A personal licence is a portable licence issued to an individual. It allows them to authorise sales of alcohol from premises that hold a premises licence.

A personal licence:

  • is granted to an individual
  • has effect indefinitely
  • can be used anywhere in England and Wales
  • ceases to have effect if surrendered, suspended or revoked; or if the holder may no longer work lawfully in the UK

Qualifications

Before you can apply for a personal licence, you will need to complete a qualification known as the Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH).

The Government maintains a list of awarding bodies who issue the APLH qualification.

Contact the qualification providers directly for details of their course and local training centres.

How to apply

We can only accept your application if you live in Sutton.

You must also be able to prove that you have the legal right to work in the UK.

Download the application form

Post your completed form to:

Licensing Team
London Borough of Sutton
Civic Offices
St Nicholas Way
Sutton
SM1 1EA

You'll also need to include:

  • two passport photos,
    • one of which has been endorsed (by a solicitor, notary, a person of standing in the community or an individual with a professional qualification) with a statement that the photo is a true likeness of the applicant
  • the original certificate issued after passing the accredited training course
  • a completed disclosure of convictions, immigration penalties and declaration form (included with the application form)
  • a criminal record certificate, such as a Basic Disclosure, which was issued within the last month
  • copies of documents proving that you have the right to work in the UK (do not send originals)

If you satisfy all the criteria, we will issue a personal licence usually within 10 working days of receiving your application.

How much it costs

You can find the costs of personal licences on our fees page.

You can pay online or over the phone by calling 020 8770 5000. 

Convictions and immigration penalties

We will consult with the police or Home Office if:

  • you have any unspent convictions for relevant or foreign offences
  • you have had to pay a civil immigration penalty
  • your right to work in the UK is unclear

Read more about relevant offences for personal licences on GOV.UK.

If they object to your application, the decision about your licence will be determined by our Licensing Sub-Committee at a hearing.

People who hold personal licences are also required to notify the licensing authority if they are subsequently convicted of any relevant offence or foreign offence, or required to pay an immigration penalty.

Personal licence holders who are charged with a relevant offence must tell the court that they hold a personal licence before the end of their first court appearance.

If convicted, the court may decide to order the forfeiture or suspension of the licence as part of the sentence, and the licensing authority may also review that personal licence with a view to revocation or suspension.

Change of details or replacement licence

You must notify the authority in writing if you change your name, address, or if you need a replacement licence.

Download the change of personal details/replacement licence for personal licences form.

You'll also need to include:

  • your original licence (both the photo ID card and paper copy)
  • proof of any change, such as a copy of your marriage certificate

There is a fee of £10.50 for the change. You can pay online or over the phone by calling 0208 770 5000. 

We will then produce new licence documents, and post them to you.

Duration and renewals

Personal licences are valid for life and do not need to be renewed.

They will cease to be valid if:

  • the holder dies
  • the holder no longer has a legal right to work in the UK
  • the licence is surrendered by the holder (for example, if they no longer work in the licensed trade and return the licence to us)
  • we revoke the licence because the holder has been convicted of a relevant offence or has had to pay a civil immigration penalty
  • a court orders the forfeiture of the licence as part of a sentence following conviction for a relevant offence