If you wish to sell alcohol as a profession in the UK, you will require two things – in the form of Licences. The Personal Licence allows you to sell alcohol as a Person, and a Premises Licence allows you to sell it from your Premises. So far, all pretty straight forward? Think of it like driving a car: Your Driving Licence allows YOU to drive on a road, and the Vehicle Excise Licence allows the vehicle you are driving to be driven on a road.
Most of you reading this guide will already have a Personal Licence. To get one you have to be over 18, have passed an exam called the Award for Personal Licence Holders, not have any unspent relevant convictions on your record, and not have had a previous Personal Licence revoked (i.e. taken off you) in the past five years.
If you are progressing in your career from staff to management, you WILL need a Personal Licence, as you cannot be a Designated Premises Supervisor (aka ‘the boss’) of a Premises without a Personal Licence.
As concerns the qualification – the Award for Personal Licence Holders – it is a pretty intense course which usually only lasts a day, ends in an exam, of which the pass-mark of 70% is required. You can do this in a classroom with others, with a tutor on a one to one basis, or online alone.
✅ The Licensing Guys can train you in any of the three formats.
The cheapest avenue is the online route and can be accessed here. https://thelicensingguys.com/online-personal-license-course-exam
We can also help you complete the application forms which are then sent onto the Council with your application fee – currently £37.
The DBS Check can be carried out here for £18 https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record
☝️ You must keep your Personal Licence up to date on any changes in personal details, including any change of address.
✍️ Take out your Personal Licence. Does the passport photo of you still look like you? Have you changed your name on marriage etc? Do you still live at the same address as printed on the back?
😥 Can you still even FIND your Personal Licence?!?
✅ The Licensing Guys will help you fix ALL these things, as it is an offence to have an out of date Personal Licence, and our special mission is “keeping you legal & trading.”