Temporary Event Notices

Temporary Event Notices are for temporary events involving licensable activities.

Such activities can include the sale of alcohol, but the premises user does not need a Personal Licence. Unlike a Premises Licence, you do not have to advertise the application.

The Police and Environmental Health can object to a Temporary Event Notice, on the grounds of the four licensing objectives; the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, Public safety and protection of children from harm. If they do object, the event cannot go ahead unless it is possible to find a solution by negotiation. If a solution cannot be found, the case will go to a hearing to be determined.

A Temporary Event Notice costs £21.00.

Limits on the use of Temporary Event Notices

Anyone aged 18 or over can apply for a maximum of five Temporary Event Notices per calendar year. Personal licence holders can apply for a maximum of fifty Temporary Event Notices per calendar year.

Temporary Event Notices are subject to other maximum limits, as set out below.

Each event covered by a Temporary Event Notice can last up to 168 hours and no more than 15 Temporary Event Notices can be applied for in respect of any particular premises in any year, subject to a maximum aggregate duration of the periods covered by Temporary Event Notices at any individual premises of 21 days in any year. There must be a minimum of 24 hours between events notified by a premises user or associates of that premises user in respect of the same premises.

Each event can only be for a maximum capacity of 499 people.

Important Changes for 2022 and 2023

The Regulations have amended the limits prescribed by the Licensing Act to increase the allowance for temporary event notices from 15 to 20 notices per year and increase the maximum number of days on which temporary events may be held from 21 days to 26 days per year. This increase only applies in the years 2022 and 2023.

Late Temporary Event Notices

Anyone over the age of 18 can submit two Late Temporary Event Notices in a calendar year. A Personal Licence holder can submit ten but the above restrictions in relation to days the events cover still apply. A late Temporary Event Notice is when it is submitted between 5 and 9 working days (these days do not include the date of the event and the date that the notice was submitted).

Using Temporary Event Notices for a series of events

It will be possible to send a series of Temporary Event Notices together (for the academic year, for example) provided that the first of the events is at least ten working days from the sending date.

Large-scale events

Temporary Event Notices cannot be used for events of more than 499 people. If you are planning such an event, you will need to obtain a Premises Licence if the premises are not already licensed. Please contact the Licensing Authority to discuss the requirements further.

How to apply

You can make your application online on the GOV.UK website:

Apply for a Temporary Event Notice online

Alternatively you can download a Temporary Events Notice Application Form below and send completed forms via email to licensing@oxford.gov.uk where it will be validated and an Officer will contact you for a card payment over the telephone.

Download the Temporary Event Notice application form.

For further guidance, see the Government's Temporary Event Notice pages on GOV.UK.

Procedure for submitting a notice

Applications must be given ten clear working days (being Monday to Friday) before the event. Section 193 of the Act defines 'working day' as any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday, or a day which is a bank holiday under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 in England and Wales. 'Ten working days' notice means ten working days exclusive of the day on which the event is to start, and exclusive of the day on which the notice is given.

Late applications for Temporary Event Notices given between nine and five clear working days before the event will be accepted. However if an objection is received from the Police or Environmental Health the notice will automatically be refused by way of a counter notice being issued by the Licensing Authority. For limits on the number of late Temporary Event Notices allowed per calendar year please see the relevant section further down the page.

The preferred method to submit a Temporary Event Notice is by email and an Officer will validate the notice and contact you for a card payment over the phone. If the notice is submitted via email the Licensing Authority will send a copy to Thames Valley Police and Environmental Health on your behalf.

Alternatively you can apply online. If the notice is submitted online the Licensing Authority will send a copy to Thames Valley Police and Health on your behalf.

Notices can also be submitted by post. Please include a telephone number so an officer can contact you for a card payment over the phone, please do not submit cheques or postal orders.  If the premises user prefer to send the notice by post they are required to send three copies of the notice in total, one to the Licensing Authority, one copy to Thames Valley Police and one copy to Environmental Health at least ten working days before the event will start. Please ensure there is enough postage on applications if being sent by post.

Contact details for the Police and Environmental Health can be found on our Licensing contacts page.

We will return one copy of your notice, suitably marked, as a receipt via email.

Timescales

The Police and Environmental Health have three working days to object to notices upon receipt of their copy of the Temporary Event Notice.

If an objection is received, a hearing will be held within seven working days of the deadline, on a date we set.  If an objection is received for a late Temporary Event Notice, the notice will be refused and there will be no hearing, we will issue a counter notice and the event will not be able to go ahead.

We also have discretion to apply existing licence conditions (if the premises in question already has a Premises licence) if an objection is received.

If no objections are received then a signed copy of your notice will be returned to you in the first class post with an unique reference number, this will need to be available for inspection during the event.