Licence - House to House Collections
When would I need one?
If your planned charity collection would go from door to door,
shop to shop, or pub to pub then it needs a House to House
Collection Permit.
Some national charities gain exemption from the Home Office, and
do not need a House to House Collection Permit – they only need to
notify us of the dates and places they are collecting. To check if
your charity is on the full list of all Home Office exempt
charities, please email us on licensing@bathnes.gov.uk or
telephone 01225 396911.
How do I apply?
Ring Licensing Services on 01225 477556 to check which
days and times are free in the area you want to collect and stop a
‘double-booking’ with another charity. We also need to know how
many collectors you will be using.
We will send you a House to House Collection application form.
You should return the completed form to:
Licensing Services
Bath & North East Somerset
Environmental & Consumer Services
9 - 10 Bath Street
Bath
BA1 1SN
If your application is successful, your permit will be sent to
you by post.
With your permit, we will also enclose:
- ‘Form of Account’
- Certificate for the Information of HM Stationery Office
- Copy of Collection Regulations
- Copy of a list of collections in Bath & North East Somerset
this year
Before you can carry out your collection, you need to sign,
date, address and state the number of the Certificate for the
Information of HM Stationery Office and send it to them. This is so
they can send you a badge and a Certificate of Authority to each of
your collectors.
It is best to apply at least one month before you plan to hold
your collection.
What are we allowed to do?
There are legal regulations for carrying out House to House
Collections which include what collectors must and must not do. A
copy of these regulations are sent to you with the permit.
Within one month of the collection, the Council must have
received a financial return (‘Form of Statement’) showing how much
money was collected and how much of this went to the charity.
It must also be signed by a qualified accountant. A blank Form of
Statement will be sent to you with your permit.
Collecting without a permit, any breach of regulation or
failure to provide a return can lead to prosecution.
