No-one may gain, retain or cite any of these descriptions without being up-to-date with Institute of Licensing annual subscriptions and, in the case of Members and Fellows, having paid the current Application and Registration Fees at the time of application and registration respectively.  
 

Procedure for obtaining membership

Apart from being a category in itself, Associate Membership is also the route to Membership and Fellowship.     

Associate Membership is gained by completing the standard entry-level Institute of Licensing application form and paying the first annual subscription. 

Those who wish to become Members or Fellows must apply to the Executive Officer on the forms designated for that purpose. 

There is no requirement for a minimum period as an Associate Member, so applications for Membership or Fellowship can be made at the same time as entry, even though they will take longer to be determined by the relevant Institute of Licensing Committee. 

No-one can apply to become a Companion, since confidential nomination (open only to Institute of Licensing Members and Fellows) followed by a recommendation (to the Board) from the relevant Institute of Licensing Committee constitutes the only admissible route.
 

The criteria below apply to membership:

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP

An interest in licensing and supportive of the Institute’s Objects.

MEMBERSHIP

Specialist professional knowledge and experience in one or more fields of licensing, along with a broader general appreciation of licensing practice and its context. 

The following routes are currently available for demonstrating such knowledge and experience:

1       A degree level qualification in licensing (for example, Certificate of Higher Education in Licensing Law) plus experience in licensing for at least two years

2       A degree or other equivalent relevant professional qualification and relevant experience in licensing for at least three years

3       Knowledge and experience shown to be equivalent to 1 or 2 (for example, one or more approved qualifications in licensing below degree level) and relevant experience in licensing for at least four years

4       Knowledge and documented experience over a long period of at least four years deemed by the Board in the individual circumstances of the case to be an equivalent qualification for professional membership.

FELLOWSHIP

A person who, on application, can demonstrate that they:

1               meet the criteria for membership; and

2               have made a major contribution in the field of licensing, for example through significant achievement in one or more of the following:

• published work
• research
• teaching or educational development
• legislative drafting
• practical licensing initiatives or developments
• management of resources or people
• strategy
• leadership
• analytical and creative approaches to consultation, democratic participation, customer relationships or communication

COMPANION MEMBERSHIP

Deemed by the Board (following recommendation from the relevant Institute of Licensing Committee) to have substantially advanced the general field of licensing.  Limited to 12 living members (those elected to Companionship must be or become Institute of Licensing Members)

ORGANISATION MEMBERSHIP

Any organisation with an interest in licensing may become an Organisation Member.

Obligations and Rights
All applicants for, and holders of, Membership or Fellowship are required to signify their acceptance of the Institute of Licensing Rules for professional conduct in force from time to time, including the Institute’s Codes of Ethics and Discipline.  (Subject to there being no conflict with the rules of professional conduct of another professional body to which the Member belongs).

Commitment to engaging in Continuing Professional Development is an obligation on all Members and Fellows; while participation in the Institute of Licensing CPD Scheme is not a requirement, it will be seen as one of the simplest ways of demonstrating such engagement.  (In some cases the member will have met the obligation already because of the CPD requirements of another professional body to which the Member belongs).