Describe the activity
Start with what the business actually sells, delivers, handles or operates.
Business licence finder UK
Find out what licences, permits or permissions your business may need before you start trading.
Polar Licence & Permission Finder helps UK founders work through the approvals that may apply to their business based on what they do, where they operate and whether their activity is regulated. Identify the areas to check, understand who may issue the permission and keep the result inside the wider startup journey.
Licences and permits
Local and national requirements
Business-activity checks
Inside Polar · Licence & Permission Finder
Example
LICENCE & PERMISSION FINDER
What might this business need?
Start with the activity and location, then identify the authorities and permissions worth checking.
BUSINESS CHECK
Northway Catering
Food
Activity
England
Location
3
Areas to check
Food business registration
Check
Premises permissions
Local authority
Late-night or alcohol activity
If applicable
Next licence action:
confirm the local-authority requirements for the premises before opening to customers.
Do I need a business licence?
Some businesses can start with very few permissions. Others cannot legally trade until approval is in place.
The important question is not simply whether “businesses need a licence”. Requirements depend on the activity, location, premises and the regulations applying to that sector.
Check the location
Requirements can differ across the UK and between local-authority areas.
Identify the authority
Work out whether approval may come from a council, regulator or professional body.
What licence do I need for my business?
Licence requirements usually start with three pieces of information.
GOV.UK’s current licence finder is organised around business activity and location, while Business.gov.uk also highlights the role of local councils, professional bodies and national regulators.
Activity. Location. Regulator.
Those three questions narrow the search much faster than trying to memorise every possible licence in the UK.
What do you do?
Business activity
Food, beauty, construction, childcare, transport and many other activities can have specific requirements.
Where do you do it?
Location
Country, council area and premises can all affect what needs checking.
Who controls it?
Authority
Approval might come from a council, national regulator, professional body or another authority.
Business permits and permissions
Not every approval is literally called a licence.
A business may need a licence, permit, registration, certification, accreditation or another form of authorisation depending on the activity.
Licence
Permission to carry out a particular activity subject to specific conditions.
Permit
Approval that may apply to premises, environmental activity or other regulated operations.
Registration
Some activities require the business or professional to be formally registered.
Certification or accreditation
Certain activities or professions may require recognised qualifications, certification or accreditation.
Who issues business licences?
The answer may be local, national or professional.
Business.gov.uk says approval can come from a local council, registration or accreditation with a professional body, or authorisation from a national regulator.
Examples of business licences UK
Licence requirements can appear in very different types of business.
The official GOV.UK finder currently covers hundreds of authorisations across areas including hospitality, construction, beauty, childcare, transport, property, security and many more.
Food & hospitality
Food registration, premises permissions and alcohol-related licensing may need checking.
Street trading
Trading in certain streets or markets can require permission from the local council.
Beauty treatments
Tattooing, piercing, electrolysis and other treatments can have local or sector requirements.
Alcohol & entertainment
Premises offering alcohol or certain licensable activities may need a premises licence.
Childcare & social care
Regulated care activities can involve registration, inspections and specific requirements.
Transport
Vehicle, operator or specialist transport activities can require specific authorisations.
Environmental activity
Waste, emissions, water and other activities may require permits or environmental approval.
Professional services
Some professions are regulated and may require recognised qualifications or registration.
Local council business licences
Your postcode can matter almost as much as your business activity.
Many local licences are administered by councils. Official GOV.UK licence pages for activities such as street trading and premises licensing use the business location to direct applicants to the relevant council.
Street trading
Local councils can control where and when street trading takes place.
Market stalls
Market trading can involve temporary or permanent local-authority licences.
Premises
Certain business activities at a specific venue can create local licensing requirements.
Regulated professions UK
Sometimes the permission belongs to the person, not just the business.
The UK’s Regulated Professions Register explains that certain professions require specific qualifications or experience before somebody can carry out particular professional activities or use a protected title.
Check the business and the individual.
A company may be correctly registered while the person delivering a regulated professional service still needs their own qualification, registration or recognition.
