Licensing Act 1964

40 Registration of clubs

(1) A club is registered, within the meaning of this Act, in respect of any premises if and so long as it holds for those premises a certificate under this Part of this Act of a magistrates' court (in this Act referred to as a registration certificate).

(2) Subject to the provisions of this section and of section 50(4) of this Act, a registration certificate shall have effect for twelve months, but may be from time to time renewed, and may at any time be surrendered by the club.

(3) Any renewal of a registration certificate shall be for one year from the expiry of the period for which the certificate was issued or last renewed, except that on the second or any subsequent renewal the certificate may, if the court thinks fit, be renewed for such number of years, not exceeding ten, from the expiry of that period as may be requested in the application for renewal or for any less number of years.

(4) An application by a club for the issue or renewal of a registration certificate shall be made to a magistrates' court and shall comply with the requirements of Schedule 5 to this Act; and the provisions of Schedule 6 to this Act shall have effect as regards the procedure for registration and related matters.

(5) Where an application for the renewal of a registration certificate is made not less than twenty-eight days before the certificate is due to expire, the certificate shall continue in force until the application is disposed of by the magistrates' court or the court otherwise orders under paragraph 10 of Schedule 6 to this Act.

(6) Where an application is duly made in accordance with this Part of this Act for the issue or renewal of a registration certificate, the magistrates' court shall not, in the absence of an objection duly made in accordance with this Part of this Act, refuse the application except as provided by the following provisions of this Part of this Act; and a magistrates' court shall state in writing the grounds of any refusal to issue or renew a registration certificate.