Advice for alcohol businesses

Licensing your business

If you wish to sell alcohol, your premises must be licensed. Applications are made to your local licensing board. You must be 18 years or older to make the application which must include a description of the premises, an operating plan, a layout plan of the premises, and certificates for planning (Section 50 licence application), building standards and, if relevant, food hygiene. Your premises will also require a personal licence holder to sell and authorise the sale of alcohol. Conditions will be attached to a licence.

Apply for an Extended Hours Licence

You can apply for an Extended Hours Licence to extend the opening hours of your licenced premises in connection with –

a special event or occasion to be catered for on the premises; or
a special event of local or national significance

Apply for a Personal Licence

This is a portable licence granted to an individual enabling him/her to sell alcohol at a premises licensed for the sale of alcohol.

The licence's duration is ten years.
An individual must be aged 18 or over.
An applicant for a personal licence must hold a licensing qualification from an accredited trainer and must not have had a personal licence revoked in the preceding 5 years.

Apply for an Occasional Licence

If you hold a premises licence, a personal licence or are from a voluntary organisation and wish to sell alcohol for an event from premises that are not licensed, you will need to apply for an occasional licence. There is a £10 fee for this application.

Read pending licence applications

Licensing Advice

Licensing Standards

Find out more about the licensing standards and seek further advice.

Public Drinking Byelaws

In some areas of Argyll and Bute there are byelaws in place prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in public.

Personal Licence Refresher Training

A personal licence has a currency of 10 years and must be renewed prior to the 10th anniversary of issue by a licensing board. In addition, Section 87 of The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 requires that prior to the 5th anniversary of issue, and every 5 years thereafter, the licence holder must undergo mandatory refresher training.