Club premises certificate

You will need to apply for certificate if you’re a social, sporting or political members club. For example a working men’s club or British Legion.

You need to have a certificate for any regulated entertainment for more than 500 people. Or if you operate between 11pm and 5am.

You do not need a certificate to provide late night refreshments to members of a recognised club.

What the certificate allows

If your club holds a Club premises certificate:

• You can sell alcohol to members and guests without an employee having a Personal licence. This is dependent on what the certificate allows. You can check with our licensing team for clarification.
• It doesn’t need to specify a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS)
• Police and licensing officers have limited rights of entry as premises are private.

Conditions

To qualify for a certificate, your club must make sure that:

• It has premises that are occupied and used for club purposes
• Alcohol and entertainment is only provided to members and their guests
• Servers and buyers who are nominated by the club are 18 or older
• No one benefits financially from buying or selling alcohol
• You have a document that specifies club membership rules
• New members wait two days from their application. They will then get membership privileges.
• It is established and conducted in good faith with at least 25 members.

You may have to pay Machine games duty on any gaming machines you have on your premises.

Displaying your certificate

You must display your Club premises certificate in your club where it can be seen.

Fines and penalties

If found guilty on summary conviction, you can be jailed for up to 6 months. You may be fined if you provide alcohol or entertainment without a certificate.

You could also be fined if you do not follow the conditions of the licence.