by 35 millimetres,
full face uncovered and without sunglasses and, unless the applicant wears a head covering due to his religious beliefs, without a head covering
on photographic paper, and
endorsed by either
- a solicitor or notary,
- a person of standing in the community, such as a bank or building society official,
- a police officer, a civil servant or a minister of religion or,
- an individual with a professional qualification.

5. Document(s) which demonstrates entitlement to work in the UK. Refer to application guidance for more information.

How do I apply?

Please send completed applications to the address below. Once a completed application has been received, we will contact you with payment options.

Licensing Department, Civic Office, Waterdale, Doncaster, DN1 3BU

Please note: if you post original documents in to us, they will be posted back by 2nd class post and we do not accept liability if they are lost. If you do not wish to send original documents in the post, you can visit Civic office reception where authorised copies can be taken.

How much does it cost?

£37.00

How long does the process take?

Our normal processing time is 14 days from receipt of a completed application, however due to a high demand on the service, application processing times are currently being affected. We are working hard to return to normal processing times and we appreciate your patience and understanding at this time.

Apply now

Doncaster Personal Licence Application (5) Download (92KB - ODT)

Additional Information

Relevant offences

If there are relevant offences, the police can make a representation against the application on crime prevention grounds. If the police make a representation there will be a hearing of the representation.

If no objections are received from the police, the licence will be issued.

A list of relevant offences under the licensing act can be found here:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/17/schedule/4

Change of name or address

You must inform the licensing department of any change to your name or address.

A person commits an offence if they fail, without reasonable excuse, to comply with this.

The original personal licence must be returned to the licensing department along with the prescribed fee of £10.50, with the completed form or a covering letter informing us of your new name or address details. An amended licence will be sent to you.