Licensing and gambling

Common licensing enquiries

Apply for a driver, vehicle or operator taxi licence, tell us about a change, report an accident or apply to be on the hackney carriage waiting list.

Apply for or renew an HMO licence

Use this form to find out if your property needs an HMO licence, calculate the licence type and fee, apply for an HMO licence or renew an HMO licence you already have.

Highway licensing - advertising boards, shop displays, and tables and chairs

Apply for a licence to display advertising or have tables and chairs outside your business.

Highway licensing - skips, scaffolds, hoardings, materials and plant

Find out what you need a highway licence for, who can apply, and how to check if something has one.

Unmanned aircraft and drones are licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Metal detecting

Advice about licensing for metal detecting from the National Council for Metal Detecting.

Animal licences

Animal business licensing fees

Find out how much your animal business licence will cost.

Apply for a dog breeding licence

You need a licence if your business breeds dogs, either at home or in a commercial property.

Apply to keep an animal for entertainment or education

You may need a licence if your business keeps animals to show to an audience, like at schools or private parties.

Apply for a licence to sell animals as pets

You need a licence if your business sells animals as pets, or if they'll be resold as pets in the future.

Apply for an animal day care licence or a dog boarding licence

You may need a licence if your business provides accommodation for other people's cats or dogs.

Apply for a licence to hire out horses for riding

You need a riding establishment licence if your business provides horses for riding, like riding schools or donkey rides.

Apply to open a zoo or renew a zoo licence

Apply for a licence to run a zoo as a business in the city, renew your licence or make a change to an existing licence.

Apply to keep a dangerous wild animal

You need a licence to keep any animal listed in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

Licensing Act 2003

Apply for a premises licence

What you need to know when you or someone else applies to licence a premises for alcohol, music, dancing or sports, and how to comment on them

Make a change to a premises licence

How to make any changes to an existing premises licence.

Personal licence to sell alcohol

You must be a personal licence holder to be the designated premises supervisor on a premises licence to authorise the sale of alcohol (unless covered by a temporary event notice).

Temporary event notices

Short-term licensing of your premises for alcohol, music, dancing or sports.

Make a complaint about a licensed premises

Help making a representation about a licensing application or requesting a licence review.

Surrender a Premises Licence

How to surrender a Premises Licence by notifying us in writing.

Notification of an interest in premises

Section 178 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows for a right of freeholder to be notified of licensing matters.

How to get an age rating for a film

How to ask us to give an age rating to a film.

Licence applications received

View applications received on a weekly basis in the Public Register.

Gambling Policy consultation

Gambling Policy 2025 to 2027 consultation

Read about the Gambling Policy 2025 to 2027 consultation.