Definition: licence

Below are the standards of French legislation:
1°) Obtaining a licence
If an establishment wishes to sell alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and operate as a bar, it must obtain a liquor licence prior to opening.
Procedure for obtaining a licence.
2°) Safety
Before opening, the establishment must submit a building permit application or a development application to ensure that it complies with regulations against fire and panic risks.
Authorisations issued - Type of licence: - Beverage groups

1st group licence
Group 1 beverages (non-alcoholic beverages)
Mineral or carbonated water, unfermented fruit or vegetable juices that do not contain traces of alcohol greater than 1-2° as a result of fermentation, lemonades, syrups, sodas, infusions, milk, coffee, tea, etc.

2nd group licence
Group 2 beverages (non-distilled fermented beverages)
Wine, beer, cider, perry, mead, naturally sweet wines benefiting from the wine tax regime, crème de cassis, fermented fruit or vegetable juices containing 1.2 to 3 degrees of alcohol.

3rd group licence (known as a restricted licence)
Third group beverages
Natural sweet wines other than those belonging to the 2nd group, liqueur wines, wine-based aperitifs, strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant and cherry liqueurs with an alcohol content of no more than 18 degrees.

4th group licence (known as a full licence)
4th group beverages
Rums, tafias, spirits distilled from wine, cider, perry or fruit and containing no added essence, as well as liqueurs sweetened with sugar, glucose or honey at a rate of at least 400 grams per litre for aniseed liqueurs and at least 200 grams per litre for other liqueurs and containing no more than half a gram of essence per litre.

Beverages in the 5th group
All other alcoholic beverages, except those that are prohibited from sale.

In Paris, certain activities carried out by drinking establishments are subject to authorisation by the Prefect of Police. These include:
- late opening authorisation
The Prefectural Order of 1 June 1948 sets the closing time for drinking establishments at 2 a.m. An establishment may remain open all night if it has a licence issued by the Prefect of Police.
For information:
The sale of drinks and food for takeaway is authorised until 12:30 a.m. An extension until 2 a.m. is subject to authorisation. Prefectural decrees prohibit this activity in certain areas from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Authorisation for dancing between consumers
In accordance with the prefectural ordinances of 1 January 1927 and 23 January 1939, dancing among consumers, whether practised as an ancillary or main activity (discotheque), is subject to prefectural authorisation.
- Authorisation for funfairs
The activity of funfairs (video games or automatic games such as pinball machines or table football) is subject to prefectural authorisation.
The procedure
1°) Submitting the application
If you wish to obtain one of these authorisations, a form is available at the reception desk at 12/14 quai de Gesvres in Paris's 4th arrondissement.
It must be carefully completed by the holder of the licence attached to the establishment and sent or handed in to the Liquor Licensing Department of the 2nd Office of the Public Safety Directorate at 12/14 quai de Gesvres.
2°) Processing of the application
After receipt of the application, various departments are consulted for their opinion in order to verify that the operator provides all the guarantees of respect for public order and tranquillity.
In particular, it is necessary to ensure that the establishment:
* does not cause any nuisance,
* is sufficiently soundproofed,
* complies with safety regulations, etc.
3°) The decision
After consulting the relevant departments, a decision is made and notified by the police to the licence holder.
These exemptions remain exceptional. They are personal, temporary and revocable at any time.
Penalties
In the event of breaches of the regulations and in order to preserve public order, peace and morality, these establishments may be subject to administrative closure measures.
1°) Closures for disturbances to public order
Pursuant to Law No. 2003-239 on Internal Security of 18 March 2003:
* a drinking establishment may be subject to administrative closure for infringements of the laws and regulations relating to such establishments (Art. L.3332-15-1 of the Public Health Code
Public Health Code), for breaches of public order, health, peace or morality (Art. L.3332-15-2 of the Public Health Code), or for criminal or delictual acts (Art. L.3332-15-3 of the Public Health Code);
* A takeaway establishment or an establishment playing music may be subject to administrative closure in the event of disturbances (Art. L2512-14-1 and 2 of the General Code for Local Authorities).
The duration of the closure is determined based on the facts and their repetition. It may be up to six months.
2°) Closures for hygiene reasons
Any establishment serving alcoholic beverages may be subject to an investigation by the veterinary services for hygiene reasons. In the event of risks to consumer health, the establishment will be closed until the improvements requested during the visit have been fully implemented.
Additional information
The operation of a licensed premises is governed by the provisions of the Public Health Code.
The tasks of the drinks outlet management department, in the 2nd office of the Health Protection Sub-Directorate, are:
* to ensure the application of police regulations,
* to examine requests for exemptions,
* to propose measures for the administrative closure of drinking establishments.