DPS Change of Address

Q: I am the Freeholder and Premises Licence Holder of a pub. My DPS has just moved house and is telling me that I have to tell the Licensing Authority about his change of address. I thought that he, as a Personal Licence Holder, was required to do this?

A: You may be mixing two things up here. You as the Premises Licence Holder have a duty to notify the Licensing Authority of a change in either your name or address or that of your DPS. Your DPS is permitted to do this instead, but is not required to – the responsibility ultimately lies with you, and it is an offence not to have told the Licensing Authority of the new address of your DPS as soon as is reasonably practicable. At the same time, however, your DPS – as a Personal Licence Holder – has a duty to inform the relevant Licensing Authority of his change of address as a Personal Licence Holder (not necessary as a DPS). Now, this Licensing Authority may be different to the Licensing Authority you have to inform because it is the Licensing Authority that granted your DPS’ Personal Licence. So, if your premises is in London but your DPS was granted his Personal Licence in Newcastle, then you must tell the London Authority (if your DPS doesn’t) whilst at the same time your DPS has a separate and individual legal responsibility as a Personal Licence Holder to inform Newcastle that he has changed his address. In both cases the fee is presently ?10.50, and the Premises Licence/Personal Licence should accompany the letter or, if that is not practicable, a statement of the reasons for the failure to do so.