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Date updated: 18/08/2025

Apply for a Personal Licence

A personal licence is required for individuals who wish to sell or supply alcohol or authorise the sale or supply of alcohol under the terms of a premises licence.

A designated premises supervisor must have a personal licence and every premises where alcohol is sold must have at least one personal licence holder, under the mandatory conditions of a premises licence.

An applicant for a personal licence must apply to the licensing authority where they ordinarily live. A licence will last for a period of 10 years unless it is surrendered or forfeited before the expiry date. There is an option to renew the licence for a further 10 years upon expiry.

Download the application form

Application for a personal licence PDF (260KB)
Date submitted: 21/01/20
Disclosure of convictions and declaration PDF (72KB)
Date submitted: 21/01/20

Completed applications should be sent to

City of London Licensing Team
PO box 270
Guildhall
London EC2P 2EJ

Eligibility criteria

​In order to be able to apply for a personal licence, a person must:

  • Be aged 18 or over;
  • Hold an accredited licensing qualification unless they are a member of the Company of the Master, Warden and Commonality of Vintners of the City of London;
  • Not have forfeited a personal licence within five years of their application;
  • Not have any unspent convictions for any relevant offences* in England or Wales or for any foreign offences

*Relevant offence refers to the offences listed in the Act that could, on conviction, rule out the grant or renewal of a personal licence to the applicant concerned. The statutory list of relevant offences can be viewed on the government's legislation website. View the list of relevant offences.

Regulation summary

​A summary of the regulations relating to this licence are available on GOV.UK

Application evaluation process

Applications must be in a specific format and be submitted to the licensing authority where the applicant ordinarily lives, together with the disclosure of convictions declaration and be accompanied by:

  • the required fee;
  • the original certificate of an approved licensing qualification;
  • two photographs of the applicant, one of which must be endorsed by a solicitor, notary, person of standing in the community or any professionally qualified person, with a statement verifying that the photograph is a true likeness of the applicant;
  • a basic criminal conviction certificate which must be under one month old upon the date that the application is received by the licensing authority.

If an application is submitted without a fee or one of the required documents, it will be considered incomplete and returned to the applicant.