Apply for a temporary event notice

Before you start

You should read this guidance before giving a temporary event notice.

There is an application fee of £21 for both standard and late temporary event notices.

A fee is required for each Temporary Event Notice submitted. You will need a credit or debit card to make this payment.

It will take around 15 minutes to complete the form. Once you have read the information, you can complete the online application below.

Apply for a temporary event notice form

General guidance

The person who gives a temporary event notice is called a "Premises user."

The police, and the local authority (exercising Environmental Health functions), may intervene on the grounds of any of the four licensing objectives below to prevent the occurrence of an event at which permitted temporary activities are to take place, or to agree a modification of the arrangements for such an event:

The prevention of crime and disorder
Public safety
The prevention of public nuisance
The protection of children from harm

The licensing authority will also intervene in the cases described below:

We will issue a counter notice if there is an objection to a Late Temporary Event Notice.

We may issue a notice in relation to our decision to impose conditions on a temporary event notice.

We will issue a counter notice if the first, second, third and fifth of the limits set out below would be exceeded. If any of the limits below are breached or if a counter notice has been issued, any licensable activities taking place would be unauthorised and the premises user would be liable to prosecution. The limitations apply to:

The number of times a person may give a temporary event notice (50 times per year for a personal licence holder and 5 times per year for other people)
The number of times a person may give a late temporary event notice (10 times per year for a personal licence holder and 2 times per year for other people)
The number of times a temporary event notice may be given in respect of any particular premises (20 times in a calendar year)
The length of time a temporary event may last for these purposes (168 hours or 7 days)
The maximum aggregate duration of the periods covered by temporary event notices at any individual premises (26 days per calendar year); and
The scale of the event in terms of the maximum number of people attending at any one time (a maximum of 499)

For the purposes of determining the overall limits of 50 temporary event notices per personal licence holder (in a calendar year), and of five for a non-personal licence holder (in a calendar year), temporary event notices given by an associate or a person who is in business with a premises user (and that business involves carrying on licensable activities) count towards those totals.

The limits applying to late temporary event notices are included within the overall limits applying to the total number of temporary event notices.

Read more information on an "associate".

When permitted temporary activities take place, a premises user must ensure that either:

A copy of the temporary event notice is prominently displayed at the premises; or
The temporary event notice is kept at the premises either in their custody or in the custody of a person present and working at the premises and whom they have nominated for that purpose

Where the temporary event notice is in the custody of a nominated person, a notice specifying that fact and the position held by that person must be displayed prominently at the premises.

Where the temporary event notice or a notice specifying the nominated person is not displayed, a constable or an authorised person (for example, a Licensing Officer, Fire Officer, or Environmental Health Officer) may require the premises user to produce the temporary event notice for examination. Similarly, where the nominated person has the temporary event notice in their custody, a constable or authorised person may require that person to produce it for examination. Failure to produce the temporary event notice without reasonable excuse would be an offence.

It should also be noted that the following, among other things, are offences under the Licensing Act 2003:

The sale or supply of alcohol to children under 18 years of age (subject to an unlimited fine on conviction)
Allowing the sale of alcohol to children under 18 (subject to an unlimited fine on conviction)
Knowingly allowing the consumption of alcohol on the premises by a person aged under 18 (subject to an unlimited fine, on conviction)
Allowing disorderly behaviour on the premises (subject to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, on conviction)
The sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk (subject to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, on conviction)
Obtaining alcohol for a person who is drunk (subject to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, on conviction)
Knowingly allowing a person aged under 18 to make any sale or supply of alcohol unless the sale or supply has been specifically approved by the premises user or any individual aged 18 or over who has been authorised for this purpose by the premises user (subject to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale, on conviction);
and knowingly keeping or allowing to be kept on the premises any smuggled goods which have been imported without payment of duty or which have otherwise been unlawfully imported (subject to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, on conviction). In addition, where the premises are to be used primarily or exclusively for the sale or supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises
It is an offence to allow children under 16 to be present when the premises are open for that purpose unless they are accompanied by an adult. In the case of any premises at which sales or supplies of alcohol are taking place at all
It is an offence for a child under 16 to be present there between the hours of midnight and 5am unless accompanied by an adult. In both instances, the penalty on conviction is a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, currently £1,000.

