Club premises certificate
Apply to vary a club certificate
Clubs are organisations where members join together for a particular social, sporting or political purpose. A club premises certificate is required to allow a qualifying club certain activities.
To be a qualifying club:
- members must not be admitted without at least 2 days passing between nomination or notification and admission
- the club must be established and conducted in good faith
- the club must at least 25 members
- alcohol must not be supplied to members except by or on behalf of the club
The activities which require a club premises certificate are:
- the supply of alcohol by or on behalf of the club to, or to the order of, members of the club
- the sale by retail of alcohol by or on behalf of the club to a guest of a member of the club for consumption on the premises where the sale takes place
- the provision of regulated entertainment
A qualifying club is entitled to certain benefits:
- to supply alcohol to members and sell it to guests on the premises to which the certificate relates without the need for any member or employee to hold a personal licence
- no 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
To qualify as a club authorised to supply alcohol to its members and guests, additional conditions must be met. These are:
- the purchase and supply of alcohol by and for the club is managed by a committee made up of elected members of the club all aged over 18 years
- no arrangements may be made for any person to receive any commission, percentage or similar payment at the expense of the club with reference to purchases of alcohol by the club
- no arrangements may be made for any person to derive directly or indirectly any monetary benefit from the supply of alcohol to members or guests, apart from to benefit the club as a whole, or any indirect benefit a person derives by reason of the supply contributing to a general gain for the club as a whole
Fees - new or variation applications, plus annual fees
The fee required is dependent on the rateable value of the premises.
| Rateable value of premises | Rateable value band | New application / variation fee | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| No rateable value to £4,300 | A | £100 | £70 |
| £4,301 to £33,000 | B | £190 | £180 |
| £33,001 to £87,000 | C | £315 | £295 |
| £87,001 to £125,000 | D | £450 | £320 |
| £125,001 and above | E | £635 | £350 |
Other fees
Minor variation of club certificate application: £89
Replacement certificate or summary: £10.50
Change of name of alteration of rules of club: £10.50
Change of relevant registered address of club: £10.50
Change of certificate holder's name or address: £10.50
How to apply
Along with your completed application form you must also:
- pay the relevant fee (please see the 'How much does it cost' section)
- submit a declaration for a club premises certificate to be granted
- submit a plan of the premises (at scale 1:100)
- supply a copy of club rules
- send copies of the application and plans to responsible authorities
- advertise the application in local paper within 10 days of application (a copy of the advertisement from the newspaper should be forwarded to the licensing department)
- display a copy of notice of application on blue paper displayed on premises for at least 28 consecutive days, starting the day after the day on which the application was given to the council
Application for a new club certificate (PDF 63.8KB) 
Guidance for applying for a club certificate (PDF 37KB)
Application for a club certificate declaration and variation (PDF 565.6KB)
Application for a club certificate notice of application (PDF 4.5KB)
Checklist - new application (PDF 15.4KB)
Checklist - variations (PDF 15KB)
Licensing Act 2003 (link opens in new window)
What happens next?
Once your application is received you may receive a visit from a licensing officer.
If there are no objections within the 28 days consultation period, the licence will be granted as soon as possible, and no later than 28 days after the consultation period.
If representations are received from a responsible authority or interested parties within the 28 day consultation period a hearing will be arranged within 56 days.
Tacit consent
Tacit consent does not apply for this licence. If you have not heard from us within a reasonable period, please email the licensing team at licensing@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
Appeals and redress
Failed application redress
If an application for a licence is refused the applicant can appeal to the Magistrate's Court within 21 days of notice of the decision.
Licence holder redress
Any licence holder who wishes to appeal against a condition attached to their licence, or revocation of the licence can appeal to the Magistrate's Court within 21 days of notice of the decision to attach the condition or revoke the licence, whichever the case may be.
Other redress
If your complaint relates to an existing licensed premises or a premises is suspected of operating without the required permission please contact our licensing team on 0300 300 8307 or email the licensing team at licensing@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk. Phone lines are open 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday.