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House to House Collection Licence

A charity, organisation or individual wishing to carry out a charitable collection for money or donations by making visits to people at their home or place of work, requires a House to House Collection Licence.

LICENCE Name

House to House Collection Licence

AUTHORITY

Local Council

TIME TO GET LICENCED 28 days (varies depending on local council)
VALID FOR 1 year
ELIGIBILITY 16+ years
STEPS TO GET LICENSED
1

Provide the following information to local council

name of the person, society, committee or other body of persons responsible for the collection or sale
the name of the charity or fund which is to benefit
the date of the collection or sale
the charity’s membership details for the Institute of Fundraising or the Fundraising Regulator
2

Submit application to local council

Get Licenced

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What is the House to House Collection Licence?

Literally anyone can knock on a stranger’s front door and claim that they are collecting money or donations for charity.

With a House to House Collection Licence, the holder is demonstrating that they have been legally authorised to collect money and donations on behalf of small charities and local community groups. This is also used to protect the community from bogus collectors taking advantage of peoples' generosity.

Larger well-known charities such as Christian Aid, Help the Aged etc that hold a Home Office exemption certificate are not required to apply for a House to House Collection Licence.

This is a legal requirement under the House-to-House Collections Act 1939 and the House-to-House Collections Regulations 1947.

How to apply for a House to House Collection Licence

House to House Collection Licence applications must be made via your local council. You can find the contact details for your local council at the Official UK Government Website.

Fines and penalties

If you don’t hold a House to House Collection Licence before starting house-to-house collections you could face up to 6 months in prison, as well as potentially receiving a fine of up to £1,000.

What information do you need to provide after collection?

Once you and your charity or organisation have completed your door to door donation collection you will need to submit details of your collection to your local council within one month of completed collection. These details include:

  • the total amount collected
  • the names of all collectors and amounts collected by each
  • any expenses or payments incurred
  • certification by two of the people responsible for the collection
  • certification by a qualified accountant

FAQs

If you want to collect money or donations from people’s homes for charity, then you will need a House to House Collection Licence.
A House to House Collection Licence can be granted for any period up to one year.
No. There are no restrictions on the allocation of dates for house to house collections, nor on the length of the collection. However, each local council may vary.
Yes. After a collection has been held a return form, signed by an accountant, detailing the amount collected and any expenses incurred, needs to be submitted to your local council within one month.