To sell alcohol and to provide late-night refreshment and regulated entertainment in the Cambridge area you will need to apply for a licence from Cambridge City Council.
The general situation for pubs, hotels, off-licences, nightclubs, restaurants and many other premises is:
- The premises must be covered by a Premises Licence
- At least one person at the premises must hold a Personal Licence and be identified as Designated Premises Supervisor on the Premises Licence
If you’re not sure about how the various licences work then follow this link to learn about the different types of licence.
Getting help with your licence application
There’s nothing to stop you making an application yourself. However, for peace of mind and to make things go more smoothly, you may wish to hire a licensing solicitor or a licensing consultant.
These people will find out what your requirements are and will help you to apply for your licence. They will do the paperwork for you and make sure the right documents are sent to the right people. They can also speak with the relevant authorities on your behalf if anyone objects to your application.
Useful links
- Cambridge City Council licensing
- Online licence register
- Cambridge City Council statement of licensing policy (PDF)
Contact details
You can contact the Cambridge City Council Licensing team at licensing@cambridge.gov.uk or by telephone on 01223 457879. Their postal address is PO Box 700, Cambridge CB1 0JH.
