Apply for a licence for house-to-house collections of money or goods for charity in England or Wales

You must apply to your council for a licence if you want to collect money or goods (that you plan to sell at a later date) from people’s homes for charity.

Who needs a licence

You must apply if you’re a:

• small charity
• local group, eg scouts, girl guides

House to house collection licences can be valid for anything up to 1 year.

How to apply

Contact your council (or if you are in London, the Metropolitan Police) to apply for the licence.

You must apply 20 working days before you plan to start collecting.

You must include the names of any people who will be collecting on behalf of the charity or organisation. These are known as the authorised collectors. You must include your own name if you’re planning to be an authorised collector.

You don’t have to pay for a house to house collection permit.

Fines and penalties

If you don’t get a licence before starting house-to-house collections you could face:

• up to 6 months in prison
• a fine of up to £1,000

If you or anyone collecting on your behalf doesn’t give a police officer their name, address and signature when asked to, they could be fined up to £200.

England, Wales