What a TEN is
A Temporary Event Notice lets someone carry out “licensable activities” — selling alcohol, providing regulated entertainment or late-night refreshment — at premises that aren’t licensed for them, for a short event. It isn’t an application the council approves; it is a notice. Unless the police or environmental health object, the event can go ahead. The rules below are from the GOV.UK page on temporary events notices as checked on 25 October 2026, and apply to England and Wales.
When a wedding needs one
Most weddings fall into one of three cases:
| Situation | TEN needed? |
|---|---|
| Venue has a premises licence covering alcohol at your times | Usually no — the bar runs under the venue’s licence, with its agreement |
| Unlicensed venue (marquee, barn, garden), cash bar or drinks sold to guests | Yes, unless someone gets a full premises licence |
| Unlicensed venue, free bar the couple paid for, no charge to guests | Often not licensable — confirm with the council |
The phrase that matters is “licensable activity”. Selling alcohol is one; giving it away free at a private party generally isn’t, but the details (a ticket price that includes drinks, a “donation” box, a bar run by a business) can change that. When in doubt, a two-minute call to the council licensing team settles it, and a £21 TEN is cheap insurance.
The limits
- People: fewer than 500 at any one time, counting staff, performers and guests.
- Length: up to 168 hours (7 days) per event.
- Per person: 5 TENs a year. A personal licence holder can give up to 50.
- Per premises: 15 TENs a year, with no more than 21 days of events in total, and at least 24 hours between events.
- Fee: £21.
For a mobile bar business, the per-premises limit rarely bites at weddings (every venue is different), but the per-person limit does — which is why bar owners get a personal licence.
Counting 10 clear working days
The notice must reach the council at least 10 clear working days before the event. “Clear” means you do not count the day the council receives it, or the day of the event. Weekends and bank holidays aren’t working days.
Worked example for a wedding on Saturday 5 June 2027. Monday 31 May 2027 is the spring bank holiday (GOV.UK bank holidays), so it is skipped:
| Working day | Date |
|---|---|
| 1 | Friday 4 June |
| 2 | Thursday 3 June |
| 3 | Wednesday 2 June |
| 4 | Tuesday 1 June |
| — | Monday 31 May (bank holiday, not counted) |
| 5 | Friday 28 May |
| 6 | Thursday 27 May |
| 7 | Wednesday 26 May |
| 8 | Tuesday 25 May |
| 9 | Monday 24 May |
| 10 | Friday 21 May |
So the council must receive the standard TEN by Thursday 20 May 2027 at the latest. Leave a margin — apply a month or more ahead if you can, especially around bank holidays.
Late TENs
If you miss the 10-day deadline, a late TEN can be given no later than 5 and no earlier than 9 clear working days before the event. For the 5 June example, that’s a window for the council receiving it between Friday 21 May and Thursday 27 May 2027.
Late TENs come with two catches:
- You only get 2 a year without a personal licence, or 10 with one, and they count towards your annual total.
- If the police or environmental health object, a late TEN is simply invalid: the event can’t go ahead with licensable activities, and there is no hearing.
Objections
The council sends the notice to the police and environmental health (if you apply on paper, you must send them copies yourself). They have 3 working days to object, on the grounds of crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance or protecting children from harm. On a standard TEN an objection leads to a licensing committee hearing, held at least 24 hours before the event unless everyone agrees it isn’t needed.
Noise is the most common worry at weddings in marquees and gardens: tell the council the finish time and any music in the notice, and keep to it.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
TENs don’t exist outside England and Wales.
- Scotland: events off licensed premises use an occasional licence from the local licensing board under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. Boards set their own processes; several ask for applications well in advance — Aberdeenshire says it rejects applications made 28 days or less before the date, and Glasgow publishes applications for objections. Check with the board for the venue’s area.
- Northern Ireland: has its own occasional licence system; ask the venue’s licence holder or a licensing solicitor.
Checklist
The licensing checklists page has a printable TEN checklist that remembers your ticks. In short:
- Is a TEN needed at all (venue licence, sale vs free bar)?
- Who is the premises user, and do they have TENs left this year?
- Under 500 people, under 168 hours?
- Council receives it at least 10 clear working days before the event?
- £21 paid; police and environmental health copies sent if on paper?
- Bar staff briefed on the conditions and finish time?
This is a summary of the published rules, not legal advice. If you run a mobile bar, price the licence into each quote with the pricing calculator and read dry hire vs full service for how licensing changes with your package.