Transfer an alcohol, entertainment and late night premises licence
If you take over a business and wish to carrying out licensable activities authorised by the premises licence in force at the premises then you must apply to transfer the premises licence.
You can transfer the premises licence in one of two ways:
Online
Apply online:
- Complete the form online (GOV.UK)
- Save a copy of the completed form for your own records
- Make the payment using a debit or credit card
- You do not need to send an additional copy to the Police or Home Office (Immigration Enforcement) when you make an online application, as we will fulfil these requirements.
Paper
Apply by paper:
- Download and complete the application form
- Keep a copy of the completed form for your own records
- Enclose the existing premises licence, or if not available a statement why the licence cannot be returned
- Send a copy to the:
Lavender Hill Police Station
176 Lavender Hill
London
SW11 1JX
And to
Home Office (Immigration Enforcement)Alcohol Licensing Team
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon CR9 2BY
You should note that the application process will not start until the fee is received.
Proof of entitlement to work
If you are applying as an individual or partnership (which is not a limited liability partnership) you must demonstrate that you have an entitlement to work in the UK and are not subject to a condition preventing you from doing work relating to the carrying on of a licensable activity. To do this you must provide copies or scanned copies of the relevant documents with your application.
Your right to work will be checked as part of your licensing application and this could involve us checking your immigration status with the Home Office. We may otherwise share information with the Home Office. Your licence application will not be determined until you have complied with this guidance.
Consent Form
The current licence holder must complete and sign a consent form that confirms they are happy to transfer the premises licence. If the form is completed by hand and sent in the post, this document must be the original and not a copy. If you are unable to obtain this form because you cannot contact the existing licence holder you should contact our office before submitting your application.
Fee
The application must be accompanied by the prescribed fee.
What happens next?
As soon as we receive your application, we will check to ensure that the application is valid and that it has been submitted to the police.
If we identify a problem
If there is a minor problem with the application, we may contact you for further information or may return the application to you for correction. Where there is a fundamental error, the application may be rejected.
Objections by the police or Home Office
If you apply to transfer an existing premises licence and the police or Home Office has concerns, they may object to the application (within 14 days). In such cases we will contact you. If you wish to proceed with the application we will hold a hearing of the councils licensing committee to decide on the application
If no objections are received
We will send the varied licence to you.
How long does it take?
We aim to process transfer applications within 28 days of receipt (or sooner if the police raise no objection). However, you can ask that your application takes immediate effect from the date that we receive it by ticking the appropriate box on the application form.