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Department for Culture Media and Sport

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alcohol and entertainment

Licensing Act 2003

Licensing Authorities (usually local authorities) are responsible for licensing the sale and supply of alcohol, the provision of regulated entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment in England and Wales. If you are carrying on any of these activities, you will need the relevant authorisation and should speak to your local licensing authority.

We are responsible for setting the framework of licensing law, which licensing authorities administer.


News
The "Evaluation of the Impact of the Licensing Act 2003" and its appendices can be found in the publications section of this site. [4 March 2008]

Please note
The contents of these pages are provided as an information guide only. They are not a full and authoritative statement of the law and do not constitute professional or legal advice. Any statements on these pages do not replace, extend, amend or alter in any way the statutory provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 or any subordinate legislation made under it or statutory guidance issued in relation to it.

No responsibility is accepted by the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport or the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for any errors, omissions or misleading statements on these pages, or any site to which these pages connect. In particular, it must be noted that, although the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has made every effort to ensure that the information in these pages is correct, changes in the law and the nature of implementation mean that the information in these pages cannot be guaranteed as accurate.

Readers of these pages are also referred to the general terms and conditions of the website.