Apply for a new personal licence or notify us of changes (Licensing Act 2003)
You must live in Birmingham to apply for a licence with Birmingham. If you pay your Council Tax to another authority, you must apply for your personal licence with that authority.
You must have a personal licence to run or manage a business that sells or supplies alcohol.
A personal licence will allow you to:
- sell alcohol on behalf of any business that has a premises licence
- act as the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) for any business that sells alcohol
Premises licensed to sell alcohol must have a Designated Premises Supervisor. The one exception is a community premises that has successfully applied to disapply the DPS requirement under section 41D of the Licensing Act 2003.
Anyone who does not hold a personal licence must be authorised to sell alcohol by a personal licence holder. There is no such requirement for the supply of alcohol in a members’ club.
See the fees and charges page for further details on application costs.
Apply for a licence
To apply by email, complete the with a scan of your signature and return it with a completed disclosure of convictions form to: licensing@birmingham.gov.uk.
After we have received your application, a licensing officer will contact you to take a debit or credit card payment for the appropriate fee.
Your application must be submitted with:
- a Disclosure and Barring Service certificate (no more than 1 month old on the date we receive it)
- two passport sized photographs, one of which is endorsed as a true likeness of you by a solicitor or notary, a person of standing in the community or any individual with a professional qualification (the photo must meet the same specifications as passports, photocard driving licences or identity cards)
- an original copy of the you hold (from an accredited training provider). Make sure your name appears correct on your licence qualification, if it does not, contact your course provider to get this corrected before you make your application
Notify us of a change of personal licence holder's address
Complete the downloadable notification form and email it to: licensing@birmingham.gov.uk.
Lost licence declaration
If you have lost your personal licence, complete the downloadable declaration form and email it to: licensing@birmingham.gov.uk.
Page last updated: 10 April 2024