Sex establishment licence

To run a sex shop - ie any premises selling sex toys, books or videos - you may need a licence. To run a venue where explicit films are shown to members of the public, you may also need a licence.

However, you may apply to the council requesting them to waive the requirement of a licence.

An applicant:

• must be at least 18 years old
• must not be disqualified from holding a licence
• must have been resident in the UK at least six months immediately before the application or, if a body corporate, must be incorporated in the UK
• must not have been refused the grant or renewal of a licence for the premises in question within the last 12 months unless the refusal has been reversed on appeal

A summary of the regulation relating to this licence

Fees will be payable for applications and conditions may be attached.

Applications must be in writing (including by electronic means) and contain any information the local authority requires, as well as the applicant's name, address and, where the applicant is an individual, their age, plus the address of the premises.

Applicants must give public notice of their application by publishing an advertisement in a local newspaper.

No. It is in the public interest that the authority must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from us within a reasonable period, please contact us. 

Apply for a licence for a sex establishment

Please contact us in the first instance.

Any applicant who is refused a licence, or refused the renewal of a licence, may, within 21 days of being notified of the refusal, appeal to the local magistrates' court.

However, the right to appeal does not apply where the licence was refused on the grounds that:

• the number of sex establishments in the area exceeds the number which the authority consider is appropriate
• the grant of the licence would be inappropriate considering the character of the area, the nature of other premises in the area, or the premises themselves

Please contact us in the first instance.

A licence holder who wishes to appeal against a condition can appeal to a local magistrates' court. In Scotland licence holder who wishes to appeal against a condition can appeal to the local sheriff.

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, citizens advice consumer service will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European consumer centre.

Licence holders may at any time apply to the authority for a variation of the terms, conditions or restrictions in their licence.

If an application for a variation is refused, or if the licence is revoked, the licence holder may, within 21 days of being notified of the imposition of, or the refusal to vary, the term, condition or restriction in question, or of the revocation, appeal to the local magistrates' court.

A licence holder may also appeal to the crown court against a decision of a magistrates' court.

Any person objecting to an application for the grant, renewal or transfer of a licence may give written notice of their objection to the relevant authority, stating the grounds of the objection, within 28 days of the date of the application.

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