Business licences

The Licensing Act 2003 deals with alcohol, regulated entertainment and late night refreshment. More information about the Licensing Act.

The Licensing Team deal with over 30 different licences and registrations. These cover a wide range of activities from the storage of explosives (usually fireworks), street trading and public entertainment, which are listed below.

Public safety and trading

• Amusements with prizes
• Auction premises
• Dealing in game
• Lottery
• Non medicinal poisons
• Scrap metal
• Selling explosives
• Street trading
• Track betting

Massage and special treatment

• Acupuncture
• Electrolysis
• Skin piercing
• Sex establishments
• Tattooing
• Ultra violet tanning

There is no requirement for hairdressers to be licensed but if the above treatments are carried out then these specific licences are needed.

Animal welfare

• Animals boarding
• Dog breeding
• Exotic, dangerous or wild animals
• Pet shops
• Riding establishments
• Zoo

The aim of licensing is to create and maintain a safe environment for the variety of activities that take place for which it has a legal responsibility to set conditions and enforce regulations. This should be of benefit to both the providers and users of the licensed services not only in making users confident in the standards applied in Richmond but also in the level playing field it ensures between providers.

Inspections of premises take place both in the day time and at night. Many of our licensed businesses operate at night and officers monitor adherence to licence conditions at unsocial hours.

Most types of licences are renewable annually for a set fee and are covered by specific rules and regulation as well as more general laws such as the Health and Safety at Work Act.

How to apply for business licenses

For all licensing queries and details of how to apply, please use our online form or contact the Licensing Team.