Premises user

A temporary event notice may only be given by an individual and not, for example, by an organisation, club, or business. The individual giving the notice is the proposed "premises user." Within businesses, clubs, or organisations, one individual will therefore need to be identified as the proposed premises user.

Receipt of your notice

If you have included an email address in your online application form, the licensing authority will send acknowledgement of receipt of your notice, or any notice or counter notice it is required to give under sections 104A, 106A or 107 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Premises

For the purposes of the Licensing Act 2003, "premises" means any place. Premises will therefore not always be a building with a formal address and postcode. Premises can include, for example, public parks, recreation grounds and private land.

If a premises licence or club premises certificate has effect in relation to the premises (or any part of the premises) which you want to use to carry on licensable activities, it is possible that any conditions which apply to the licence or certificate may be imposed on the temporary event notice if certain pre-conditions are met.

These pre-conditions are that the police or the local authority exercising environmental health functions object to the notice and the licensing authority decides:

not to give a counter notice under section 105 of the Licensing Act 2003
the conditions apply to the licence or certificate; and
the imposition of the conditions on the notice would not be inconsistent with the carrying on of the licensable activities under the notice

Part use of a building

A temporary event notice can be given for part of a building, such as a single room or a plot within a larger area of land. You should provide a clear description of the area in which you propose to carry on licensable activities. This is important as any licensable activities conducted outside the area of the premises protected by the authority of this temporary event notice would be unlawful and could lead to prosecution.

Maximum number of people allowed on premises when licensable activities are taking place

In addition, when holding the proposed event, the premises user would need to be able to restrict the number of people on the premises at any one time when licensable activities are taking place to less than 500. If more than 499 are on the premises when licensable activities are being carried on, the licensable activities would be unlawful, and the premises user would be liable to prosecution. The maximum figure of 499 includes, for example, staff, organisers, stewards, and performers.

Description of the nature of the premises

When completing your application, providing a description of the nature of the premises will assist the Chief Officer of Police and local authority exercising Environmental Health functions in deciding if any issues relating to the licensing objectives are likely to arise. You should state clearly that the premises to be used are, for example, a public house, a restaurant, an open field, a village hall, or a beer tent.

Description of the nature of the event

When completing your application, providing a description of the nature of the event will assist the Chief Officer of Police and local authority exercising Environmental Health functions when deciding whether to make an objection. You should state clearly that the event taking place at the premises would be, for example, a wedding with a pay bar, the supply of beer at a particular farmers' market, a discotheque, the performance of a string quartet, a folk group, or a rock band.

Licensable activities

The licensable activities are:

The sale by retail of alcohol
The supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of a club
The provision of regulated entertainment; and
The provision of late-night refreshment

Regulated entertainment

Regulated entertainment, subject to specified conditions and exemptions, includes:

(a) A performance of a play

(b) An exhibition of a film

(d) A boxing or wrestling entertainment

(e) A performance of live music

(f) Any playing of recorded music

(g) A performance of dance; and

(h) Entertainment of a similar description to that falling within (e), (f) or (g)

In terms of specific regulated entertainments please note that:

