The premises licence you fought to win comes with a standing charge almost everyone forgets until the invoice arrives — the annual fee. Miss it and the consequence isn’t a late-payment charge: it’s automatic suspension of your licence, meaning every pint sold after the suspension date is an unauthorised sale. Here’s how the fees work and how operators get caught.
The fee bands
Both the application fee and the annual fee are set nationally by rateable value band (the same bands, different amounts):
- Band A (RV £0–£4,300): application £100, annual £70
- Band B (RV £4,301–£33,000): application £190, annual £180
- Band C (RV £33,001–£87,000): application £315, annual £295
- Band D (RV £87,001–£125,000): application £450, annual £320
- Band E (RV over £125,000): application £635, annual £350
Two multipliers catch big venues: premises in bands D and E that are used exclusively or primarily for the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises (wet-led bars and nightclubs) pay ×2 (D) or ×3 (E) on both fees, and very large events venues (5,000+ capacity) attract additional fees on a rising scale.
The suspension trap
Since 2011, councils must suspend a premises licence when the annual fee is unpaid (after a grace period following the due date). Points that catch operators:
- The due date is the anniversary of the grant, not a calendar renewal — nobody ‘renews’ you; the invoice may not even arrive if your address on the licence is stale.
- Suspension is automatic and administrative — no hearing, no discretion once the notice period passes.
- Trading while suspended is unauthorised licensable activity: unlimited fine, up to six months, and the review that follows is ugly.
- Buying a business with fee arrears means inheriting a suspended licence — check before completion (see our transfer guide).
Housekeeping that avoids the trap
- Diary the grant anniversary with a 1-month lead — treat it like insurance renewal.
- Keep the licence holder’s correspondence address current (a £10.50 notification, not a variation).
- Rateable value changed at revaluation? Your band — and fee — may change; budget for it.
- Multi-site operators: one missed invoice at one site is the standard failure; centralise the diary.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fee to reinstate after suspension?
No separate fee — pay the outstanding annual fee and the suspension lifts. The damage is the unlawful trading in between and the enforcement attention it attracts.
Do TENs or personal licences have annual fees?
No — TENs are £21 each, and personal licences have no annual fee (and no expiry in England and Wales).
We closed for refurbishment — do we still pay?
Yes, while the licence exists. If a site will be dark long-term you can surrender the licence — but almost never do this without advice; a surrendered licence with legacy hours may be irreplaceable. Ask us first.
Taking on a site? We verify fee status, band and multipliers as part of every application and transfer.
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