If you are the holder of a personal licence issued by the West Lothian Licensing Board you should apply to this Board to renew the licence. If you live in West Lothian but your licence was issued by another Licensing Board you must make a renewal application to the Board which issued your licence.
The Licensing Team is able to provide general guidance on the scheme but cannot assist you to complete your application form or provide legal advice on whether a licence is required. Applicants should consult the alcohol licensing webpages for general guidance before making any application.
When do I need to apply to renew my personal licence?
You must make an application to renew your licence in the 9 month period (the renewal period) starting a year before your licence expires and ending 3 months before the expiry date. It is recommended that you apply as early as possible to ensure your application can be processed in time before your licence expires.
Please contact the Licensing Board if you are unsure of the dates in relation to your current licence.
If a competent application to renew your personal licence is not received by the Board within the renewal period your licence will expire on the expiry date on the front of the licence. The legislation does not allow a Licensing Board to accept an application after that date.
You must notify Police Scotland if your personal licence has been lost or stolen as soon as possible and obtain a reference number. You then must apply to West Lothian Licensing Team for a replacement personal licence, copy of the application can be found in the downloads section of this webpage. In addition, you should also make an application for a replacement personal licence if your licence has been damaged or destroyed.
You should:
Make arrangements to undertake the required refresher training as soon as possible as there is likely to be high demand for the course and training providers may take some time to produce your training certificate; and
Make your renewal application as soon as you can within the renewal period (see above), checking the form and guidance notes carefully to ensure that you are making a competent application. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted and will be returned to you or your agent for amendment which will significantly delay the process.
Your licence will continue to have effect for a period of 6 months after its date of expiry if you submit a competent application for renewal prior to the expiry date of the licence and the Board has not determined your renewal application
No, the Scottish Government's Personal Licence Renewal Communication Document states;
"The currently available half-day refresher training course is the appropriate course to take for both the requirement to undertake updated refresher training after five years and the requirement to apply to renew your licence."
Application forms which have guidance notes attached can be found in the downloads section of this webpage. You should read the guidance notes carefully before completing the application form and please amend the heading on the form to indicate that it is a renewal application. Details of where to submit the application along with supporting documents can also be found in the guidance notes, these include the following;
your Personal Licence (the original document, not a copy)
a copy of your training certificate, i.e. the Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (Refresher) at SCQF(2) Level
two passport sized photographs (details of endorsing one of the photographs can be found in the guidance notes attached to the application.
The current fee to apply to renew a personal licence is £50.
You should return your personal licence to the Board and advise that you wish to surrender it. Or you can contact us to let us know that you do not intend to renew your licence and we will update our records accordingly and will not contact you again. If you do not apply to renew on time your licence will expire, the date of expiry is noted on the front of the licence.
You will need to pass the full day personal licence training course and apply for a new personal licence once you have your certificate. For further information please see the personal licence webpage
You can only be a premises manager if you have a current personal licence. If your licence is going to expire you should inform the premises licence holder immediately. The licence holder must then advise the relevant Licensing Board. For further information please see the Designated Premises manager (DPM) webpage Designated Premises Manager (DPM).
