Pub licences and opening hours in Ireland: what the law says in 2026

Pub licensing in Ireland rests on a long line of Acts, from the Licensing Act 1872 to the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018. The day-to-day questions a publican asks are simpler: which licence do I need, how do I keep it, what time do I stop serving, and who can be in the bar after 9pm. This guide sticks to what Revenue, the HSE, Citizens Information and the statute book say as of October 2026.

It's general information, not legal advice. Licensing applications go through the courts, and most publicans use a solicitor who handles licensing.

The licence a pub needs

The licence for a pub is a Publican's Licence, issued by Revenue. It lets the holder sell alcohol for drinking both on and off the premises. Revenue won't grant one for premises that only want to sell for consumption off the premises.

Revenue lists three categories for ordinary pubs:

• Publican's Licence (7-Day Ordinary)
• Publican's Licence (6-Day)
• Publican's Licence (6-Day & Early Closing)

The same publican's category also covers hotel licences and special cases such as theatres, holiday camps, racecourses and railway refreshment rooms.

Citizens Information describes the standard pub licence as an Ordinary Publican's On Licence, and says a new application must be lodged with the Circuit Court.

Getting a new pub licence

A new licence is a two-stage process: the court, then Revenue.

1. Notify the HSE one month before you apply. Under section 4 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, you must notify the HSE one month before you apply for or renew a liquor licence. For applications that need a court certificate, the HSE says to notify through the Courts Service, or by email or post to the local Environmental Health Office. You won't get an acknowledgement, and the HSE can appear in court and give evidence on your application.
2. Get a court certificate. Revenue can only issue a new Publican's Licence where the court has granted a certificate. Most publican's licences and all hotel licences need one.
3. Apply to Revenue within 12 months. Send the court certificate with the completed application form to the National Excise Licence Office within 12 months of the certificate's issue date. Revenue then sends a First Time Application Notice inviting you to complete the application and pay.
4. Tax clearance. Every licensee needs tax clearance, which Revenue checks automatically before issuing the licence. Some applicants also need a certificate of incorporation or business name registration.

Revenue puts the cost of a first pub licence at €250.

Renewing a pub licence

The licensing year runs from 1 October to 30 September, and every licence expires on 30 September regardless of when it was issued. The National Excise Licence Office sends a renewal notice in early September.

You don't normally need a new court certificate to renew. Revenue says you do if there has been an objection to the renewal, the licence lapsed for a full licensing year, it was transferred to another trader during the year, or the mapped licensed area of the premises has changed.

Remember the HSE notification applies to renewals too: a month before, every year.

What renewal costs

Renewal duty is based on the premises' previous annual turnover, excluding turnover that isn't from alcohol or meals. Snack foods, soft drinks served on the premises, tobacco and entertainment count towards the figure.

The same turnover basis applies when a licence is transferred to a new trader.

Pub opening hours in Ireland

Citizens Information sets out the hours a pub can sell alcohol for drinking on the premises:

For off-sales (including supermarkets and off-licences), the hours are 10.30am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, and 12.30pm to 10pm on Sunday and St Patrick's Day.

Serving later: Special Exemption Orders

A Special Exemption Order lets a licence holder serve outside normal hours. Applications go to the local District Court, and the latest time alcohol can be served for drinking on the premises is 2.30am.

Restaurant certificates

Citizens Information describes a Restaurant Certificate as letting a pub that serves a substantial meal (one costing more than €9) serve alcohol for one hour after normal hours, where it accompanies the meal. A Limited Restaurant Certificate gives the same exemption to a limited part of the pub.

Music, dancing and occasional licences

A Public Music and Singing Licence and/or Public Dancing Licence from the District Court is needed for live music or for operating as a nightclub or disco. An Occasional Licence, applied for at the District Court and only granted to an existing licence holder, covers events at a venue that doesn't normally serve alcohol. The HSE says you don't need to notify it about a dance or music and singing licence.

The Sale of Alcohol Bill is not law

You'll hear talk of later opening hours under the Sale of Alcohol Bill. As of October 2026 that bill has not been enacted, so none of its proposals apply. The hours in the table above are the law until that changes. Check Citizens Information before changing your hours.

Under-18s in the bar

It's an offence to serve alcohol to anyone under 18. On who can be in the bar, Citizens Information says:

• children under 15 must be supervised at all times
• children under 15 can only be on the premises between 10.30am and 9pm (10pm from May to September)
• children aged 15 and over with a parent or guardian can stay later if they're attending a private function where a substantial meal is served
• the licence holder can refuse a child entry if their presence could harm the child's health, safety or welfare

Section 14 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 makes it an offence for the licence holder to allow under-18s in the bar outside what's permitted, with exceptions including the licensee's own children, residents, people passing through, and young people employed under the Act. Our guide on young workers in licensed premises covers staff under 18.

Selling or giving alcohol to an under-18 carries a fine of up to €5,000 and a closure order for the licence holder, according to Citizens Information.

Minimum unit pricing

Since 4 January 2022, alcohol in Ireland can't be sold below 10c per gram of alcohol. A standard drink contains 10 grams, so the floor for one standard drink is €1.

Section 11 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 sets the formula. Grams of alcohol = volume in ml × strength (ABV) × 0.789. So a pint (568ml) of 4.3% stout has about 19.3g of alcohol, and its minimum price is about €1.93. You'll rarely be near the floor on a pint at the bar, but it matters for promotions, bundles and functions. Our guide to GP on drinks works through more examples.

Promotions that are illegal

Citizens Information lists drinks promotions that are against the law:

• happy hours, meaning reducing the price of alcohol at certain times of day
• loyalty schemes that reward buying alcohol
• alcohol sold cheaper or free when bought with other products
• short-term price promotions of less than 3 days

Supplying alcohol to a drunken person is also an offence, with a fine of €4,000 for a first offence and €5,000 after that.

Keeping your licence safe in practice

Most licensing trouble starts on an ordinary busy night: last orders missed, a young-looking customer not asked for ID, or a function that runs past its exemption. A few habits help:

• Put closing times on the roster. If the person closing knows the legal close, and whether there's an exemption tonight, it's far easier to call time.
• Brief new staff on ID, under-18s times and refusing drunk customers in their first shift.
• Log incidents. A refusal, a row or a Garda visit noted at the time is worth far more than a recollection months later.
• Diary the renewal: HSE notification in August, renewal notice in early September, expiry 30 September.

Where ShiftComplete helps

ShiftComplete won't apply for or renew your licence. It helps you run the nights the licence depends on. Your roster is built from staff availability and published to every phone, with day notes for things like a Special Exemption Order or a function, so the closing team knows the plan. Closing checklists differ by weekday and every tick is named and timestamped, including after midnight. Incidents are logged in seconds with a photo, severity and notes.

It's €1.99 per active staff member per month, free for 60 days with no card and no contract.