Guide to Obtaining a Personal Licence

1. Consider if you have a relevant offence that is not spent, this could block you. The list is set out in a schedule to the Licensing Act 2003 and is rather long, but most are obvious. Get legal advice if you're not sure.

2. If you have no relevant offences book yourself onto a training course leading to the award for the national certificate for personal license holders awarded by the British Insititute of Inn Keeping - BII. We run one a month at Burton, but have also teamed up with ABV Training who provide courses around the country at special prices for Marston's, contact them on 0800 0612981. You cannot apply for a personal licence until you've completed the NCPLH course and have received the certificate to confirm you have passed.

3. Before you get a personal licence you must also have a check from the Criminal Records Bureau to confirm you have no relevant offences. You can have a CRB check form and organisation known as Disclosure Scotland. You can apply online or phone 0870 6096006 and they will send an application form. The disclosure certificate will be sent to your home address.

4. You must apply for your personal licence within 1 calendar month of the date on your disclosure certificate. You should apply to the local authority for the area in which you live in England & Wales, or any in Scotland. You will need to fill in an application form for a personal license sent from the authority and also a disclosure of convictions and declaration (remember to sign it in 2 places) You must send these 2 forms in to your local authority, together with your disclosure certificate and certificate for personal licence holders (NCPLH), 2 passport photos (one of which must be signed by somebody in an official position in the community, e.g a policeman or teacher, who must confirm it bears a true likeness to you) and a cheque made payable to the local authority for £37.

5. Send your application in to the authority; you do not need to send a copy to the police (although some authorities may insist). The licence will be sent to you pretty quick and in 2 parts, one paper and one photo ID card.