Licence for house-to-house collections
If you're planning to hold a house-to-house collection, you need a licence from us.
We can impose conditions to prevent such collections from becoming a nuisance to the public and to ensure that collectors act fairly in their dealings with the public.
Legislation
Under the House to House Collections Act 1939, a licence is normally required to collect money or other property for charity. This will be granted by us unless a Home Office exemption is in force.
You can find more about our house-to-house collections policy.
Applying for a licence
Anyone acting as a promoter, and who may cause others to act as collectors, should apply for a licence by completing the application form.
With your application, you must give us details of the charity you're collecting for and, where possible, the charity's most recent accounts.
You should allow enough time for us to consult on, process and issue the licence. Any applications received less than 28 days before the proposed first date of the collection may not be processed in time and, in these cases, the collection won't be authorised.
There's no charge for this licence. But once a licence has been issued, you'll need to apply to HM Stationery Office for copies of the prescribed certificate of authority and badges, which you'll need to give to all collectors.
Within one month of the collection being held, a statement of returns form detailing the amount collected, and any expenses incurred, needs to be submitted to us. Where there's an issue or more information is needed, the permit holder will be contacted within five working days.