A museum with controlled drugs in its collections must hold a licence to possess them. A licence to supply is required to lend or transfer objects to other licenced museums. All licences are obtained from the Home Office’s Controlled Drugs Licensing Unit once they are satisfied that the museum has adequate controlled drug security procedures.
The cost of obtaining a first-time licence is expensive. The Home Office also charges fees for annual licence renewals. If a museum without a licence decides not to keep their controlled drugs, they should contact their local police force’s drugs liaison officer for advice.