You will need a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) if you are carrying out any of the following activities as part of an event at an unlicensed premises:
You need to read and understand the requirements set out on this page before you serve a notice for a temporary event. We cannot proceed unless you give us all the information we need.
To serve a notice, you must:
You will need a TEN if you are selling tickets for an event which states that alcohol is provided for free.
You’ll also need a TEN if a particular licensable activity is not included in the terms of your existing licence. For example, holding a wedding reception at a community centre.
If you are organising an event that is likely to attract over 500 people, you will need to apply for a premises licence instead of serving a notice.
You can only serve a notice as an individual, not an organisation.
Your event must have fewer than 500 people at all times, including the staff running the event.
The event can last no more than 7 days (168 hours), and there must be a 24 hour gap between every TEN you submit to us.
Select a topic below to find out more about serving TENs:
You need a TEN for each event you hold on the same premises.
If you do not hold a personal licence to sell alcohol, you can have up to 5 TENs a year. If you already have a personal licence to sell alcohol, you can have up to 50 TENs a year.
A single premises can have up to 15 TENs in one year, as long as the total length of the events is not more than 21 days.
The latest you can serve a late TEN is 5 clear working days before the event.
If you do not hold a personal licence, you can serve up to 2 late TENs per year.
If you do hold a personal licence, the limit is 10.
A TEN costs £21.
This fee covers the cost of processing and is non-refundable in all circumstances, even if the notice is withdrawn, invalid or subject to a counter notice.
A TEN will be valid for a maximum of 7 days.
You can serve a TEN by using our online form:
Serve a temporary event notice (TEN)
Select a topic below to find out more about TENs:
Once we receive your notice, we will notify the police and the Environmental Health team. They may object to the TEN if they think your event could:
If there are no objections, we will confirm your TEN.
If the police or Environmental Health object to your TEN, they must give you an objection notice within three working days of receiving the TEN.
If the objection relates to a late TEN, we will issue a counter-notice and your event cannot go ahead.
For standard TENs, if you can agree a mutually acceptable modification to the TEN with the party who objected, we will confirm your TEN and your event can go ahead.
If not, we will hold a hearing to consider the objection notice at least 24 hours before the event. We will decide to approve, add conditions or reject the TEN at this hearing.
We aim to confirm TENs within 35 days.
Tacit consent applies. This means that you will be able to act as though your TEN is confirmed if you have not heard from us after 35 days.
If you want to appeal a licence rejection, please contact us by email at licensing@bathnes.gov.uk
If we issue a counter-notice to stop your event from taking place, you may appeal the decision.
If we decide not to issue a counter-notice in relation to an objection, the chief of police can appeal our decision.
If you wish to appeal a decision, you can apply to Bath Magistrates’ Court within 21 days of being notified of the decision.
You must make an appeal at least 5 days before the date of the planned event.
If you believe a business or event is taking place without a TEN, please report this to us using our online form.
We have made the information on these web pages as comprehensive as possible. However, in attempting to simplify the law, certain requirements have been omitted. Full details of what you must do are in the relevant legislation.
Laws can and do change. We must advise that only the Courts can give an authoritative opinion on statute law.
| Event | Last date for submitting standard TEN | Last date for submitting late TEN |
|---|---|---|
| Early May Bank Holiday (04/05/2026) | 19/04/2026 | 26/04/2026 |
| Spring Bank Holiday (25/05/2026) | 10/05/2026 | 17/05/2026 |
| Summer Bank Holiday (31/08/2026) | 16/08/2026 | 23/08/2026 |
| Hallowe'en (31/10/2026) | 18/10/2026 | 25/10/2026 |
| Bonfire Night (05/11/2026) | 21/10/2026 | 28/10/2026 |
| Christmas Day (25/12/2026) | 10/12/2026 | 17/12/2026 |
| Boxing Day (26/12/2026) | 10/12/2026 | 17/12/2026 |
| New Year's Eve (31/12/2026) | 14/12/2026 | 21/12/2026 |
| New Year's Day (01/01/2027) | 15/12/2026 | 22/12/2026 |