Personal Licence application

A personal licence allows you to sell alcohol and authorise sales of alcohol under the authority of a premises licence.

Criteria for applying

To apply for a personal licence, you have to:

• A resident within the boundaries of South Staffordshire
• Aged 18 or above
• Have not forfeited any personal licence in the last five years
•  Alcohol licensing: personal licences - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Please provide:

• An original accredited licensing qualification
• 2 Passport sized photographs
  • One signed
  • include a statement verifying the likeness of the photograph to the applicant.
• Right to work documentation
• An original basic disclosure

Fees

The fee for a personal licence is £37.

When you apply for your personal licence, the date on the disclosure must be no more than one calendar month old. Request a basic DBS check - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

We refer any applications to Staffordshire Police if they have either

• unspent relevant offences
• foreign offences

They may object to you holding a licence.

Whether your offence is spent or not will be determined by reference to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 which sets out the “rehabilitation" periods applicable for each offence.

If the police take the view that the council granting you a licence would undermine the ‘crime prevention' objective then they will give the council a notice to that effect. The notice should say why the police are of that view. If a notice is given then there will generally be a hearing held at the council to determine whether you should be granted a licence or not. At the hearing the police will be allowed to amplify their concerns and you will be given the opportunity to ask questions of the police and address those concerns.

If the members of the committee who hear the application feel it is appropriate (having considered everything) to reject your application so as to promote the crime prevention objective then they will do so. You will be given confirmation of the decision and reasons for the same in writing. You will have the right of appeal to the local Magistrate's Court. You must lodge your appeal within 21 days of receiving the decision and reasons in writing. You may have to pay a fee to the court to begin your appeal.

If you change address you must let us know, in writing, as soon as practicable.

If you are ever charged with a relevant offence then no later than the first time you appear in court you must produce your licence to the court. If that is not practicable you must notify the court that you are a personal licence holder and that this council issued it to you and tell them why you cannot produce it.

If you are convicted of the offence then the court should provide details to us. We will then endorse your licence.

The court can suspend or forfeit your licence following your conviction.

If for some reason you do not tell the court you are a personal licence holder then you must tell this council if you are convicted of a relevant offence

Failure to produce/ notify the court and, separately, failure to tell, this council is a criminal offence and can, later on, lead to the suspension/ forfeiture of your licence.

Renewing Your Personal Licence

From 1st April 2015, under the provisions of the Deregulation Act 2015, the requirement to renew a personal licence was removed.

Therefore if you have a licence with an expiry date of 1st April 2015 onwards your licence is taken as having no expiry date.

Lost, Damaged or Stolen Licences

If you lose or damage your licence or it is or destroyed or stolen, you can apply to us for a copy. The request should be made in writing and you will have to pay a fee of £10.50 before the replacement can be issued.

Contact

Post: Licensing Team, South Staffordshire Council, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, WV8 1PX

Email: licensing@sstaffs.gov.uk

Telephone: 01902 696804