Licences to open a pizza takeaway: the full UK checklist
A pizza takeaway in England or Wales must register with the council at least 28 days before trading (it's free) and needs planning permission if the unit isn't already a hot food takeaway. Add a late night refreshment licence if you serve hot food between 11pm and 5am, and a premises licence plus a personal licence holder if you sell alcohol.
Start with your concept, not a 40-item checklist
Three questions decide almost all of your paperwork: do customers eat on the premises, do you sell alcohol, and do you trade after 11pm? A collection-and-delivery pizza shop that closes at 10:30pm and sells only soft drinks needs surprisingly little.
| Your concept | What it adds to the basics |
|---|---|
| Takeaway and delivery, closes before 11pm, no alcohol | Nothing beyond the basics |
| Takeaway open after 11pm | Late night refreshment licence (a premises licence) |
| Eat-in with beer and wine | Premises licence with on-sales, a DPS with a personal licence, Class E(b) premises |
| Beer delivered with the pizza | Premises licence covering off-sales |
| Pizza van or market stall | Pitch permission or street trading consent |
Licensing Act 2003; Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as amended in 2020.
What every pizza takeaway needs
Food business registration
Register with your local council's Environmental Health team at least 28 days before you start trading, using the gov.uk form. It's free and it can't be refused. Expect a visit from an EHO within the first months, which sets your food hygiene rating.
Food safety management and training
You need a written food safety management system based on HACCP principles. Most small takeaways use the FSA's free Safer Food, Better Business pack. No certificate is legally required, but every food handler must be supervised and trained in proportion to the job, and an EHO will expect to see a Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate for staff (around £15–£30 online) and Level 3 for whoever runs the kitchen.
Planning: the use class trap
Since 1 September 2020, hot food takeaways are sui generis, outside every use class. Restaurants and cafés sit in Class E(b), together with shops and offices. In practice:
- A former shop or café turned into a pizza takeaway needs full planning permission.
- A unit already used as a hot food takeaway can usually carry on as one. Ask the council to confirm the lawful use before you sign.
- An extraction flue on the outside of the building usually needs permission in its own right, and listed buildings or conservation areas add another layer.
A change of use application costs roughly £600 in fees in England, plus drawings and often an odour and noise report for the extraction. The council has eight weeks to decide, and many councils restrict new takeaways near schools.
Everything else on day one
- A trade waste contract: household bins aren't allowed for business waste.
- A fire risk assessment, in writing once you have five or more staff.
- Business rates, and checking whether small business rate relief applies.
Pizza chef training: which courses are required and which are worth it
Late night refreshment: the pizza-specific trap
Under Schedule 2 of the Licensing Act 2003, supplying hot food or hot drink to the public between 11pm and 5am is a licensable activity, even with no alcohol involved. That includes pizzas handed to a delivery rider at 11:15pm. You apply for it as a premises licence, so you pay the same fee band as a pub of the same rateable value (about £100 to £635, plus an annual fee) and go through the same 28-day consultation, during which neighbours and the police can object.
Our view: if your trade after 11pm is a handful of orders, close the kitchen at 10:45pm. A licence that can be reviewed after one noise complaint is a lot of exposure for a few late orders.
Selling alcohol: two licences, two people
- Premises licence from the council, specifying on-sales, off-sales or both. Beer delivered with the pizza is an off-sale and must be on the licence.
- Designated Premises Supervisor named on that licence, who must hold a personal licence. That means passing the Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders (a one-day course, typically £100–£200), a basic DBS check and a £37 application fee.
Every sale must be made or authorised by a personal licence holder, and you need an age verification policy. For delivered alcohol, the rider has to check ID at the door, which is why many takeaways skip it.
Music, terraces and signs
- Music: background radio in the shop needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS, priced by area and use.
- Tables on the pavement: a pavement licence from the council.
- Illuminated signs: often need advertisement consent from the planning department.
What you must display
- Allergen information, or a clear sign telling customers how to ask for it, and written allergen details for online and phone orders.
- Prices, including for drinks, before the customer orders.
- A no-smoking sign at the entrance and inside enclosed premises.
- If you sell alcohol: the premises licence summary, and the name of the DPS.
- Your food hygiene rating sticker: mandatory in Wales and Northern Ireland, voluntary in England (but customers notice when it's missing).
Allergen rules for takeaways: verbal, written and online orders
Timeline and budget: what to file, and when
| When | What | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Before signing the lease | Confirm lawful use with the council; check extraction is feasible | £0 |
| Before works | Planning for change of use and flue, advertisement consent | About £600 in fees + reports |
| 8 weeks before opening | Premises licence (alcohol or after 11pm) | £100–£635 + annual fee |
| 28 days before opening | Food business registration | Free |
| Before opening | Level 2 hygiene for staff, food safety pack, music licence | £15–£30 per person |
Gov.uk guidance and published council fee scales, 2026.
Allow one to three months. Registration is instant, but planning takes eight weeks and a licence application needs its 28-day consultation. While the paperwork runs, put your menu online and start taking pre-orders for opening day, commission-free.
Pizza vans and market pitches
A van still registers as a food business, with the council where it's kept overnight. You don't need planning, but you need permission for every pitch: street trading consent from the council for public land, or the landowner's agreement for private sites. Late night refreshment and alcohol rules apply exactly as they do to a shop, and events often cover alcohol with a Temporary Event Notice.
Starting a pizza van: the complete guide
Once you're open: what the EHO checks on inspection
FAQ
Do I need a licence to sell pizza after 11pm?
Yes. Supplying hot food between 11pm and 5am in England and Wales needs a late night refreshment licence from the council under the Licensing Act 2003, even if you never sell alcohol. Delivery orders leaving the shop after 11pm count.
Can I sell beer with takeaway pizzas?
Only if your premises licence covers off-sales, and a personal licence holder authorises the sales. A licence for drinking on the premises alone doesn't cover beer handed over with a collection or delivery order.
Is a food hygiene certificate a legal requirement?
Not as such. The law requires food handlers to be trained and supervised for their role. In practice EHOs expect Level 2 certificates for staff, and having them helps your hygiene rating.
How long does it all take?
Plan for one to three months. Registration takes days, but planning permission takes up to eight weeks and a premises licence needs a 28-day consultation. Check the use class before you sign the lease.