Personal Licences

Your Personal Licence application will cost £37.00. The licence lasts for 10 years.

You will also have to allow time and money for training and obtaining documents (see below).

You will need a Personal Licence:

• if you are designated as the premises supervisor on a Premises Licence for a premises where alcohol is to be sold (on-sales, off-sales, or restaurant)
• if you want to sell alcohol under a Premises Licence or authorise others to sell alcohol under a Premises Licence
• if you want to use more than 5 Temporary Event Notices in each calendar year

How long it takes

The Licensing Act 2003 gives the licensing authority up to two months to process applications for Personal Licences. 

Most applications for Personal Licences will be straightforward to process and some will be done quickly. Personal Licences become effective on the day they are granted.

When to apply

You will need time and money to:

• book onto a training course and get a qualification
• obtain a certificate of criminal record history

Qualifications

The DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport) must accredit training courses before we can accept qualifications for Personal Licence applications. Their website has a list of Accredited Personal Licence Qualification Providers.

Where to apply

You should apply for a Personal Licence to the licensing authority for the area in which you live, rather than that in which you work.

We only accept applications from applicants who live in the Oxford City Council area, but may be able to advise you if you live outside the city.

What you need to send to us

Make sure you send us all of the following:

• Completed Personal Licence Application Form (34kB PDF)
• Two photographs of yourself, one of which must be endorsed
• Completed Disclosure of criminal convictions (24kB PDF)
• Your criminal record details
• Your licensing qualification
• A cheque for £37.00

You do not need to send anything to the police.

Cash can only be accepted if applying in person. Do not send cash through the post.

Renewal

Personal Licence Renewal Application Form (32kB PDF)

Useful documents

You may find the following checklist helpful in ensuring you have completed your application correctly:

Application Checklist (26kB PDF)

Change of address for Personal Licence holders

You must inform us in writing as soon as possible if you change address while holding a Personal Licence. Include the existing licence (both the card and the paper licence) and a cheque for the fee of £10.50.

Page last reviewed 23 April 2012