Am I in a licensing zone? How to actually find out
Licensing schemes are designated council by council, often ward by ward or street by street, and they start, extend and lapse on their own dates. "My council has licensing" is not the question; "is THIS address inside a live designation TODAY" is. Here's how to answer it.
1 · Ask the council's own page
Every designating council publishes its scheme: the designation date, the area (a ward list or a map), and the end date. That page is the source of truth. Schemes are time-limited, so check the dates, not just the headline. MHCLG also publishes a national register of selective designations, useful for cross-checking, but the council’s own page carries the dates that decide.
Spotted something out of date? Tell us
2 · Use the postcode checker
Our free checker resolves your postcode to its council and, where we've verified a scheme's coverage against the council's own designation, tells you outright. Where coverage is map-only or unverified, it says "possible" and links the council map rather than guessing — a straight answer only when we can stand behind it.
3 · When the answer is 'possible'
Ward boundaries move and map-only schemes can't be resolved from a postcode alone. If your address sits near an edge: email the council's licensing team with the full address and keep the reply. Written council confirmation is the evidence your board wants filed.