You will need to apply to Fife Licensing Board for a Personal Licence if you wish to:
- authorise the sale of alcohol in licensed premises
- supervise the sale of alcohol in licensed premises
- be a nominated premises' manager
You must:
- hold a recognised training certificate for Personal Licence holders in Scotland
- be aged 18 or over
- be resident in Fife
A personal licence lasts for 10 years from the granted date.
A personal licence holder must sit refresher training every five years, from the date they were granted their licence. They must send the training certificate to Fife Licensing Board. This must be done within the relevant timescales or they will lose their licence.
You can use the form below to tell us that you have completed your refresher course: Personal Licence Refresher Training
A personal licence holder must apply to renew their personal licence every 10 years. They must lodge the renewal application no later than three months before the expiry date of the licence. If this is not done, the licence will expire on the expiry date and will no longer be valid.
Please see the frequently asked questions at the bottom of the page for further information.
The following regulation bodies will be able to provide details of training organisations who deliver the necessary training:
How to Apply
To apply or renew a Personal Licence, download the following application: Application for a First/Renewal Personal Licence
The cost of a Personal Licence is £50.
Applications must be on the form above and include:
- A copy of the relevant accredited qualification
(For a First/New Application, the only evidence acceptable is The Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders at SCQF Level 6 first introduced 1st December 2020.
For a Renewal Application, an updated Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (Refresher) certificate is required) - Two passport-sized photographs (one endorsed on the back)
- Photo ID, such as a copy of driving licence, passport or cards bearing the PASS hologram
- Application Fee of £50.00 (details of how to pay are on the application form)
Applications can be submitted via email to: Liquor.Admin@fife.gov.uk or by post to: The Licensing Team, 2nd Floor, Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5LT
Fife Licensing Board will send a copy of the application to
- the Chief Constable of Police Scotland; and
- the Licensing Standards Officer as part of their consideration
The Chief Constable can tell us if you have any convictions for relevant offences or foreign offences. If there are no convictions or no information received that is considered to be relevant to the application, then the Board must grant the application.
If there are convictions, then the Chief Constable may recommend that the application is refused.
Consideration of the application will be at a hearing.
Assumed consent will not apply, as it's in the public interest that the Licensing Board must process your application.
Failed Application and Appeal
Appeals against the refusal of an application must be made to the Sheriff of the Sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife.
Appeals can only be made under one of the following grounds:
- the Licensing Board made a lawful error
- the decision was made on incorrect material facts
- the Licensing Board acted contrary to natural justice
- the Licensing Board used their discretion in an unreasonable manner
Consumer Complaint
If anyone wishes to complain about a Personal Licence holder, normally the first contact is made with the Liquor Licensing Team, the Licensing Standards Officer, or Police Scotland.
Personal Licence Holders have a vital job within the licensed trade. They authorise the sale of alcohol, in both on and off sales businesses. They make sure that each and every sale is legal. Personal Licence Holders have two important obligations:-
- They must undergo refresher training every five years to refresh their knowledge of the licensing regime, and send the training certificate to the relevant Licensing Board; and
- They must apply to renew their personal licence every ten years. and lodge the renewal application no later than 3 months before expiry date of the licence
See FAQs Below:
You don't need to worry about the renewal process as that doesn't kick in until ten years. You do however need to sit and pass your five-year refresher course and send the certificate to the Licensing Board within the relevant timescales. The course must be passed prior to the five-year anniversary of the grant of your licence. The certificate should be sent to the Board no later than 3 months after that anniversary. If your refresher date is approaching then make sure you book a course in plenty of time.
Back To TopLicensing Boards have a legal obligation to write to Personal Licence Holders prior to the renewal/refresher deadline. However, as a Personal Licence Holder, it is entirely up to you to ensure you do the training and submit the renewal application on time. Not receiving the Licensing Board's letter will not be accepted as a valid excuse.
Back To TopIf you do not undergo refresher training AND provide the updated certificate while renewing your personal licence in time, your personal licence will expire on the expiry date and so cease to have effect. If your personal licence expires, you will need to submit a new licence application, along with the relevant qualification certificate. This will be The Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders at SCQF Level 6 first introduced 01 December 2020.
Back To TopYou will not be able to:
- Train staff
- Authorise alcohol sales
- Apply for occasional licences
- Be named as a premises manager ( DPM)
- Appeal
Only a person who holds a valid personal licence can be named as a DPM. If your personal licence ceases to have effect, then your name is also taken off the premises' licence. A notification of this must be given by the premises' licence holder to the relevant Licensing Board, within 7 days, or alcohol sales must stop. A minor variation application naming a new manager (who must hold a valid personal licence) must be lodged within 6 weeks of the premises' manager losing their personal licence.
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