Premises Licence Application Public Notice: Licensing Act 2003 Requirements Explained

When a business applies for a premises licence to sell alcohol, provide late-night refreshment, or offer regulated entertainment, the Licensing Act 2003 requires them to tell the public about it. One of the ways this must happen is through a notice published in a local newspaper. Get the timing or placement wrong, and the licensing authority can refuse to process the application.

This article explains the newspaper notice requirement in detail — who it applies to, what the notice must say, which newspaper to use, and what the deadlines are.

Who needs to publish a premises licence notice?

The requirement applies to anyone making one of the following applications to a local licensing authority in England or Wales:

New premises licence — for a premises that does not currently hold a licence.
Variation of a premises licence — changing the licensable activities, hours, or conditions.
Provisional statement — for premises being built or converted.
Club premises certificate (new or variation) — for qualifying clubs.

Transfer applications and changes of designated premises supervisor do not require a newspaper notice.

The legal basis

Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 requires applicants for premises licences to advertise the application in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State. The relevant regulations are the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises Licences and Club Premises Certificates) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/42).

Regulation 25 and Schedule 4 set out what the notice must contain and how it must be published.

What the notice must contain

The newspaper notice must include:

The name of the applicant (or club, in the case of a club premises certificate).
The postal address of the premises to which the application relates.
A brief description of the application — for example, "application for a new premises licence to permit the sale of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises, Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 23:00."
The date by which representations may be made to the licensing authority (28 consecutive days from the day after the application was received by the authority).
A statement that representations must be made in writing to the licensing authority.
The address of the licensing authority to which representations should be sent.

The notice must be in the prescribed form set out in Schedule 4. While licensing authorities may accept minor variations, the safest approach is to follow the prescribed wording as closely as possible.

The 10-working-day deadline

Here is the critical timing requirement: the newspaper notice must be published no later than 10 working days after the day on which the application was given to the licensing authority.

Working days exclude weekends, bank holidays, and public holidays. So if you submit your application on a Monday, you have until the Friday of the following week (assuming no bank holidays) to get the notice into a newspaper.

This is a tight deadline, and it catches out many applicants. Newspapers typically need several working days' notice to schedule a legal advertisement. If you wait until day eight to contact the newspaper, you may not make the deadline.

Best practice: arrange the newspaper notice before or on the same day you submit the application. Many licensing agents use gazetted to submit the notice and the application simultaneously, ensuring the deadline is never missed.

Which newspaper?

The notice must appear in a local newspaper or, if there is none, a local newsletter, circular, or similar document circulating in the vicinity of the premises.

Key points:

The newspaper must circulate in the area where the premises are located.
A national newspaper will not satisfy the requirement.
An online-only publication is unlikely to be accepted.
If there is no local newspaper (increasingly common in some rural areas), a local newsletter or circular may be used — but check with the licensing authority first.

Choosing the wrong newspaper is one of the most common errors in premises licence applications. The licensing authority may reject the notice if the newspaper does not genuinely circulate in the relevant area.

The blue notice requirement

In addition to the newspaper notice, applicants must also display a pale blue notice (A4 size or larger) at or near the premises for 28 consecutive days starting from the day after the application is submitted. This is a separate requirement from the newspaper notice — both must be done.

The blue notice must be displayed prominently where it can be conveniently read by passers-by. If the premises has multiple frontages, a notice should be displayed on each.

What happens if you miss the deadline?

If the newspaper notice is not published within the 10-working-day window, the licensing authority may:

Treat the application as incomplete and refuse to process it.
Ask the applicant to re-advertise, which resets the 28-day representation period.
In some cases, require a fresh application and fee.

None of these outcomes is desirable. For licensing agents handling multiple applications, a missed deadline on one case can disrupt the entire workflow.

Common mistakes

Submitting the application before arranging the notice. The clock starts ticking the moment the licensing authority receives the application. Have the newspaper notice ready to go before you submit.
Using a newspaper outside the circulation area. A paper covering the neighbouring borough may not circulate in the area of your premises.
Incorrect representation deadline. The 28-day period runs from the day after the authority receives the application, not from the publication date. Get this wrong and the notice may be invalid.
Forgetting the blue notice. The newspaper notice and the site notice are separate requirements. Forgetting to display the blue notice is an independent ground for the authority to reject the application.

How gazetted helps licensing agents

Gazetted is built for licensing professionals who place multiple premises licence notices every month. Enter the premises postcode, select "Premises Licence" as the notice type, and we match you to the correct local newspaper. Our notice templates are based on the prescribed form in Schedule 4, so the wording is compliant from the start.

We handle submission, track the publication date, and provide a certificate of publication that you can include in the application file. For firms handling high volumes, our dashboard gives you a single view of every notice across every active application.

No more chasing newspapers for publication dates. No more worrying about whether you picked the right paper. Just compliant notices, on time, every time.