The conditions governing public entertainment licences are stipulated in the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act[1].
Unless exempted, a public entertainment or arts entertainment licence is required for any entertainment that is provided in any place to which the public or any class of public has access, whether gratuitously or otherwise.
Definition[]
“Public entertainment” includes[]
- any performance of gymnastics, acrobatics or legerdemain, demonstration, display or parade;
- any circus or any exhibition of animals;
- any amusement centre;
- any computer games centre;
- any exhibition of film, or any peep-show;
- any reproduction or transmission otherwise than in association with a film, by any means other than telephony or radio telephony, of any music, song or speech;
- any machine or device by the manipulation of which chances are given of obtaining prizes in money or kind;
- any pin-table;
- any sporting contest of any kind between any number of persons or animals, other than that organised by any registered society, trade union, company or association;
- any organised competition at games of skill or chance;
- any arts entertainment; or
- any combination of any of the above forms of public entertainment,
in any place to which the public or any class of the public has access whether gratuitously or otherwise.
“Public entertainment” does not include[]
- public entertainment at gatherings and celebrations officially arranged by the official representative in Singapore of any government;
- public entertainment provided by or under the auspices of the Government or any department of the Government or any authority constituted under any written law relating to local government;
- ceremonies, rites, services and celebrations lawfully conducted by priests or ministers of religion in premises consecrated generally or specifically for the conduct thereof where any discourse, sermon, lecture, talk or address at such ceremonies, rites, services and celebrations is only given by persons who are citizens or permanent residents of Singapore;
- addresses, debates and discussions at meetings of public companies, chambers of commerce, registered trade unions, registered political associations or exempted or registered societies from which persons who are not shareholders or members, as the case may be, are excluded;
- public entertainment provided by or under the auspices of any statutory board constituted by or under any written law for a public purpose; and
- any lecture, talk, address, debate or discussion in any place to which the public or any class of the public has access whether gratuitously or otherwise.
Licence not renewable as of right[]
A licence shall not be renewable as of right.
Conditions[]
In issuing or renewing a licence the appropriate Licensing Officer may impose such conditions as he thinks fit.
The appropriate Licensing Officer may, at any time, add to the conditions, or vary or revoke any condition, of a licence.
In deciding whether to add to, vary or revoke any condition of a licence under subsection (2), the appropriate Licensing Officer may take into consideration the total number of demerit points awarded against the licensee under section 15 in respect of the licence.
The appropriate Licensing Officer shall, before proceeding to add to, vary or revoke any condition of a licence under subsection (2), give the licensee —
notice in writing of his intention to do so; and
an opportunity to be heard, within such time as may be specified in the notice, as to why the condition should not be added to, varied or revoked.
Any licensee who is aggrieved by the decision of the appropriate Licensing Officer under this section may appeal in writing to the appropriate Minister within 14 days after being notified of the decision or such extended period as the Minister may allow in any particular case.
Security[]
In respect of such classes of public entertainment as the appropriate Minister may from time to time prescribe by notification in the Gazette and subject to such limits as may be thereby prescribed, the appropriate Licensing Officer may, before issuing or renewing a licence, require —
the applicant; or
if there are 2 or more applicants, each applicant named by the appropriate Licensing Officer for the purpose,
to give security in such form and manner as the appropriate Licensing Officer may determine that the provisions of this Act and the conditions of the licence will be duly observed.
Where a licensee has been awarded such number of demerit points as may be prescribed under section 15(1), the appropriate Licensing Officer may require a licensee to give security in such form and manner as the appropriate Licensing Officer may determine that the provisions of this Act and the conditions of the licence will be duly observed.
Where any applicant is required under subsection (1), or any licensee is required under subsection (2), to enter into a bond, the appropriate Licensing Officer may require not more than 2 sureties to enter into the bond with the applicant or the licensee, as the case may be.
Any security given under subsection (1) or (2) shall be liable to forfeiture in whole or in part at the discretion of the appropriate Licensing Officer —
on the suspension or cancellation of the licence;
where the licensee has been awarded such number of demerit points as may be prescribed under section 15(1); or
where the appropriate Licensing Officer is satisfied that the public entertainment has been carried out in contravention of this Act.
The appropriate Licensing Officer shall, before proceeding under subsection (4), give the licensee or the person whose licence is cancelled, as the case may be —
notice in writing of his intention to do so; and
an opportunity to be heard, within such time as may be specified in the notice, as to why the security should not be forfeited.
Any licensee, or person whose licence is cancelled, who is aggrieved by the decision of the appropriate Licensing Officer under subsection (4) may appeal in writing to the appropriate Minister within 14 days after being notified of the decision or such extended period as the Minister may allow in any particular case.
Licence to be displayed[]
At all times while the public entertainment described in a licence is being provided the licence shall, where the public entertainment is held in a building or tent, be prominently displayed at the building or tent and in all other cases the licence shall be kept in the possession of the licensee.
Refusal of licence[]
The appropriate Licensing Officer may, in his discretion, refuse to issue or renew any licence.
The appropriate Licensing Officer must, before refusing to renew a licence, give the licensee a written notice of the intention to do so and an opportunity to submit reasons, within the period specified in that notice, as to why the application to renew the licence should not be refused.
The appropriate Licensing Officer shall, if so required by the applicant or the licensee, as the case may be, furnish the applicant or the licensee within 7 days of being so required with the grounds of such refusal in writing.