Plays: no licence is required for performances between 8am and 11pm on any day, provided that the audience does not exceed 500
Dance: no licence is required for performances between 8am and 11pm on any day, provided that the audience does not exceed 500. However, a performance which amounts to adult entertainment remains licensable
Films: no licence is required for 'not-for-profit' film exhibition held in community premises between 8am and 11pm on any day provided that the audience does not exceed 500 and the organiser (a) gets consent to the screening from a person who is responsible for the premises; and (b) ensures that each such screening abides by age classification ratings
Indoor sporting events: no licence is required for performances between 8am and 11pm on any day, provided that the audience does not exceed 1000
Boxing or wrestling entertainment: no licence is required for a contest, exhibition or display of Greco-Roman wrestling, or freestyle wrestling between 8am and 11pm on any day, provided that the audience does not exceed 1000. Combined fighting sports - defined as a contest, exhibition or display which combines boxing or wrestling with one or more martial arts - are licensable as a boxing or wrestling entertainment rather than an indoor sporting event
Live music: no licence permission is required for:
- a performance of unamplified live music between 8am and 11pm on any day, on any premises
- a performance of amplified live music between 8am and 11pm on any day on premises authorised to sell alcohol for consumption on those premises, provided that the audience does not exceed 500. A performance of amplified live music between 8am and 11pm on any day, in a workplace that is not licensed to sell alcohol on those premises, provided that the audience does not exceed 500
- a performance of amplified live music between 8am and 11pm on any day, in a church hall, village hall, community hall, or other similar community premises, that is not licensed by a premises licence to sell alcohol, provided that (a) the audience does not exceed 500, and (b) the organiser gets consent for the performance from a person who is responsible for the premises
- a performance of amplified live music between 8am and 11pm on any day, at the non-residential premises of (i) a local authority, or (ii) a school, or (iii) a hospital, provided that (a) the audience does not exceed 500, and (b) the organiser gets consent for the performance on the relevant premises from: (i) the local authority concerned, or (ii) the school or (iii) the health care provider for the hospital
Recorded Music: no licence permission is required for:
- any playing of recorded music between 8am and 11pm on any day on premises authorised to sell alcohol for consumption on those premises, provided that the audience does not exceed 500
- any playing of recorded music between 8am and 11pm on any day, in a church hall, village hall, community hall, or other similar community premises, that is not licensed by a premises licence to sell alcohol, provided that (a) the audience does not exceed 500, and (b) the organiser gets consent for the performance from a person who is responsible for the premises
- any playing of recorded music between 8am and 11pm on any day, at the non-residential premises of (i) a local authority, or (ii) a school, or (iii) a hospital, provided that (a) the audience does not exceed 500, and (b) the organiser gets consent for the performance on the relevant premises from: (i) the local authority concerned, or (ii) the school proprietor or (iii) the health care provider for the hospital
Cross activity exemptions: no licence is required between 8am and 11pm on any day, with no limit on audience size for:
- any entertainment taking place on the premises of the local authority where the entertainment is provided by or on behalf of the local authority
- any entertainment taking place on the hospital premises of the health care provider where the entertainment is provided by or on behalf of the health care provider
- any entertainment taking place on the premises of the school where the entertainment is provided by or on behalf of the school proprietor; and
- any entertainment (excluding films and a boxing or wrestling entertainment) taking place at a travelling circus, provided that (a) it takes place within a moveable structure that accommodates the audience, and (b) that the travelling circus has not been located on the same site for more than 28 consecutive days

If you are uncertain whether the activities that you propose are licensable, you can get advice by completing the online licensing enquiry form.

Late Temporary Event Notice

Late notices can be given no later than five working days but no earlier than nine working days before the event in relation to which the notice is given. A late notice given later than five working days before the event to which it relates will be returned as void and the activities described in it will not be authorised.

The number of late notices that can be given in any one calendar year is limited to 10 for personal licence holders and two for non-personal licence holders. These count towards the total number of temporary event notices (for example, 50 temporary event notices per year for personal licence holders and five temporary event notices for non-personal licence holders).

If there is an objection from either the police or local authority exercising environmental health functions, the event will not go ahead, and a counter notice will be issued.

Maximum period of licensable activity

The maximum period for using premises for licensable activities under the authority of a temporary event notice is 168 hours or seven days.

You should state the times during the event period, for example 48 hours, when you intend to carry on licensable activities. For example, you may not intend to carry on licensable activities throughout the entire 48-hour event period and may intend to sell alcohol between 8am and 11pm on each of the two days.

Maximum capacity

No more than 499 may be on the premises for a temporary event at any one time when licensable activities are being carried on. If you intend to have more than 499 attending the event, you should obtain a premises licence for the event. Your licensing authority should be able to advise you. The maximum figure of 499 includes not only the audience, spectators, or consumers but also, for example, staff, organisers, stewards, and performers who will be present on the premises.

Alcohol consumption on the premises

If you indicate that alcohol will be supplied only for consumption on the premises, you are required to ensure that no person leaves the premises with alcohol supplied there. If such a supply takes place, the premises user may be liable to prosecution for carrying on an unauthorised licensable activity. Similarly, if the premises user gives notice that only supplies of alcohol for consumption off the premises will take place, they must ensure that alcohol supplied is not consumed on the premises. The premises user is free to give notice that they intend to carry on both types of supplies. For this purpose, the supply of alcohol includes:

The sale by retail of alcohol
The supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of a club

Relevant entertainment

Relevant entertainment is defined in the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982("the 1982 Act") as any live performance or any live display of nudity which is of such a nature that, ignoring financial gain, it must reasonably be assumed to be provided solely or principally for the purpose of sexually stimulating any member of the audience (whether by verbal or other means). Relevant entertainment therefore includes, but is not limited to, lap dancing and pole dancing.

