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Licensing regimes
Headings on this page :
Accuracy - Licensing laws are complex and change from time to time. So some items listed below may be inaccurate (we're not lawyers) or become out of date. Don't treat the list as authoritative.
Notes
To understand the issues concerning the licensing of charitable house-to-house collections (and enforcement), we found it useful to look also at other licensing regimes. Although the activities controlled by other regimes can be very different (eg pet shops, casinos) there are strong parallels between them. Problems and solutions in one regime are often relevant to other regimes. Accordingly we give below an annotated rough-and-ready list of some of these licensing regimes.
The list below only gives a small selection of licensing regimes.
Government and non-government
The focus of this list is licensing regimes operated by government.
In general, we have excluded licensing regimes operated by non-government organisations - eg private/commercial law arrangements such as intellectual property (copyright, trademarks, registered designs and patents). Most of these regimes involve civil law and don't have any criminal penalties for non-compliance - in other words you can be sued but not prosecuted. Also they usually involve legal action between two (or more) private parties, without government being involved.
Different terms - The term "licensing" is used here to indicate the need for permits, consents, certificates, registration etc, as well as "licences". The names used are different, but the principles are usually the same.
Registers - In most cases the licensing body is required to keep a list of licences. This is often called a register. In many cases the list is available for public inspection, especially if it relates to organisations (rather than individuals). A typical register lists a reference number, the applicant's name and address, date of application, details of application, date of decision, decision, conditions imposed (if any) and reference number. See also the page on registers of collection licences.
Publicity - Some licensing regimes require the applicant to publicise their application (so that people can comment on it before the decision is made) - hence the proliferation of small notices regarding applications which can be found in local newspapers.
Display - Some licensing regimes require the holder of the licence to display it or mention it - eg :
- Liquor and game - required to display a notice at the entrance stating they have a licence, and the name of the licensee(s)
- Registered companies - required to display a plaque at their registered address
- Taxis - required to display a plate on their vehicle giving the taxi licence number.
Types of licence
- Vetted licences - In other words, licences designed to vett the applicant and/or control the activities (eg house-to-house collections or driving licences). With this type of licence, some applicants (or proposals) will not be considered suitable and a licence is refused.
- Revenue licences - These are designed just to raise money (eg TV licences). This type of licence has little relevance to the issues on our website.
Charges
- Vetted licences
- Some types are dealt with free of charge (eg charitable house-to-house collections).
- Others incur a charge - to cover part or all of the administration costs (eg fees for planning applications).
- Revenue licences - The costs of these (by definition) exceed the administration costs, so that there's a net profit - which forms the net revenue.
Duration of licence
- Most are for a limited period (eg one year), at the end of which renewal is needed.
- Some are permanent - eg most planning permissions, driving licences.
Revocation - Many types of licence allow the licensing authority to terminate the licence unilaterally (=revocation) - eg if the licensee acts improperly.
List of some licensing regimes (A-Z)
Key
The column below headed "I" means Individual. An "I" in the column indicates the licensing applies to individuals - rather than an organisation (eg business).
"LA" indicates local authority.
"LAL" indicates local authority licensing department.
| Category (A-Z) | I | Licensing agency / comments |
| Broadcasting (radio, TV) | ||
| Broadcasting (amateur radio) | ||
| Caravan sites | LA | |
| Charities | Charity Commission (registration) | |
| Charitable collections - house-to-house | LAL, Office of the Third Sector, police. Licence | |
| Charitable collections - street | LAL, Office of the Third Sector, police. Permit | |
| Credit | Licence from Office of Fair Trading (OFT) | |
| Credit - Pawnbrokers | Licence from Office of Fair Trading | |
| Development - Building Control | LA. Application of the 'Building Regulations'. Eg structure, drains, insulation | |
| Development - Planning | LA, DCLG, Planning Inspectorate. "Consents". Town and Country Planning Acts | |
| Dog | I | Discontinued in 1980s |
| Driving | I | DVLA (Swansea) |
| Employment agencies | ||
| Fishing (inland) | I | Water authorities, British Waterways Board (canals), etc |
| Gambling - Betting offices | ||
| Gambling - Bingo clubs | Certificate from Gaming Board & annual licence from magistrates | |
| Gambling - Casinos | Certificate from Gaming Board & annual licence from magistrates | |
| Gambling - Gaming machines - small prize | LA or licensing justice - permit | |
| Gambling - Lotteries and raffles | Gaming Board or LA | |
| Game (selling of) | Pheasants etc | |
| Goods vehicle operator's licence | Traffic Commissioner's Office | |
| Guns - firearms | Police. Eg handguns, rifles. Certificate | |
| Guns - shotguns | Police. Eg farmers | |
| Information handling (esp personal records) | Registration with the Information Commissioner (Data Protection Acts) | |
| Liquor (selling of) = wines & spirits | E & W: Was magistrates; LAL from 24 Nov 2005 (Licensing Act 2003) | |
| Marriage | I | LA - Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages |
| Medical - various | ||
| Minicabs | +see taxis | |
| Peddlers | ||
| Pet shops | LAL | |
| Pharmacists (chemists' shops) | Royal Pharmaceutical Society of GB | |
| Radio receiver | I | Discontinued around 1980 |
| Sex shops | ||
| Taxis | LAL. +see minicabs | |
| Television (owner of) | I | TV Licensing Authority (Bristol) |
| Vehicle tax disc | DVLA (Swansea) | |
| Waste disposal (commercial) | Environment Agency | |
| Waste skips (placed on public highway) | ||
| Wheel clampers (clamping on private land) | SIA | |
| Zoos and wildlife parks | LAL |
The Institute of Licensing
Established in 2003, this is the professional body for government licensing officers. The Institute's website has a wealth of information on licensing, including house-to-house collections and street collections.
List of licensing regimes on the website of the Institute of Licensing
There's a useful popup list of licensing regimes on the website of the Institute of Licensing . Below is a copy of their list as at Nov 2008 (our thanks to the Institute). There are 54 items - comprising an extraordinarily broad range of human activities. We've highlighted house-to-house collections and street collections.
In general the list only covers the licensing regimes which are dealt with by local authority licensing departments. So it excludes town planning, waste disposal, charities etc.
Acupuncture
Adult Gaming Centres
Alcohol
Amusements with Prizes
Animal Boarding Establishments
Betting Shops
Betting Tracks
Camping Sites
Casinos
Canal Boats
Caravan Sites
Charities for Disabled Persons and War Charities
Cinemas
Consumer Credit Licences
Common Lodging Houses
Dangerous Wild Animals
Dog Breeding
Door Supervisors
Ear-piercing
Electrolysis
Explosives
Family Entertainment Centres
Filling Materials
Food Premises
Hackney Carriages
House to House Collections
Houses in Multiple Occupation
Late Night Refreshment Premises
Lotteries
Marriage Premises
Milk Distributors, Dairies and Dairymen
Motor Salvage Operators
Nurseries and Child Minders
Performing Animals
Pet Shops
Petroleum
Pleasure Boats
Poisons
Pool Promoters
Private Hire Vehicles
Private Members' Clubs
Regulated entertainment venues
Residential Homes
Riding Establishments
Scrap Metal Dealers
Sex Establishments
Slaughterhouses, Knackers' Yards and Cutting Premises
Sports Grounds
Street Collections
Street Trading
Tattooing
Theatres
Vehicle Registration Plate Suppliers
Zoos
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