What Licences do you need to run an Alcohol Home Delivery Service?

A Premises Licence is required for any location where alcohol is sold or supplied on a permanent basis. For a home delivery operation, this means the physical site where alcohol is stored, packed, and dispatched—not the delivery destination.

A Personal Licence for the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS): You need a named individual with a Personal Licence who takes responsibility for alcohol sales.

Key Requirements for Your Operation:

To legally run a home delivery alcohol business, you must ensure:

• Off-Sales Permission: Your Premises Licence must explicitly allow the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises. This is crucial—even if you’re not serving alcohol on-site.
• Operating Hours: Alcohol deliveries must comply with your licensed hours.
• If hot food or drink is included with the alcohol offering between 11pm and 5am, you will also need Late Night Refreshment on your Premises Licence.
• Secure Storage – Alcohol must be stored securely at the licensed premises. You cannot dispatch from a location that isn’t licensed.
• Age Verification Protocols -You must implement robust age checks both at the point of sale (online or phone) and upon delivery. This includes ID checks and refusal policies.

Pick, Pack, and Despatch Considerations:

1. The Premises: The site where alcohol is picked, packed, and dispatched must be the one covered by the Premises Licence.
2. Courier Services: If using third-party couriers, they must follow your age verification procedures. You remain liable for any breaches.
3. Record Keeping: Maintain logs of sales, deliveries, refusals, and training to demonstrate compliance.