No — the Licensing Act 2003 does not apply in Scotland. Instead, Scotland operates under its own legislation.
The sale of alcohol and related licensing matters in Scotland are governed by the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, which came into force in September 2009. While it shares many principles with the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales, there are key differences in structure and enforcement.
Licensing Objectives: Scotland has five licensing objectives (England and Wales have four). The additional one is ‘Protecting and Improving Public Health’.
Licensing Boards: Local Licensing Boards in Scotland handle applications and enforcement, rather than local councils.
Personal Licence Training: Scottish Personal Licence Holders must complete refresher training every five years to keep their Personal Licence valid.
Minimum Unit Pricing: Scotland introduced minimum unit pricing for alcohol in 2018, a policy not currently in place in England, but is in Wales.
If you wish to discuss a Licensing issue in Scotland, The Licensing Guys ™ will refer you onto our trusted partner in Scotland for no additional cost.
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