AALA

What is the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA)?

The AALA licensing scheme is intended to provide assurance that good safety management practice is being followed so that young people can continue to experience exciting and stimulating activities outdoors.

This statutory scheme is compulsory for those who provide adventure activities (within the scope of the licensing regulations) to young people under 18.

If you are new to the industry, the HSE website is the best place to start as it gives a full breakdown of licensable activities, how to apply and how much a licence will cost.

‘We really appreciated the inspector’s thoughtful questions, constructive feedback and insights, and the speed and efficiency of the process overall.’

Our role in the AALA scheme

We are appointed by the Health and Safety Executive as the AALA inspectorate.

Our role is to check that providers meet legal safety standards so licences can be granted with confidence.

This means:

We review all applications from providers applying for or renewing an AALA licence
We inspect safety management systems to ensure they meet the standards required by regulations
We make licensing decisions which are passed to the HSE, who issue licences
We support providers by offering clear guidance, timely feedback, and a transparent process
We uphold public confidence by carrying out our work robustly, proportionately and efficiently

How to apply

If you have established that the activities you provide require a licence, you’ll need to apply via the HSE website.

You must hold a licence before you start providing adventure activities within the scope of the Regulations and should apply at least three months before you want to start operations.

Our role begins when we receive your licence application from AALA.