Licences, Permits and Permissions

There are a wide range of activities which require licenses and permissions from West Lothian Council and the Licensing Board.

Please note that all the Licensing web pages are intended to guide you through the procedures associated with making an application for a licence. They are not intended to summarise relatively complex areas of the law. Anyone using these pages should obtain independent advice from their own solicitors or advice centre.

The Licensing Team administers a number of different licensing schemes on behalf of the Council and the Licensing Board. These relate mainly to:

Alcohol licences under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005
Gambling licences under the Gambling Act 2005, and
Various licences and permissions granted under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982

Individuals or organisations wishing to hold certain events may need several licences or permissions. Please see Events - Licensing Requirements

From 2 October 2023 tax-related requirements have been put in place by the UK Government in connection with applications for certain types of licence across Scotland and Northern Ireland. The requirements have been in place in England and Wales since April 2022 and in Scotland, this applies to the following types of licence-:

Taxi Driver
Private Hire Car Driver
Booking Office
Metal Dealer
Itinerant Metal Dealer

Further information about how that may affect you is available here;

If you are applying for one of the licences above for the first time, we will ask you to read HMRC guidance on what you need to do to be properly registered for tax in the future and provide confirmation that you have done so. Find out more at Confirm your responsibilities when applying for a licence (opens new window)

If you are applying to renew one of the licences above you'll need to complete an online tax check with HMRC prior to submitting your application. Find out more at Complete an online tax check (opens new window)

Please note that if you are a new applicant and have held the same type of licence anywhere in the UK within the 12 months preceding your application the law requires that you complete the tax check with HMRC referred to above for renewals.

Applicants and licence holders should be aware that failure to comply with the above requirements prevents the Council from accepting and considering their application.

About the tax check

The check should take a few minutes every few years and is simply to confirm that applicants for licences are appropriately registered for tax.

Applicants complete the tax check through the GOV.UK Government Gateway website, you will require a Government Gateway User ID and Password. You will only need to answer a few questions to tell HMRC how you pay any tax that may be due on income you earn from your licensed trade. If you do not already have a Government Gateway account, you must sign up to get one at the start of the process for completing the online tax check.

When you've completed the tax check, you'll get a 9-character code, tax check codes are valid for 120 days. You must give this code to the Licensing Team when you make your application. We cannot proceed with your application until the tax check is completed and we have checked your code with HMRC. Please note we will not have access to information about your tax affairs.

If you are applying to renew a licence and fail to provide a valid tax check code your licence will expire on whichever of the following dates is the latest:

28 days after we request from you a valid tax check code
the date your licence expires

Privacy Notices

You should be aware that as part of the licensing process information provided by the applicant will be recorded within our licensing systems and for most applications a mandatory background check will be carried out as part of the vetting process. For further information about how your information will be dealt with please see our privacy notices:

Alcohol Licensing Alcohol Licensing (PDF, 174 KB)(opens new window)
Cinema Licences Cinema Licences (PDF, 125 KB)(opens new window)
Civic Licensing and Notifications of Processions Civic Licensing and Notifications of Processions (PDF, 138 KB)(opens new window)
Fireworks Dispensation Fireworks Dispensation (PDF, 102 KB)(opens new window)
Gambling Licensing Gambling Licensing (PDF, 150 KB)(opens new window)
HMO Licensing HMO Licences (PDF, 132 KB)(opens new window)
Licensing consultation privacy notice Licensing consultation privacy notice (PDF, 103 KB)(opens new window)
Sex Shops Sex Shops (PDF, 135 KB)(opens new window)
Venison Dealers' Venison Dealers' (PDF, 125 KB)(opens new window)

To view all current liquor licence application notices within West Lothian, please see Adverts for Current Alcohol Licence Applications

If you need to get in touch with the Licensing Team, please do so by email licensingservices@westlothian.gov.uk (opens new window) email enquiries will be prioritised and responded to on a priority/urgent basis.

Events - Licensing Requirements

If you are organising an event which is open to the public you may need a licence.

Public Processions

Information on holding public processions (parades) in West Lothian and how to make a representation about the procession or a complaint about the notification process.

Alcohol Licences

If you wish to sell alcohol then you will need a licence. This includes events where alcohol is provided following the purchase of an entrance ticket.

Trading Licences

West Lothian Council as licensing authority administers a number of licensing schemes for trading licences under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and other legislation including the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), caravan sites, street traders, metal dealers and second hand dealers.

Gambling Licences and Permits

West Lothian Licensing Board has a range of functions under the Gambling Act 2005

Taxi and Private Hire Car Licences

West Lothian Council as licensing authority administers a licensing scheme for taxi and private hire car vehicle and their drivers.

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Licences, Permits and Permissions

Privacy Notices