Sex establishment licence

Sex Establishments are required to be licensed under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982

• a sex shop is a premises used for business which consists to a significant degree of selling sex articles 
• a sex cinema is any premises used to a significant degree for showing of films which are concerned primarily with, or relate to, or are intended to stimulate sexual activity 
• a sexual entertainment venue is considered to be a premises in which any live performance or any live display of nudity which is of such a nature that, ignoring financial gain, it must reasonably be assumed to be provided solely or principally for the purpose of sexually stimulating any member of the audience (whether by verbal or other means

The first two types of premises would require a sex establishment licence and the latter would require a sexual entertainment venue licence.

The law defines how an application is made including advertising notice of the application in the local press and displaying a notice outside the premises for a specific time period to give the general public the opportunity to comment by a statutory closing date.

Applications can be made to the local authority using the application form below. Before completing your application, please see our privacy and data retention policy.