Opening a bar in the UK: the checklist

This checklist covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing laws, so check with your local licensing board or court there.

What licences do you need to open a bar?

You need a premises licence from the council’s licensing authority. It covers selling alcohol, regulated entertainment such as live or recorded music, and late night refreshment, which means hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am.

Your application includes an operating schedule (what you’ll do, your hours, and the steps you’ll take to promote the licensing objectives), a plan of the premises, and the consent of your designated premises supervisor. Anything you put in the operating schedule can become a condition of the licence, so be realistic.

Once you apply:

• Put up a pale blue notice at the premises for 28 days in a row.
• Put a notice in a local newspaper within 10 working days.
• Expect 28 days for the police, other authorities and the public to comment.

The fee depends on the building’s non-domestic rateable value:

Band	Rateable value	To apply / each year
A	Up to £4,300	£100 / £70
B	£4,301 to £33,000	£190 / £180
C	£33,001 to £87,000	£315 / £295
D	£87,001 to £125,000	£450 / £320
E	Over £125,000	£635 / £350

Venues used only or mainly for drinking on the premises pay double in band D and three times as much in band E.

Who needs a personal licence?

Every alcohol sale must be made or authorised by someone with a personal licence. To get one you need to be 18 or over, pass an accredited licensing qualification, get a basic criminal record check, and have the right to work in the UK. You apply to the council where you live. It costs £37 and, in England and Wales, it doesn’t expire.

Every premises licence that allows alcohol sales must name a designated premises supervisor (DPS) who holds a personal licence. Changing your DPS later costs £23.

Do you need a music licence?

Usually, yes. To play recorded or live music in public you normally need TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS. It’s separate from your premises licence: one covers what the council allows, the other pays the people who own the music.

Do you need to register as a food business?

If you serve food, register with your council at least 28 days before you start trading. It’s free. A food safety officer will inspect you and give you a food hygiene rating from 0 to 5. Showing the rating is a legal requirement in Wales and Northern Ireland, and voluntary in England.

You must also be able to tell customers about 14 named allergens in your food. Food you package on site before it’s ordered needs a full ingredients label with the allergens highlighted.

What conditions come with every alcohol licence?

Every licence comes with mandatory conditions. You need an age verification policy, so anyone who looks under 18 (or a higher age you choose, such as 25) shows proper photo ID. Since September 2026 the Home Office guidance also covers certified digital ID, though you don’t have to accept it. You must offer free tap water, have smaller measures available and tell customers about them, avoid irresponsible drinks promotions, and never sell alcohol below the cost of duty plus VAT. In Wales there’s also a minimum price of 65p a unit from 1 October 2026.

What insurance is a legal requirement?

Employers’ liability insurance is compulsory from the day you employ anyone, with at least £5 million of cover. You can be fined £2,500 for every day you’re not insured, and up to £1,000 if you can’t show the certificate. Public liability insurance is generally voluntary, but it covers claims from customers and the public, so it’s worth considering. See what affects the cost of hospitality insurance.

What do you need to know about card payments?

There’s no licence for taking cards. But you can’t add a surcharge when customers pay by consumer card, and your card provider will expect you to follow the card industry’s security standard (PCI DSS) under your contract. Fees vary a lot between providers, so read how card machine fees work before you sign anything.

What do you need to do before you take on staff?

• Right to work: check every person before they start. The civil penalty is up to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach, and up to £60,000 for a repeat.
• Minimum wage from 1 April 2026: £12.71 an hour at 21 and over, £10.85 at 18 to 20, and £8.00 under 18 and for apprentices.
• Payroll: register as an employer with HMRC before your first payday.
• Pensions: your workplace pension duties start on the day your first worker starts.

If your licence asks for door supervisors, they must hold an SIA door supervisor licence. Here’s what door staff cost.

What health and safety and fire rules apply?

You must assess the risks in your venue and write down the main findings if you have 5 or more employees. Display the health and safety law poster, and work out what first aid you need.

Whoever controls the premises is the “responsible person” for fire safety. They must carry out a fire risk assessment and keep it under review. Since 1 October 2023 the full assessment must be recorded, whatever the size of the venue.

What should you budget for?

Before you open, list every running cost, not just the fit-out:

• Licences: premises licence (see the table), personal licence (£37), and TheMusicLicence.
• Business rates: in England, small business rate relief is 100% for a rateable value of £12,000 or less, tapering to nothing at £15,000. For 2026/27 only, pubs and live music venues in England get an extra 15% relief. Restaurants, cafés and nightclubs don’t.
• Staff: wages, pension contributions, and door staff if your licence or your nights need them.
• Insurance, card fees, energy and suppliers: these are the costs that creep up. They’re also where we can help. See how to cut your venue’s costs.