Introduction
A permit is required to carry out cash collections in the street and licence is needed to go from house to house collecting cash and other items. Somerset Council is responsible for granting permits and licences in the Somerset area.
Permits and licences are only granted for collections which benefit charitable or similar causes. They ensure:
- public donations are used to support the charitable (or similar) cause they are promoted for
- collections are carried out to high standards
- proceeds of collections are properly accounted for
- collections do not cause a nuisance to the public
The following activities do not require a permit or licence:
- the collection of personal information
- act of signing people up to make regular direct debit payments to a cause, often referred to negatively as ‘chugging’
- busking
Street Collections
A permit is needed to collect cash in the street, including any highway and any public bridge, road, lane, footway, square, court, alley, or passage, whether a thoroughfare or not. A permit is not needed for collections on private property, such as inside entrances to supermarkets, but landowner’s permission is required.
A person must be 18 years old or above to apply for a permit. There is no fee to apply for a permit.
Once a street collection has been carried out, the holder of the permit must submit a return to set out how much money was raised and any deductions that were made for expenses.
House-to-House Collections
A licence is needed to go door to door collecting cash or other items. This includes homes and business premises.
Some charities are exempt from the need to apply for a licence: List of National Exemption Order holders
A person must be 18 years old or above to apply for a licence. There is no fee to apply for a licence.
Once a house to house collection has been carried out, the holder of the licence must submit a return to set out how much money was raised and any deductions that were made for expenses.