The Licensing Office will be re-opening for applicants and licence holders from Monday 17 May 2021. To facilitate this re-opening it is crucial that visitors to the office strictly follow the guidelines below.
Visits to the office will be strictly by appointment only.
Anyone who wishes to attend the licensing office will need to pre-book their appointment. You can book your appointment by:
- calling 023 9283 4073, or
- sending an email to licensing@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to arrange a date and time.
We will not admit any person to the office who has not made a prior booking.
Licensing staff will request contact names and telephone numbers upon booking. They will also need to know what the purpose of the visit is. For example – knowledge test, DBS check, new applicant, collection of vehicle licence and plate etc.
There will be a limited amount of appointments per day. This is to allow for the office to operate safely with minimum amount of people in the office at any one time. It is also to ensure that appropriate parts of the reception area are sanitised before the next visitor to the office.
Appointments will take place between 9am and 4pm.
Visitors must adhere to the time slot they have been allocated. Anyone arriving early will not be admitted to the office until their appointment time. Equally, people arriving late for their appointment will not be admitted to the office and will have to rebook another appointment.
Payments for the English Test and Knowledge Test will be taken at the time of booking to reduce time spent in the office.
A doorbell will be located at the entrance to the licensing office and visitors must ring the bell to announce their arrival. Visitors will be asked to use the NHS test and trace arrangements when arriving at the office. A QR code will be available at the main entrance and should be scanned on arrival. We strongly recommend that visitors download this app before their arrival at the licensing office.
Further information regarding this app is available here.
Please be aware that the availability of appointments may be liable to change. This would depend on demand, circumstances etc.
To ensure the safety of visitors and staff there will be a number of safety measures in place which must be followed.
These safety measures include:
• People must not attend the office if they are showing symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature, a new continuous cough, a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste).
• Upon entry to the office, all people must use the hand sanitiser provided at the entrance point.
• We would ask that all people visiting the office wear face coverings for the duration of their visit, except where exemptions apply.
• Persons must maintain a 2-metre distance from other persons.
• Use the NHS Covid-19 App – The NHS Test and Trace process will help to control the rate of reproduction (R), reduce the spread of the infection and save lives.
• Food and drink must not be consumed by visitors during their visit.
Licensing staff will also be generally available in the office on Friday evenings between 6pm and 8pm for pre-booked appointments only. Please email licensing@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to make arrangements to see one of the duty staff.