Premises licence annual fee
Your alcohol licence carries an annual fee.
Your alcohol licence carries an annual fee. It is not invoiced reliably, it is not large, and it is the single most commonly missed date in hospitality.
Non-payment suspends the licence. A suspended licence means you cannot sell alcohol from that day — over a fee of a couple of hundred pounds. Reinstatement is not instant.
England
Every year on the anniversary of the date your licence was granted.
Bands A–E, roughly £70–£350. Large wet-led premises pay a ×2 or ×3 multiplier.
Non-payment suspends the licence. Set a calendar reminder 30 days out.
Scotland
Every year. Most licensing boards bill on 1 October regardless of when you were granted.
Banded by rateable value, roughly £180–£900.
Who this is for
Every venue holding a premises licence.
What you’ll hold
- Payment receipt from the council / board
Watch out for
- Waiting for an invoice. Many boards and councils do not chase — the duty to pay is yours.
- Paying from the wrong bank account or without the licence number as the reference, so it is never matched to your licence.
- Assuming the date moves if you paid late last year. It does not — the anniversary is fixed.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Premises licence checked 2026-09-02
- mygov.scot — Business licences checked 2026-09-02
See also
- Apply for your premises licence— this becomes part of getting open →
- Licence conditions self-audit
- SCPLH refresher and licence renewal
This is item 47 of 60 in the free UK Compliance Calendar. See the whole list →