The 1982 Act requires premises which provide relevant entertainment to be licensed under that Act for this purpose. Premises at which there have not been more than eleven occasions on which such entertainment has been provided within a period of 12 months, no such occasion has lasted for more than 24 hours and there has been a period of at least one month between each such occasion are exempt from the requirement to obtain a licence under the 1982 Act. Such premises are likely instead to require an authorisation under the Licensing Act 2003 to be used for such activities as these are a licensable activity.

Personal licence - limited to 50 per year

The holder of a valid personal licence issued under the Licensing Act 2003 may give up to 50 temporary event notices in any calendar year subject to the other limitations in the 2003 Act. A proposed premises user who holds such a licence should give the details requested.

A personal licence holder (issued under the Licensing Act 2003) may give up to 50 temporary event notices (including 10 late notices) in any calendar year. An individual who does not hold a personal licence may only give 5 temporary event notices (including 2 late notices) in England and Wales in any calendar year. A calendar year is the period between 1 January to 31 December inclusive in any year.

If an event straddles two calendar years, it will count against the limits on temporary event notices (15 for each premises, 21 days for each premises, 50 per personal licence holder and 5 for non-holders) for each year. However, only one notice needs to be given. For the purposes of determining the overall limits of 50 temporary event notices per personal licence holder (in a calendar year) and of 5 for a non-personal licence holder (in a calendar year), temporary event notices given by an associate or a person who is in business with a premises user (and that business involves carrying on licensable activities) count towards those totals. Associates section below sets out the definition of an "associate."

If a temporary event notice has been given for the same premises, by the same premises user, and would have effect within 24 hours before the start of the event period under the current proposal or within 24 hours after the end of that period, the temporary event notice given would be void and any licensable activities carried on under it would therefore be unlicensed. For the purposes of determining whether the required gap of 24 hours is upheld, temporary event notices given by an associate or a person who is in business with a premises user (and that business involves carrying on licensable activities) count as if they had been given by the premises user.

Associates

An "associate" of the proposed premises user is:

a) The spouse or civil partner of that person

b) A child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, brother, or sister of that person

c) An agent or employee of that person; or

d) The spouse or civil partner of a person within (b) or (c)

e) For these purposes, a person living with another as that person's husband or wife is to be treated as that person's spouse

Timescales, and multiple licensing authority applications

It is a requirement that you send at least one copy of this notice to the licensing authority at least 10 working days (or five working days for a late notice) before the commencement of the proposed licensable activities. If you supply an email address the authority will give you written acknowledgement of the receipt of the notice. This will be important proof that you gave the notice and when you gave it for the purposes of the Act. Some premises may be situated in two licensing authority areas, for example, where a building or field straddles the local authority boundary. Where this is the case, at least one copy of the notice must be sent to each of the licensing authorities identified, together with the appropriate fee in each case. In such circumstances, you will receive acknowledgements from all the relevant licensing authorities.

One copy must be sent to each of the Chief Officer of Police and the Local Authority exercising Environmental Health functions for the area in which the premises is situated at least 10 working days for a standard notice (or five working days for a late notice) before the commencement of the proposed licensable activities. Where the premises are situated in two Police areas or Environmental Health areas, a further copy will need to be sent to the further Police Force and Local Authority exercising Environmental Health functions.

Conditions

Under the Licensing Act 2003, all temporary event notices are given subject to a mandatory condition requiring that where the licensable activities involve the supply of alcohol, all such supplies must be made by or under the authority of the named premises user. If there is a breach of this condition, the premises user and the individual making the supply in question would be liable to prosecution. For this purpose, the supply of alcohol includes:

The sale by retail of alcohol
The supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of a club

Making a false statement

It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in, or in connection with, a Temporary Event Notice. (A person is to be treated as making a false statement if they produce, furnishes, signs, or otherwise makes use of a document that contains a false statement.) To do so could result in prosecution and an unlimited fine.