How to Keep a Refusals Book at a Licensed Venue
Step-by-step guide to keeping a refusals book that satisfies operating-schedule conditions and supports the venue at licensing review.
A refusals book is the record of every entry, sale, or service refusal made at a licensed venue. Most premises licences require one either explicitly or implicitly through Challenge 25 conditions. At licensing review, refusals records are the single strongest piece of evidence that the venue is enforcing its operating schedule. Keeping the book consistently is the work; the value comes from consistent capture rather than perfect prose.
7 steps to complete
Decide on the format
Paper book or digital tool. Digital wins for audit trail, filterability, and time per entry, but paper is acceptable. If the operating schedule says "written" book, a minor variation may be needed to formally update the language.
Train every door supervisor and bar staff
Every staff member who could refuse a sale or entry needs to know the protocol. Brief at induction, refresh at least annually.
Define refusal categories
Common categories: fake ID, intoxication, capacity exceeded, ejection, suspected drug use, other. Use the same categories every time for clean reporting.
Capture the structured fields
For each refusal: date, time, refusal type, staff member, brief description. Where appropriate, the customer's description (clothing, gender presentation, approximate age) without identifying them personally unless they are willing to share.
Make capture fast
A good refusals system takes under 30 seconds per entry. Tap-to-record on a phone with a reason picker beats handwriting in a book by an order of magnitude. Slow capture means staff skip entries.
Review weekly
Run a weekly summary: refusals by reason, by staff member, by night. Spot patterns: rising fake ID rates (consider ID training refresher), falling Challenge 25 rates per supervisor (coaching opportunity), capacity refusals concentrated on certain nights (capacity profile review).
Retain the records
Most operators retain for 7 years. Where a refusal escalates to an incident or prosecution, retain in line with that case's requirements.
Tips for success
Common mistakes to avoid
Frequently asked questions
Is a refusals book legally required?
Most premises licences include a condition requiring a refusals log either explicitly or implicitly through Challenge 25. The Home Office's Section 182 guidance treats a refusals record as a normal expectation.
What information goes in each entry?
Date, time, refusal type (fake ID, intoxication, capacity, ejection, other), staff member, brief description. Where the refusal escalates, tie the record to the incident report and the door supervisor on duty.
How long do I keep refusals records?
No single statutory retention period. Practical guidance: 7 years for civil claim support. Where escalated, retain in line with the related case.
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