Apply for a temporary event notice (TEN)

Temporary event notices (TENs) can be used for small-scale, one-off or occasional events, such as community, school and charity fundraising events.

These are events at which you:

  • intend to sell or supply alcohol at any time
  • provide regulated entertainment at any time, or
  • sell hot food/drink between 11.00pm and 5.00am.

What you need to know...

To prevent abuse of the TENs system, there are a number of limitations on how they may be used:

  • TENs can only be used for events where no more than 499 people (including staff and performers) are expected to attend.
  • A premises can use up to 20 TENs per calendar year, authorising events on no more than 26 calendar days in that year. (A calendar day starts at midnight, so a TEN running from 11pm to 1am would count as two days.)
  • Each TEN can last for up to 168 consecutive hours from start to finish.
  • There must be at least 24 hours between the end of one TEN and the start of another.
  • An individual (or a group of associates, business partners or family members) may only have five TENs per year (unless they hold a personal licence. In this case they may have 50.
  • No more than two of the five TENs (or 10 of the 50 for personal licence holders) can be late TENs (see below for more information on late TENs).
  • TENs can only be held by those over the age of 18.

If an event is expected to:

  • attract more than 499 people
  • last more than 168 hours, or
  • is intended to use the same premises to provide licensable activities on more than 12 occasions or 21 days per year, you will be required to obtain a premises licence.

Costs for this service

There is a £21 fee for a temporary event notice. You'll need a debit or credit card to pay. Please note that this fee is non-refundable.

Do it online

Apply for a temporary event notice online

We must receive your application for a TEN:

  • at least 10 full working days before the first day of the proposed event, excluding the day on which the notice was received, for the notice to be treated as a standard TEN, or
  • at least five full working days before the first day of the proposed event, excluding the day on which the notice was received, for the notice to be treated as a late TEN.

Late temporary event notices

We can accept two late TENs per person per calendar year (or 10 with a personal licence).

Applications submitted five to nine working days before the start of the event will be classed as late TENs, and will be subject to special provisions. This limit applies nationwide - if you have given your late TENs to another licensing authority, you will not be able to give any in Lambeth.

If you submit your TEN less than five full working days (excluding the day on which the notice was received) before the start of the event, the notice will be deemed invalid and will not be considered.

Objections

If police or noise officers object to a late TEN, the event will be immediately vetoed. There is no option for a hearing, nor to appeal against the decision.