If you own a café, restaurant, hotel or bar, and you want to put a case, rack or shelf outside your premises to advertise or display articles for sale, you must apply to Dublin City Council for permission to do so.
In order to qualify for a licence, the area where you wish to erect the case, rack or shelf must immediately adjacent to the premises, which is under the applicant's control.
Not everyone can apply for a license of this kind because not every premises has a suitable space outside. Read below for more details.
To apply for a licence, follow these steps:
We will visit your premises to see if the footpath can accommodate a case, rack or shelf. As this meeting is consultative only, it does not mean we will issue you with a licence.
Note: A licence can only be granted for the area that is right outside your premises and under your control (except in exceptional circumstances).
If after meeting with us, you decide to proceed with your application, you must place a notice in a public newspaper that states your intention to apply for a licence. This must contain the following information:
- Your name
- The address for which you are applying
- The amount of space (in square metres) you wish to use
- A statement that your application can be inspected at Dublin City Council’s office and that observations from the public can be submitted in writing
This notice must be visible to the public and contain the same information as the newspaper notice above.
If you want to apply for a case, rack or shelf licence please use the following form:
- Download the case, rack or shelf application form
- Íoslódáil an fhoirm ar cheadúnas i leith bord agus cathaoireacha
Please enclose the following information with your application:
1. A 1:100 scale drawing of the area for which you are applying. This must include:
- All above ground utilities and services within 10 metres of the proposed area. This includes lampposts, bollards, fire hydrants, manholes, cycle stands, litter bins and all street furniture
- The dimensions of the proposed area
- The location and dimensions of your tables, chairs and other furniture
2. A location map and photograph of your premises with the ‘licence notice’ in place (see step 2 above)
3. A copy of your newspaper notice
4. Details of the barriers or screens that will enclose your seating area
5. A cheque or postal order for the value of €100, payable to ‘Dublin City Council’ (do not enclose cash)
When processing your application, we will consider the following criteria:
- Safety of pedestrians
- Width of the footpath
- Number of pedestrians using the footpath
- Number of items of street furniture in the area
- Reports from Dublin City Council departments such as Planning, Chief Fire Office and Roads & Traffic
- Observations from An Garda Síochána
- Comments from the public
If a licence is granted, you need to get public liability insurance for €6 million and provide us with evidence that you have done so.
The following charges are then payable to Dublin City Council:
- Annual case, rack or shelf licence fee = €100
- Annual renewal fee = €50
- Annual fee per case, rack or shelf = €125
- Annual space rental charge per square metre (as below). This charge varies depending on what zone you are in. To find out what licence zone you are in, view the street furniture license zone map.
- Less than 4 metres squared = €200
- Greater than 4 metres squared = €500
- For space on a non-pedestrianised street in the core of the city centre (Yellow Zone)
- Less than 4 metres squared = €200
- Greater than 4 metres squared = €400
- Less than 4 metres squared = €200
- Greater than 4 metres squared = €300
- Less than 4 metres squared = €200
- Greater than 4 metres squared = €200
