Club premises certificates

A club can have a Premises Licence instead of, or as well as, a Club Premises Certificate. The advantage of having a Premises Licence is that members of the public may be admitted to take part in licensable activities, instead of just members and guests. Our licensing payments page explains what fees apply and how to pay them.

Qualifying clubs may apply for a Club Premises Certificate instead of a Premises Licence. This offers several benefits, including not having to nominate a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) or have a Personal Licence holder for the sale or supply of alcohol. 

A qualifying club:

• has a constitution and a set of club rules
• has a minimum of 25 members
• only supplies alcohol to, or on behalf of, a member
• must have a 48 hour waiting period for membership
• is managed by a committee.

It is now possible for community, church, chapel and village halls to apply to remove the conditions in which it states that they must have a Designated Premises Supervisor(DPS) who is a Personal Licence holder to authorise every supply of alcohol.  They can replace it by naming the management committee as responsible for the supply of alcohol. 

General conditions for qualifying clubs:

• a person may not be given membership or as a candidate for membership to any membership privileges without an interval of at least two days from their membership application or nomination and their membership being granted
• that club rules state that those becoming member without nomination or application cannot have membership privileges for at least two days between them becoming members and being admitted to the club;
• that the club is established and conducted in good faith;
• that the club has at least 25 members;
• that alcohol is only supplied to members on the premises on behalf of or by the club.

Additional conditions relating to the supply of alcohol:

• that alcohol purchased for and supplied by the club is only to members of club who are over 18 years of age and are elected to do so by the members;
• that no person at the expense of the club receives any commission, percentage or other similar payment in regard to the purchase of alcohol by the club;
• that there are no arrangements for anyone to receive a financial benefit from supplying alcohol, apart from any benefit to the club or to any person indirectly from the supply giving a gain from running the club.

Registered industrial and provident societies and friendly societies will qualify if the alcohol is purchased for and supplied by the club is done under the control of the members or a committee of members.

You must complete:

• the Declaration and new application form club premises certificate and send this with the correct payment. Our licensing payments page‌ explains what fees apply and how to pay them. If you have paid by debit/credit card or by bacs before you have submitted your application form then you must include a copy of your receipt with the application. Any application received without the payment will not be processed.‌
• Public notice of new club premises certificate. 

If posting in the application form(s) (except minor variations) you are required to serve a copy of the application, including the accompanying documentation, to the responsible authorities on the same day as the application is given to us. If the application is submitted electronically, we will provide copies to the responsible authorities. We can only accept applications for premises within our local authority area.

Our licensing payments page explains what fees apply and how to pay them.

If the annual fee is not paid your Club Premises Certificate will be suspended until the payment has been paid. This means you will not be able to open to provide licensable activities. Carrying out unlicensed licensable activities carries a penalty of an unlimited fine and up to six months imprisonment on conviction.

Any business buying alcohol from a UK wholesaler for onward supply to their customers will need to check that their wholesaler has been approved by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) under the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme (AWRS).