Licensing and permits

Advertising board ('A' Board) licence

To place a moveable advertising board outside your business, you must obtain a licence from the council to make sure it does not obstruct the flow of pedestrian traffic on the pavement.

The cost of a three-year licence is £200 and is valid for one advertising board. The board must be displayed within the width of the shop frontage and allow a 2m width of unobstructed pavement for pedestrians, prams and wheelchairs.

  • Permission is limited to between the hours of 8am and 10pm, unless otherwise agreed.
  • The licensee is responsible for removing the board from the pavement outside of these hours or when the business is closed.
  • The board must be a standard A1 size of 637 x 1100 x 800mm with a maximum height of 1.1m.
  • The board must be movable and not fixed to the pavement or any other street furniture.
  • You must maintain public liability insurance of £5m.
  • The licensee must comply with the full guidance, which you should read before applying for a licence.

Read the full guidance before applying for a licence.

How to apply

You can apply and pay online below. You will be prompted to upload a drawing which clearly shows the proposed position of the advertising board in relation to your building and any street furniture, with dimensions.

Apply and pay online 

Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data.

What happens next?

Once we have received your application and payment we will send you a public notice template which you must display at your premises for a 28-day consultation period.

You must send us a copy of the completed notice and photographs of the displayed notice on the first and last day of the consultation period. Please email these to hdc@liverpool.gov.uk quoting your name and application reference.

When we receive these, we will determine your application. Until this process is completed, we cannot grant the licence.

Do not display the ‘A’ board until we have granted your licence.