Alcohol at night and at weekends: what is actually banned in Britain

People arriving from EU countries where shops stop selling alcohol at ten in the evening usually expect the same here. Britain works differently, and the difference is bigger than it looks: England and Wales have no national night-time ban at all, while Scotland has one that is stricter than most.

Is there a night-time ban in England and Wales?

Not nationally. Hours are set by the licence of the individual pub, shop or restaurant, not by a rule covering the country. One shop stops at eleven, the next trades until two, a third around the clock — it depends on what its licence says.

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Local authorities do have a tool, but it is local. A licensing authority can make an early morning restriction order prohibiting alcohol sales for a specified period between midnight and 6am, across all or part of its area.

Weekends and bank holidays?

There are no separate national restrictions for weekends or bank holidays in England and Wales. The premises licence governs. If a shop's hours change on a holiday, that is the business and its licence conditions, not a national rule.

What is licensed

Three activities: selling or supplying alcohol, regulated entertainment, and late night refreshment — hot food or drink supplied between 11pm and 5am. That last one is why a late-night takeaway needs a licence even without alcohol.

Authorities must apply four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

Scotland: a real ban

Under section 65 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, off-sales are permitted only between 10am and 10pm. The Licensing Board must refuse an application where alcohol would be sold for consumption off the premises before 10am or after 10pm.

Taking alcohol from licensed premises outside licensed hours is an offence under section 63. There is a 15-minute grace period where the alcohol was sold during licensed hours and is not taken away in an open container. The penalty is a fine up to level 3 on the standard scale.

Age rules

Under 18 it is an offence to buy or try to buy alcohol, to have an adult buy it for you, or to be sold it, and to drink it in licensed premises such as a pub or restaurant. Police can stop, fine or arrest someone drinking in public.

At 16 and 17, accompanied by an adult, beer, wine or cider may be drunk with a meal — but not bought. They may serve alcohol in a restaurant with the approval of the licence holder or bar manager, and in some areas only in sealed containers. Giving alcohol to a child under five is illegal.

What it means in practice

In England and Wales, watch the shop rather than the clock: its licence is your timetable. In Scotland, remember the 10am to 10pm window — it is the same for everyone and does not change at weekends.