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Club Premises Certificates
These clubs are organisations where members have joined together for particular social, sporting or political purposes and then combined to buy alcohol in bulk as members of the organisation for supply in that context. They commonly include Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Club, the Royal British Legion, other ex-services clubs, workingmen’s club, miners welfare institutions, social and sports clubs.
The Licensing Act 2003 refers to the supply of alcohol rather than the sale in the context of these clubs as the money that passes across the bar is merely a mechanism to preserve equity between members - the member already owns part of the alcohol stock.
The grant of a club premises certificate means that a qualifying club is entitled to the following benefits:
- The authority to supply alcohol to members and sell it to guests o the premises to which the certificate relates without the need for any member or employee to hold a personal licence;
- The absence of a requirement to specify a designated premises supervisor;
- More limited rights of entry for the police and authorised persons because the premises are considered private and not generally open to the public;
- The club premises not being subject to police powers of instant closure on grounds of disorder and noise nuisance (except when being used under the authority of a TEN or a premises licence) because they operate under their codes of discipline and rules which are rigorously enforced; and
- Not being subject to potential orders of the magistrates’ court for the closure of all licensed premises when disorder is happening or expected.
Please see the guidance notes attached at the bottom of the page.
As well as an application form for a club premises certificate, you will also need to complete a club declaration form (see downloadable documents at the bottom of the page).
This form is a declaration that your club meets qualifying club status and must accompany your application for a club premises certificate.
There are three sets of questions relating to the club rules or arrangements that will allow the licensing authority determine whether the club rules meet the conditions of the Act for qualifying clubs in relation to qualifying club activities.
Only one set of questions should be completed, depending on what type of club is applying.
Registered societies under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 or the Friendly Societies Act 1974 and registered friendly societies under the Friendly Societies Act 1992 should complete the questions in section 1.
Miners’ welfare institutes should complete the questions in section 2.
Applicants for clubs not falling into these categories should complete the questions in section 3.
It is an offence to make a false statement, which on conviction, is liable to a fine of up to £5,000.
For further information regarding Club Premises Certificates, please see the DCMS website or seek your own legal advice.
Downloads
Notes to guide applicants when applying for a club premises certificate under the Licensing Act 2003 (25.5 KB)
Application form to complete for the grant of a club premises certificate (310 KB)
Declaration form to complete to confirm the premises has qualifying club status (85 KB)
Regulations that must be adhered to when submitting the plan of the premises (22.5 KB)
List of responsible authorities for Sheffield (29.5 KB)
Regulations that must be adhered to when advertising your application (27 KB)
Template that can be used when advertising your application (20.5 KB)
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