Any applicant or licensee who is aggrieved by the refusal of the appropriate Licensing Officer to issue or renew a licence may appeal in writing to the appropriate Minister within 14 days after being furnished with the grounds of the refusal or such extended period as the Minister may allow in any particular case.
Where the appropriate Minister decides to grant the appeal for the issue or renewal of a licence, he may impose such conditions as he thinks fit.
Suspension or cancellation of licence[]
The appropriate Licensing Officer may, in his discretion, suspend or cancel a licence, as the case may be, if he is satisfied that the public entertainment for which it was issued —
has been the cause or is likely to be the cause of a breach of the peace;
has been or is likely to be wholly or in part of an indecent, immoral, offensive, subversive or improper nature;
has caused or is likely to cause unnecessary suffering or any injury to any person or animal taking part in it, or to any member of the audience;
has been or is likely to be provided in contravention of any provision of this Act;
has been or is likely to be provided in contravention of any condition of the licence; or
is contrary to public interest.
The appropriate Licensing Officer may, in his discretion, suspend or cancel a licence, as the case may be, if he is satisfied that the licensee is not a fit and proper person to hold such licence.
Where the appropriate Minister has made rules under section 15(1) in respect of a licence, the appropriate Licensing Officer must not suspend or cancel the licence under subsection (1)(e) unless the licensee has accumulated such number of demerit points as prescribed under section 15(1).
Before suspending or cancelling a licence, the appropriate Licensing Officer must, unless it is not practicable or desirable to do so in the circumstances of the case, give the licensee a written notice of the intention to do so and an opportunity to submit reasons, within the period specified in that notice, as to why the licence should not be suspended or cancelled.
The appropriate Licensing Officer shall, if so required by the licensee, furnish the licensee within 7 days of being so required with the grounds in writing of the suspension or cancellation of his licence.
Any person who is aggrieved by the suspension or cancellation of the person’s licence by the appropriate Licensing Officer may appeal in writing to the appropriate Minister within 14 days after being furnished with the grounds of the suspension or cancellation or such extended period as the Minister may allow in any particular case.
Where the appropriate Minister decides to restore a licence, he may impose such conditions as he thinks fit.
Demerit points[]
The appropriate Minister may, for the purposes of sections 10, 11 and 14(3), make rules to establish a system of awarding demerit points against a licensee for the commission of an offence under section 19(1)(c).
For the purposes of this section, demerit points may be awarded against a licensee notwithstanding that the licensee has accepted an offer by the appropriate Licensing Officer to compound the offence concerned.
Where a licence is cancelled under section 14, every demerit point awarded against the licensee in respect of the licence shall be cancelled.
Application for licence[]
All applications for public entertainment licences are to be submitted through electronic filing via LicenceOne at https://licence1.business.gov.sg. The supporting documents can be submitted as a softcopy attachment together with the online application. The applicant can also post the documents to the Police Licensing and Regulatory Department or fax the documents to them at 6223 8425.
The applicant must be a Singapore Citizen, a Singapore Permanent Resident or possess a FIN issued by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
The applicant is not required to submit any supporting documents at the point of application. However, the applicant may be requested to submit supporting documents, such as Planning Permission from Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Letter of Approval from Housing Development Board (HDB), as required by the Licensing officer during the application process.
Note: processing fees will be charged by URA and HDB for their planning permission/approval (where applicable) and that the planning permission/approval by these authorities does not guarantee the approval of a PE licence.
Application guidelines for common public entertainment licences[]
PE Establishment Licence[]
· a bar, cabaret/ nightclub, cafe, discotheque, KTV lounge, lounge, pub, restaurant or snack bar (see Appendix 1)
· an amusement centre (see Appendix 2)
· a billiard saloon (see Appendix 3)
· a computer games centre (see Appendix 4)
· a shop operating crane/ game machines (see Appendix 5)
The existence of PE outlets in the vicinity of the proposed location does not automatically indicate that the PE licence application would be approved as the Police take other factors such as the law and order situation into consideration when assessing the application.
PE Ad-hoc Licence[]
· Beauty Pageant or Fashion Show (see Appendix 6)
Licensing Conditions[]
If a licence is granted, the applicant required to comply with the licensing conditions imposed under the PEM Act, Chapter 257. The standard conditions for certain PE licences are:
PE Establishment Licence[]
· a bar, cabaret/ nightclub, cafe, discotheque, KTV lounge, lounge, pub, restaurant or snack bar
- with dancing by customers (see Appendix 7)
- without dancing by customers (see Appendix 8)
· an amusement centre (see Appendix 9)
· a billiard saloon (see Appendix 10)
· a computer games centre (see Appendix 11)
· a shop operating crane/ game machines(see Appendix 12)
· a paintball centre (see Appendix 13)
PE Ad-hoc Licence[]
· a beauty pageant or fashion show (see Appendix 14)
Please note that additional conditions may also be imposed on the licensee by the Licensing Officer.
Composition Fines and Demerit Points System[]
The PEM Act allows the Minister to make rules to prescribe the offences that may be compounded and to establish a system of awarding demerit points against a licensee for contravention of licensing conditions. The Minister has made the following rules, which came into effect on 1 Sep 2001:
(a) Public Entertainments & Meetings (Demerit Points) Rules, 2001
(b) Public Entertainments & Meetings (Composition of Offences) Rules, 2001
These rules will enable the Police to implement a graduated penalty system which will improve the administration of the public entertainment licence.