Apply for a licence or permit
You should always ensure you have the relevant licences or permits before beginning your business venture. Licence applications can take some time, up to a year in some cases.
To apply, find the correct licence from our list and return the completed application pack.
Each type of licence provides information on
- who should apply
- timescales involved
- cost of licence application
- standard conditions attached to a licence.
Renewing a licence
Remember you cannot apply to renew a licence after it has expired.
If your licence is due for renewal over a weekend or a public holiday, you must submit an application form with the application fee by the close of business on the Friday before the weekend or the last business day before the public holiday.
If your category of licence can be renewed on GOV.UK, submit your application and have the payment confirmed before midnight on the day your licence is due to expire.
Please note we do not accept paper application forms, postal application forms, BACs, cash or cheque payments. We only accept electronic licence application forms and payments submitted using our electronic submission form
If you do not have access to a scanner, there are several scanning apps available to download which will allow you to take pictures of paper documents and convert them into one PDF containing multiple pages. The most frequently used are Microsoft Lens and Adobe Scan, both of which are free to download
You can upload your completed application form and make a payment using our form below. Before you attach your completed form or any other documents, please make sure that the image is clear and can be easily read.
If we cannot read your document properly, it may prevent the processing of your application. Please also ensure that all scanned documents or images are the correct way up and in the correct order, and that you upload your document as one attachment, not as individual pages
Upload a form and make payment
Civic and miscellaneous licensing privacy notice
Download our privacy notice for civic and miscellaneous licensing (PDF, 290KB)
Licensing - general enquiries
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 8.30am to 5pm, Tuesday 10am to 5pm and Friday 8.30am to 3.55pm.