Guide to Scottish Licensing Board Policy Statements 2023-2028

Welcome to the TLT Guide to Scottish Licensing Board Policy Statements

In this online resource, we provide a free guide and link to the policy statements of every single licensing board in Scotland. All licensing boards were required to publish their new policy statements around November 2023 and the vast majority are now complete and available online at the links below. At the time of writing a handful of licensing boards were still working on some aspects of their policies and so this guide will be continually updated once those processes are complete.

The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 requires every licensing board to produce a statement of policy which they do after a period of public consultation. The policies remain in place for a five year period, meaning the current policies are for the period 2023 – 2028.

This webpage will be updated regularly as any changes or supplementary policies are published so please check back as needed.

What is a licensing policy statement?

The policy statement is a very important document for all stakeholders involved in the world of licensing but particularly so for licence holders as it can be described as a sort of “rulebook” for what to expect from a particular licensing board in terms of how they will do their business and carry out their functions under the 2005 Act. The policy, once confirmed, is therefore a very important part of the licensing process. You can expect a policy to lay down a board’s approach in key matters such as overprovision, licensed hours, children and young persons access to licensed premises, amongst various other matters. When licence applications are made, the board will have regard to their policy and this means applications which are “outwith” policy may face difficulty, though each application should always be on its own merits.

How can TLT help?

If you are a licence holder looking to understand how a local policy affects you, or if you are someone looking to obtain a licence but concerned that your local policy may have adverse consequences for your business plan, you should seek specialist advice and we are happy to discuss your queries. Our team of specialist licensing solicitors is the largest in Scotland and we cover the whole country, frequently appearing at every licensing board in every local area representing hundreds of licensed businesses of all shapes and sizes from large event and sporting venues, distilleries and tourist attractions, to local pubs and shops.

Our Guide to Scottish Licensing Policies

In our handy drop-down menu below, you will find a link to every licensing policy in Scotland. We will add commentary below each link on an ongoing basis where matters of interest arise, and you can contact our partners Stephen McGowan and Caroline Loudon at the contact links at the foot of the page.