The Licensing Objectives and the Policies Behind Them

Every premises licence in England and Wales is granted, conditioned and reviewed against four licensing objectives. Licensing authorities, the police and environmental health officers judge a pub, bar, hotel or venue by whether it is promoting those objectives in practice.

Written procedures are how a licence holder shows that. When a licence is reviewed after an incident, the first question is usually what your policy said and whether staff followed it.

This guide sets out the four objectives, the mandatory conditions on every alcohol licence, and the documents that give a licensing committee confidence in the way you run your premises.

The Four Objectives at a Glance

Objective	What it covers	Typical documents
Prevention of crime and disorder	Violence, drugs, theft, drunkenness	Incident log, refusals register, drugs policy, CCTV procedure
Public safety	Safety of customers and staff on the premises	Capacity management, fire and evacuation procedures, first aid
Prevention of public nuisance	Noise, light, litter and disturbance to neighbours	Noise management plan, dispersal policy, smoking area rules
Protection of children from harm	Underage sales and children on the premises	Age verification policy, Challenge 25, children's access rules

The Legal Framework

Section 4 of the Licensing Act 2003 requires licensing authorities to carry out their functions with a view to promoting the four objectives. Every decision, from a new licence to a variation or a review, is measured against them.

The premises licence holder carries overall responsibility. Where alcohol is sold, the licence must name a designated premises supervisor who holds a personal licence, and under section 19 every sale must be made or authorised by a personal licence holder.

Scotland has its own regime under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, with five objectives. This guide covers England and Wales.

The Mandatory Conditions

On top of the conditions on your own licence, every alcohol licence carries mandatory conditions. The Home Office's guidance on mandatory licensing conditions explains them.

• No irresponsible promotions. No drinking games, unlimited drinks for a fixed price, or promotions that carry a significant risk to the objectives.
• Free tap water. Drinkable tap water must be provided free on request where it is reasonably available.
• Age verification policy. The licence holder must adopt a policy requiring anyone who appears to be under 18 to produce photo ID with a date of birth and a holographic mark or ultraviolet feature.
• Small measures. Beer and cider in half pints, gin, rum, vodka and whisky in 25ml or 35ml, and still wine in 125ml glasses must be available, and customers told about them.
• No sales below the permitted price. Alcohol cannot be sold for less than duty plus VAT.

The age verification policy is a mandatory document, not an optional one. If you cannot produce it, you are in breach of your licence.

Protecting Children: Age Verification

Most licensed premises go further than the legal minimum of "appears to be under 18". Challenge 25 asks anyone who looks under 25 to show ID, which gives staff a margin and is often a condition on the licence itself.

The policy should list acceptable ID (photocard driving licence, passport, PASS-hologram proof-of-age card), say what staff do when ID is not produced, and cover proxy sales, where an adult buys for someone underage.

Signs at the bar and entrance, staff training at induction, and test purchases by trading standards make the policy visible. A failed test purchase can lead to a fine for the server and a licence review.

Children on the Premises

Set out when children may be present, whether they must be with an adult, and any areas or times they are excluded. Family pubs, hotels with function rooms and late-night bars need very different rules.

The Refusals Register

A refusals register records every time staff refuse a sale: the date, time, reason (no ID, appears drunk, suspected proxy sale) and the member of staff. It is one of the most persuasive documents at a review.

A register with regular entries shows that staff are applying the policy. A blank register at a busy venue suggests the opposite, even if refusals are happening.

Many licences now require a refusals register as a condition. Review it monthly and use it in staff training.

Crime and Disorder: Incident Logs and Drugs

An incident log records anything that could affect the objectives: fights, ejections, injuries, police attendance, drugs found, lost property and complaints. Each entry needs the time, the people involved, the action taken and any CCTV reference.

The policy should explain how staff deal with intoxicated customers, when they call the police, and how they work with door supervisors. Selling alcohol to someone who is drunk is an offence under the Licensing Act 2003.

A drugs policy should set out searches where appropriate, how drugs found are handled and stored, and links with the local police. CCTV procedures should cover retention periods and how footage is provided to the police.

Public Safety

Public safety covers capacity, fire safety, first aid and safe operation of the premises. The policy should state the maximum capacity, how it is counted on busy nights, and who checks exits and fire equipment before opening.

Counter-terrorism is now part of public safety planning too. Martyn's Law will require many qualifying premises to have public protection procedures, and our guide to Martyn's Law for hotels and hospitality explains who is in scope.

Public Nuisance: Noise and Dispersal

Noise complaints from neighbours are one of the most common triggers for a licence review. A noise management plan sets out music limits, when doors and windows are closed, and regular checks at the boundary.

A dispersal policy covers closing time: last orders, winding down the music, encouraging customers to leave quietly, managing taxis and keeping smoking areas under control. Staff can also make sure glasses do not leave the premises.

Staff Training

Every member of bar and floor staff needs training on the licensing objectives, the age verification policy, refusing sales and recording incidents. Record the training and refresh it, especially before busy seasons and events.

Training records protect the business. If a member of staff serves someone underage despite being trained and following a clear policy, the licence holder is in a stronger position at any review.

Licence Reviews

Any responsible authority, such as the police or environmental health, or any other person, such as a neighbour, can apply for a review of a premises licence. The licensing committee can modify conditions, remove the designated premises supervisor, suspend the licence for up to three months or revoke it.

Committees look closely at the paperwork. Clear policies, completed logs and training records are often what separates a warning and new conditions from a suspension.

Events, Temporary Event Notices and Busy Nights

Match days, bank holidays, live music and private functions put the most pressure on your procedures. Plan them: extra door staff where needed, a capacity check, a briefing for staff and a quiet-down plan for the end of the night.

Temporary event notices for one-off events outside your licence still need the same thinking. The police and environmental health can object to a notice, and a well-run event plan makes that less likely.

Working With the Licensing Authority and Police

Good relations with the licensing officer and the local police licensing team pay off. Share incident trends, invite them to see your procedures and ask for advice before a new promotion or event format.

Many areas run Pubwatch or similar schemes that share information about troublemakers and agree common standards. Membership, and following its decisions, is good evidence of promoting the crime and disorder objective.

Reviewing Your Licensing Documents

Review your licensing policies at least once a year, after any serious incident, and whenever you vary the licence, change the designated premises supervisor or change how the premises operates.

Check the conditions printed on your licence against your procedures. Licences granted years ago often carry conditions, such as CCTV retention or door staff numbers, that current managers have never seen.

The Documents You Need

• An age verification policy, usually Challenge 25.
• A refusals register.
• An incident log.
• A drugs and search policy, where relevant.
• Capacity, fire safety and evacuation procedures.
• A noise management plan and dispersal policy.
• A children's access policy.
• Staff training records on licensing.

Licensing Policy and Procedure Writers

We write licensing policies, refusals registers, incident logs and dispersal plans for pubs, bars, hotels and venues, matched to the conditions on your licence. They form part of our hospitality policies service, priced from £65 per document.

For the wider rules your venue works under, from food safety to tips, see our hospitality industry hub. Get a quote for a fixed price.