More of your questions answered in this months Hill Brown Licensing Q & A.
Question
What type of licence will l need to establish an online business selling hampers which will include alcoholic products like fine wines and champagnes? I plan to just do it from my house initially until l get things established.
Audrey Junner, Partner Hill Brown
Answer
An internet sale would be considered a remote sale in terms of licensing legislation and the short answer is that you will require a licence. You could either apply for a full premises licence or occasional licences, which last for two weeks at a time, depending on your long term plans and the policy of the Licensing Board for your area. The most important point to remember when it comes to remote sales is that the place which must be licensed is the place from which the goods are dispatched. In this case that would mean licensing your home or garage. This is not uncommon but Licensing Board are likely to be very interested in what security measures you have in place for the storage of any alcohol. There are numerous rules which surround the dispatch and delivery of alcohol so it would be sensible to take specialist legal advice before embarking on your venture.
Question
My personal licence expires in 2019. Do l need to do anything to renew it?
Answer
You will definitely have to renew your licence in advance of its expiry but you also need to complete training. Rather frustratingly the requirements of that training are at this stage unknown. If the Licensing Act is interpreted literally it would seem that a personal licence holder seeking to renew their licence will have to sit the full Scottish Certificate For Personal Licence Holders (SCPLH) Course again rather than just a brief refresher. The Scottish Government are currently being urged by Solicitors and the trade to plan ahead. 2019 seems some time off but with thousands of licences to be renewed and thousands of staff to be trained it is an enormous undertaking which needs to be properly planned for. Please ensure that your licence is up to date and the Board have your correct address so that any correspondence is not missed.
For more information you can contact Audrey directly at Hill Brown Licensing: AJ@mshblicensing.com