Business approval
Does the business itself need a licence, permit or registration?
Professional approval
Does the individual need recognised qualifications or professional registration?
Protected title
Is the professional title itself legally or professionally regulated?
Run a business from home
Working from home can still create permission questions.
Business.gov.uk notes that home-based businesses may need to consider permissions from a landlord or mortgage lender, insurance provider and local council depending on how the property is being used.
Your spare room becoming a business does not automatically make every use of the property acceptable.
Quiet office work and customer-facing, noisy, storage-heavy or regulated activity can create very different considerations.
Home business checks
Landlord or mortgage lender
Check whether the property arrangements allow the intended business use.
Insurance provider
Make sure business activity does not conflict with the existing cover.
Local council
Check whether planning, nuisance, licensing or other local issues apply.
Premises requirements
Some regulated activities require standards or inspections that a home may not satisfy.
Business licence checklist
Do not stop after finding the name of a licence.
The useful result is knowing what needs checking, who controls it, what evidence may be required and whether the approval has to be in place before trading.
Found it. Now verify it.
Use the licence result as the start of the approval process rather than treating a search result as permission to trade.
Requirement
Confirm whether the licence or permission actually applies to this business.
Authority
Identify the official body responsible for the approval.
Application
Understand forms, evidence, inspections, fees or other steps that may apply.
Timing
Check whether approval is required before trading or before carrying out a particular activity.
Conditions
Understand any limits on location, hours, activity or other operating conditions.
Renewal
Check whether the licence expires or needs renewal later.
Connected business permissions
Turn a licence requirement into part of the startup journey.
Licence & Permission Finder connects the approval check with registration, business setup, insurance, legal guidance and launch readiness.
Business Registration
→
Business Setup
→
Licence Finder
→
Insurance Guide
→
Legal Guide
→
Launch Readiness
Licence finder guidance
Polar helps identify what to investigate. The official authority decides what you legally need.
Licence rules can vary by activity, location and circumstance. The official regulator, council or competent authority remains the source of the legal requirement and the place where applications are made.
Find the likely requirement
Use business activity and location to narrow down the areas that deserve checking.
Verify officially
Confirm the current rules with the council, regulator or other responsible authority.
Track the result
Keep the permission and related setup work visible inside the wider Polar journey.
Business licence FAQs
Questions about licences, permits and permissions for UK businesses.
Do I need a licence to start a business in the UK?
Not every business needs a specific business licence. Requirements depend on the activities you carry out, where you operate, your premises and any regulations applying to the sector.
How do I find out what licence my business needs?
Start with the business activity and location, then check the official GOV.UK licence finder and the relevant council, regulator or professional body.
Who issues business licences?
Depending on the activity, licences or permissions may be issued by a local council, national regulator, professional body or another competent authority.
Does a limited company automatically have permission to trade?
No. Incorporating a company creates the legal company but does not automatically provide licences or permissions required for regulated activities.
Do I need a licence to run a business from home?
It depends on the activity and use of the property. You may need to check permissions from your landlord or mortgage lender, insurance provider, local council or another authority.
Can local councils require business licences?
Yes. Local councils administer many permissions including certain street trading, market, premises and other local licences.
What is a regulated profession?
A regulated profession is one where the law or professional regulation may require particular qualifications, experience, registration or permission before somebody can carry out specific activities or use certain professional titles.
Is a permit the same as a licence?
Both are forms of authorisation, but the terminology depends on the regulatory scheme. Some activities require licences, permits, registrations, certifications or other approvals.
Does Polar issue business licences?
No. Polar Licence & Permission Finder helps identify and organise possible requirements. Official approvals are issued by the relevant council, regulator, professional body or other authority.
Can licence requirements change?
Yes. Requirements can change with legislation, location, business activity or the way the business operates, so important requirements should always be confirmed with the relevant official authority.
Polar Licence & Permission Finder
Know what needs checking before a licence becomes the thing stopping you from trading.
Use your business activity and location to identify possible licences, permits, registrations and permissions, understand who controls them and keep the result connected with the rest of your business setup.