Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Property and housing
  3. Your neighbourhood, roads and streets
  4. Neighbourhood and community safety

Selling alcohol in licensed premises and registered clubs

In Northern Ireland, you can only sell alcohol in licensed premises and supply alcohol to members and guests in registered clubs. To sell alcohol to the public or supply alcohol to members and guests, you need to apply to a County Court for a licence or a Certificate of Registration.

The Liquor Licensing laws changed on 1 October 2022. More details are available on the Department for Communities website.

Liquor licence

Legislation controls the sale of alcohol to the public in different licensed premises. The County Court is responsible for issuing liquor licences in their area.

Licensed premises

There are different licensing conditions attached to each type of premises. The premises are:

  • pubs
  • off-licences
  • hotels
  • guest houses
  • restaurants
  • conference centres
  • higher education institutions
  • places of public entertainment (cinemas, theatres, ballrooms, race tracks)
  • refreshment rooms in public transport premises (railway or bus stations, airports and harbours)
  • seamen’s canteens
  • indoor arenas
  • outdoor stadia
  • non-seagoing vessels
  • local producer's premises

Applying for a liquor licence

To sell alcohol, you must apply to the local County Court for a liquor licence and pay an application fee. The court grants a licence for a licensing period. 

For alcohol licensing fees, go to section three in the list of County Court fees:

  • County Court fees in Northern Ireland

The court can grant a licence for up to five years. Before the court can grant a licence, you need to show that certain conditions are met:

  • you are fit to hold a licence
  • the premises are suitable for selling alcohol

Off-licence or pub licence

When applying for an off-licence or pub licence, you must give up an existing licence for either an off-licence or pub to the court. 

The court won't grant a licence if they think the area has enough pubs or off-licences. 

Renewing a licence to sell alcohol

If you have a licence to sell alcohol, you must renew your licence when the licensing period expires.  The current five year licensing period ends on 30 September 2027. 

Applications to renew a licence must be submitted to the magistrate's court by 9 August 2022.  You need to apply to the magistrate's court to renew your licence.

It is an offence to sell alcohol without a current licence. 

Registered clubs

A private members club needs a certificate of registration to supply alcohol to members and guests. The club must apply to the County Court for a certificate and pay an application fee.

A court can grant a certificate of registration for up to five years. The current five year registration period ends on 31 March 2023. Renewal applications must be submitted to the magistrate's court not less than four weeks before the renewal date of 1 March. 

Before the court grants a certificate of registration, it must be satisfied the club will be run  honestly and in good faith.

For club registration fees, go to section three in the list of County Court fees:

  • County Court fees

Renewing a certificate of registration to supply alcohol

If a club has a certificate of registration to supply alcohol to members and guests, they must apply to a magistrate's court when their certificate of registration expires. 

It's an offence for a club to sell alcohol to members and guests without a current certificate of registration. 

More useful links

  • Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service
  • The Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 
  • The Registration of Clubs (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Neighbourhood and community safety

  • Antisocial behaviour
  • Community safety
  • Neighbourhood watch
  • Selling alcohol in licensed premises and registered clubs
  • Town centre safety

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS