Legalize your alcohol business with a personal licence

Alcohol Licence Advice Centre

The BIIAB or the British School of Innkeepers Award Body is a well recognized institute in the UK licensed retail industry. It is a subdivision of the professional organization that takes the charge for planning and providing training to the individuals that aspire to obtain a personal license for selling alcohol in a lawful way. All the industry credentials that the BIIAB is responsible for providing are, but not limited to:

- Drinks certificates
- Customer service qualifications
- Certified bar- person qualifications
- Personal license training

There are various autonomous institutes and training centers in UK that provide these training courses and are certified by the BIIAB. The number of such institutes in UK is about six hundred. These institutes not only deliver the courses to the alcohol license aspirants but also help them to make the personal licence application to the authorities of their state.

An essential qualification for obtaining the personal alcohol license presented by BIIAB is the NCPLH course or the National Certificate for Personal License Holders course. It has been regularized by the government that anyone involved in a business that involves selling of license, onsite or offsite consumption of alcohol during a particular time of the day must possess such a license. It is just like any other qualification that ensures that you are well aware of the legitimate way of doing what you are doing and know all the legal aspects associated with the business. On the other hand, if you are selling liquor without a license for the activity, any legal action can be taken against you anytime.

The whole procedure of obtaining a personal alcohol license is formed in such a way that a person will only reach the final stage of the personal licence application when he has acquainted himself with all the information he is expected to have. The process starts with the initial training for a few days. If you are taking this training from an instructor, you will just have to utilize a single day to cover the whole syllabus. But if you cannot spend a whole day for it, you can go for the other two modes of training which are:

- Either the training will be delivered at your office
- Or you will be sent the course material which you will have to go through according to your convenience.

This way, you will be yourself responsible for completing the course. After completion, you have to sit in an examination to evaluate what you received from your training. On qualifying the examination, you will get a certificate stating that you attended the training and are eligible for applying for the personal licence. Now you have to approach your licensing authorities to make the personal licence application. You will be given a form that requires to be filled very carefully as a small inaccuracy may result in the cancellation of the application. A better way to go for it is to ask the training institute staff to assist you in the task.

Types of alcohol personal licences issued by state government or municipalities

Alcohol Personal Licence

An alcohol license allows a person to sell alcohol in a particular premise. When the governing body of the city such as the city council determines that the person who has applied for a personal license is eligible of possessing this license, it authorizes the municipalities of the town to issue him the license. An alcohol selling or catering business taking place without a license is considered to be illegal.

One thing that the businessmen usually get confused with is whether permits and licenses are the same thing or they differ in any way. The answer is that they are different as permits are required by those who have a wholesale business of alcohol or are involved in production of alcohol, whereas, an alcohol personal licence is needed by alcohol retailers.

Types of alcohol licences:

There are various kinds of alcohol permits and licenses but a few of them are more commonly required and issued by the authorities. Here are the common licenses issued:

- Class A fermented Malt beverage licence – A person possessing this kind of a license is allowed the sale of malt beverages like beer in his premises like grocery stores. It allows only off- site consumption.
- Class A liquor licence – For selling intoxicated liquor such as wine, a person would need this kind of a license. For instance, the liquor shops and grocery stores that keep full range of liquors for sale will need this type of licence. It also allows off- site drinking only.
- Class B fermented malt beverage license – It is just the same as the class A malt beverage license with a consent of on and off site consumption. Premises like restaurants and beer bars would need this kind of a licence for a legal operation. 
- Class B liquor licence – Same as Class a liquor license, but with the additional permission of consuming liquor on site. If asked for, the licensing authority can also permit the sale of liquor up to four liters in the original containers for consuming off site. The state laws of some states also allow to take over an opened bottled of wine if taken with a meal.
- Class C wine licence – Under this type of alcohol license, it is allowed to carry a single resealed bottle with sold with meal.
- Temporary Class B licences – These types of licenses are needed if you want to sell retail beer and/or wine on temporary basis. For instance, during festive seasons or special events like fairs, these licenses can be taken. The laws for acquiring these licenses are more firm. Often only local fair associations, churches, lodges, societies and bona- fide clubs which are formed for more than six months are granted these licenses. These are also called picnic licenses.

The fee imposed for obtaining the licence is dependent upon the kind of alcohol personal licence. It also varies from state to state. The state authorities can also grant other kinds of licenses depending upon the circumstances.