MAINTENANCE OF GOOD ORDER AT 
PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT  g S.L.10.40 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 10.40
MAINTENANCE OF GOOD ORDER AT PLACES OF 
ENTERTAINMENT REGULATIONS
5th September, 1995
LEGAL NOTICE 124 of 1995, as amended by Legal Notices 111 of 1996,
132 and 149 of 1999, and 155 of 2001.
Title .
Order at Places of Entertainment Regulations.
Interpretation.
Amended by:
L.N. 132 of 1999;
L.N. 149 of 1999.
Cap. 406.
2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise
requires-
"admission ticket" means a ticket supplied by the proprietor
showing the total amount paid, including the duty payable under
the Value Added Tax Act;
Cap. 9.
"arm" means any arm proper or improper as defined in article 64
of the Criminal Code and shall include any imitation thereof;
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Police and includes
any officer of the Malta Police Force;
Cap. 10.
"inhabited area" shall have the same meaning assigned to it by
article 2 of the Code of Police Laws;
"place of entertainment" means any dancing hall, discotheque or
dancing theatre, excluding such theatre when staged dancing is
watched by a seated audience, and includes any other premises
licensed for the sale of wine, beer and spirituous liquor, and any
place in the open air, where any entertainment, show or dancing is
carried out;
"proprietor" in relation to any entertainment means the person
organising or managing the entertainment or who is responsible for
the organisation or management thereof and includes any person
having any pecuniary interest in the entertainment or in the
proceeds thereof, and any person on whose behalf payments for an
entertainment are received; and in the case of a juridical person, the
expression "proprietor" shall also include the manager or any other
principal officer of such juridical person.
Admission to 
dancing place.
3. In the case of dancing halls, discotheques and dancing
theatres, admission to any part of the premises shall be refused to
anyone who is not provided with an admission ticket by the
proprietor.
Dress. 
premises, who is not properly dressed to the satisfaction of the
proprietor.
Police search.
admission to, while inside or while leaving any place of
entertainment.
2 g S.L.10.40
MAINTENANCE OF GOOD ORDER AT 
PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT 
Admission age.
Amended by:
L.N. 132 of 1999.
6. (1) Persons under the age of sixteen shall not be allowed
inside a place of entertainment, and young persons over the age of
sixteen years shall prior to admission to any such place produce and
show their identity card to the proprietor.
(2) The proprietor shall be responsible to ensure that no person
under the age of sixteen is allowed inside the place of
entertainment.
(3) Sub-regulation (1) of this regulation shall be reproduced on
the admission ticket to any place of entertainment and any such
ticket shall also state that the holder shall only be admitted upon
the production of his identity card or other document evidencing
his identity.
(4) Where any person under the age of sixteen is found at a
place of entertainment, the proprietor of the place of entertainment
shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to
the punishment of a fine ( multa ) of one hundred liri for every such
person in addition to the punishment to which he is liable under
regulation 15 of these Regulations.
Improper 
behaviour.
7. (1) Any person who while entering, is within, or is leaving
a place of entertainment has in his possession any arm or who
conducts himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace
shall be guilty of an offence against the provisions of these
Regulations.
(2) No one shall be allowed to obstruct any part of the premises
reserved for dancing.
(3) No one shall be allowed in any part of the premises to
which admission is forbidden.
(4) The Commissioner may remove from the premises any
person who is disorderly or who disobeys his lawful orders.
(5) In the case of serious disorder, the Commissioner may stop
the entertainment at any time and close the premises and require the
public to leave the premises.
Display of 
admission charges.
8. The proprietor shall display the admission charges in a
conspicuous place at the entrance to the premises of a place of
entertainment in respect of each show, event or entertainment. 
Smoking and 
promotion of 
tobacco products 
prohibited.
Substituted by:
L.N. 111 of 1996.
9. (1) Smoking in the space or spaces reserved for dancing in
a place of entertainment is prohibited.
(2) The proprietor may permit smoking in such space or spaces
in the open air which are not roofed over.
(3) The proprietor shall ensure that such portion, as is
considered adequate by the Commissioner, of those areas of a place
of entertainment which are open to the public and not falling under
the provisions of sub-regulations (1) and (2) of this regulation,
shall be reserved as areas where smoking is prohibited and such
areas shall be indicated by appropriate notices:
Provided that where the Commissioner is of the opinion that the
total area of those areas of a place of entertainment to which this
paragraph applies is so small as not to allow for a portion thereof to
MAINTENANCE OF GOOD ORDER AT 
PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT  g S.L.10.40 3
be reserved as areas where smoking is prohibited, the
Commissioner may exempt the proprietor from providing such
reserved areas as aforesaid.
(4) The Commissioner may prohibit smoking in those areas of
a place of entertainment not having adequate fire-fighting
precautions as approved by him or not having adequate ventilation
as approved by him. These area shall also be indicated by
appropriate notices.
(5) Any direct or indirect promotion by means of the free
distribution of cigarettes, cigars, or other tobacco products to
persons in a place of entertainment is prohibited.
End of parties or 
discos in the open 
air.
Added by:
L.N. 132 of 1999.
