Guide
Premises licence cost: the council fee by band, the annual fee and extras
Updated
A premises licence costs £100 to £635 to apply for and £70 to £350 a year after that, set by the rateable value band of the premises. The fees are national, set by the Licensing Act 2003 (Fees) Regulations 2005, and every council we read publishes the same figures.
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The fee for each band
| Band | Rateable value | Application fee | Annual fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | No rateable value, or up to £4,300 | £100 | £70 | Manchester City Council: Premises licence fees |
| Band B | £4,301 to £33,000 | £190 | £180 | Manchester City Council: Premises licence fees |
| Band C | £33,001 to £87,000 | £315 | £295 | Manchester City Council: Premises licence fees |
| Band D | £87,001 to £125,000 | £450 | £320 | Manchester City Council: Premises licence fees |
| Band E | £125,001 or more | £635 | £350 | Manchester City Council: Premises licence fees |
GOV.UK says application fees range from £100 to £1,905 depending on the fee band of the venue, and that premises with no rateable value fall into the lowest band.
Source: GOV.UK: Premises licence (England and Wales)
When the fee is higher
Bands D and E pay more where the premises is used mainly or only for selling alcohol to drink there. Braintree publishes £900 for band D and £1,905 for band E in that case, and Manchester gives the same multiplied figures (band D times 2, band E times 3), with annual fees of £640 and £1,050.
Source: Braintree District Council: Premises licences
A venue that holds 5,000 people or more pays an additional fee on top, starting at £1,000 for a capacity of 5,000 to 9,999 and rising with capacity, according to Swale Borough Council's fee page.
Source: Swale Borough Council: Alcohol licensing, apply and pay
The smaller fees
- A minor variation: £89.
- Changing the designated premises supervisor: £23.
- Transferring the licence to a new holder: £23.
- A replacement licence or summary: £10.50.
Source: Central Bedfordshire Council: Fees for premises licences
Those are the fees Central Bedfordshire Council publishes; Slough marks the same figures as statutory.
Source: Central Bedfordshire Council: Fees for premises licences
What a licensing consultant adds
The council's fee pays for the council to process the application. Preparing it, the forms, the operating schedule, a plan drawn to scale and the notices, is the work a licensing consultant does for a fee of its own, and few publish that price. Tell us about the premises and they will quote you.
Source: Swale Borough Council: Alcohol licensing, apply and pay