Public Entertainment Licence, if you’ll have live or recorded music

A licence from the Singapore Police Force covering any public entertainment on your premises — live music, dancing, or simply playing recorded music to your customers. Category 1 covers live music and/or dancing; Category 2 covers recorded music only, with no dancing. This is a separate application from your food and liquor licences, and it is issued by SPF rather than SFA.

Providing public entertainment without this licence is an offence, and it is checked separately from your food and liquor licensing — having those does not cover you for music or dancing. Fees are also tiered by trading-hours type, so getting the category and type wrong at application means paying (or applying for) the wrong thing.

Watch out for

• Assuming recorded-music-only venues don’t need a PEL — they do (Category 2), just at a lower fee than live entertainment.
• Confusing this licence with COMPASS/MRSS music licensing — the PEL is permission from the Police to provide entertainment at all; COMPASS and MRSS are separate copyright licences you also need for playing licensed music.
• Under-declaring your trading-hours type to get a lower fee tier, then operating outside it — the tier is meant to match your actual hours, not your cheapest option.

Sources

• SPF — Overview of Public Entertainment Licence checked 2026-09-08

See also

• Apply for your liquor licence
• Public Entertainment Licence renewal— this becomes an ongoing job once you’re open →
• Get your COMPASS music licence
• Get your MRSS music licence