House-to-House Collections in England and Wales

Legislative requirements and practical recommendations

First of all, there are different regulations depending upon whether the collection is run in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The following answers refer to England and Wales.

OK. Do I need a licence for a house to house collection in England and Wales?

Yes, you do, unless you hold an exemption order from the Home Office. If you don't know what that is, then you probably don't have one.

I don't have an exemption order, so what do I need to do?

You need to apply to the local authority, or in London, the Metropolitan police, for a licence. You must apply by the first day of the month before the month when the collection will take place and you'll have to tell them the purpose of the collection and where it will take place.

What else is there?

The person who has been granted the licence is the promoter and they are responsible for ensuring that the collection is carried out in accordance with the licence and that all legal requirements are met.

What about handling money?

You must use either sealed tins that have an identification number and show the purposes of the collection or, hand the donor a receipt from a duplicate book, which must be numbered.

And what is the definition of a 'house to house' collection?

According to the House to House Collections Act 1939, a house includes a business so fundraising pub crawls would be covered.