Amended by:
L.N. 149 of 1999.
10. Any party or disco taking place in the open air shall come
to an end by not later than 2.00a.m:
Provided that where the place in the open air where the
party or disco is to take place is part of premises licensed as a place
of entertainment which lies at a distance of more than five hundred
metres from any inhabited area, the licensee of the premises may
apply to the Commissioner for an extension of the time limit laid
down in this regulation subject to such conditions as the
Commissioner may deem appropriate and provided that such time
limit shall in no case be extended beyond 4.00a.m.
Time of discos or 
parties in enclosed 
places.
Added by:
L.N. 132 of 1999.
11. No permit or licence shall be granted which allows a party
or disco in an enclosed place of entertainment to commence or to
continue between 4.00a.m. and 9.00a.m.
Maximum number 
of persons to be 
admitted.
Added by:
L.N. 132 of 1999.
12. (1) The permit or licence authorising a party or disco at
any place of entertainment shall lay down the maximum number of
persons which may be admitted to the place of entertainment.
(2) Where the number of persons at any place of entertainment
exceeds the maximum number laid down in the relative permit or
licence, the proprietor and the owner or administrator of the place
of entertainment shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to
the same punishments laid down in sub-regulation (4) of regulation
6 of these Regulations.
Right to refuse 
permit or licence.
Added by:
L.N. 132 of 1999.
13. The Commissioner of Police shall refuse any application
for a permit or licence for the organization of any public
entertainment where he is not satisfied that the character and
antecedents of the applicant, proprietor, or disc jockey are not such
as to give sufficient guarantee that no drug or other abuses will take
place during the entertainment.
Offences by 
persons other than 
proprietor or his 
employees.
14. (1) Any person, other than the proprietor or his
employees, who commits an offence against these Regulations shall
be liable on conviction to a fine ( multa ) of not less than twenty-five
liri but not exceeding fifty liri, and in the case of a second or
subsequent conviction to a fine ( multa ) of not less than fifty liri but
not exceeding one hundred liri.
(2) Where a person has been found guilty of any offence
against these Regulations the court may, in addition to the
punishment awardable under sub-regulation (1) of this regulation,
4 g S.L.10.40
MAINTENANCE OF GOOD ORDER AT 
PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT 
prohibit the offender from attending at any place of entertainment
for a period not exceeding one year.
Offences by 
proprietor or his 
employees.
Amended by:
L.N. 111 of 1996.
15. (1) In the case of offences committed by the proprietor or
his employees against these Regulations, the court shall on
conviction award a fine ( multa ) of not less than two hundred liri but
not exceeding four hundred liri, and in the case of a second or
subsequent conviction a fine ( multa ) of not less than five hundred
liri but not exceeding one thousand liri saving the provisions of
sub-regulation (2) of this regulation.
(2) In the case of a second or subsequent conviction in respect
of an offence against these Regulations, other than an offence
against regulation 9, the punishment of imprisonment for a term
not-exceeding one month may be awarded either in substitution for
the punishment of a fine ( multa ) or in addition to such punishment.
(3) In the case of a second or subsequent offence against these
Regulations, other than an offence against regulation 9, the court
shall at the request of the prosecution suspend the relative licence
for a period of not less than one month but not exceeding twelve
months.
Graver 
punishment.
Cap. 9.
16. Where any person has been found guilty of an offence
against these Regulations, which offence, under the Criminal Code
or any other law, is liable to a penalty graver than that provided
under these Regulations, the court shall award such graver
punishment.
Health and Safety 
Monitoring Board.
Added by:
L.N. 132 of 1999.
Amended by:
L.N. 149 of 1999;
L.N. 155 of 2001.
17. (1) The Minister responsible for Home Affairs shall
appopint a board to be styled the Health and Safety Monitoring
Board, hereinafter in this regulation referred to as "the board",
which shall be composed of a chairman and three members, one of
whom shall act as secretary to the Board, to be appointed from
amongst persons who are experienced in matters relating to health,
safety, noise pollution and civil protection.
(2) The board shall have the right to regularly monitor all
places of entertainment to ascertain that health, noise levels and
safety conditions meet satisfactory standards and for such purpose
shall have the right to inspect any place of entertainment at any
time.
(3) The board shall have the right to order any proprietor of any
premises used or intended to be used as a place of entertainment to
carry out, within a period of time to be fixed by the board, such
alterations, additions and adjustments of any nature or any other
measure as the board may deem fit to ensure satisfactory health,
noise levels and safety conditions.
(4) Any person who wilfully obstructs any member of the
board in the execution of his duties under these Regulations shall
be guilty of an offence against these Regulations.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, where a
proprietor fails to implement any order as is referred to in sub-
regulation (3) of this regulation, the Commissioner of Police shall
have the right to refuse the renewal of any licence or permit
MAINTENANCE OF GOOD ORDER AT 
PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT  g S.L.10.40 5
relating to the premises to which the order refers.
(6) Before issuing or renewing any permit or licence for any
place of entertainment, the Commissioner of Police shall have the
right to seek the advice and recommendations of the board on the
conditions of such licence or permit.
