Members’ clubs can operate under club premises certificates instead of premises licences.
This means, for example, that they are not required to have a designated premises supervisor, and sales of alcohol do not need to be authorised by a personal licence holder.
Qualifying clubs
To be classified as a club for the purpose of this certificate, a group must meet several conditions.
These include:
- legitimacy - each applicant must be a real club with at least 25 members
- a membership process that takes at least two days between application and acceptance
- alcohol must not be supplied on the premises other than by the club
- alcohol must be purchased by a committee made up of members all of whom are at least 18 years old
- alcohol for the club must be purchased legally
Other legal restrictions for clubs operating under a club premises certificate are in the Licensing Act 2003.