House to house collections

To apply for a house to house collection permit, you will need to:

• download and fill in your application form
• upload your completed application form at least three months before your proposed collection date
• only hold one house to house collection permit during any given calendar year (1 January to 31 December)
• include either the constitution of the charity you are collecting for, or a letter of consent from them authorising your collection

If you seeing a 'Please wait...' message when viewing the application form, you need to read our guidance on how to open the application form.

Within one month of your collection, you need to supply a house to house collection return, to inform us of:

• how much you collected
• any expenses you incurred
• how the charity are using the proceeds

To supply a house to house collection return, you will need to:

• download and fill in your return application form
• upload your completed return application form

If you are having trouble downloading the application form, you can read our guidance.

You also need to publish a statement within one month of the collection. The statement needs to include:

• who was responsible for the collection or sale
• the charity or fund the money was donated to
• the date of the collection or sale
• the amount you collected
• your expenses
• the amount you donated to the charity

If you carry out house to house collections without a permit, you could receive a:

• prison sentence of up to six months
• fine of up to £1,000

You could also receive a fine of up to £200 if you don't give your details to a police officer if they ask for them.

In some circumstances, such as national disasters or global appeals, we can process collection applications more quickly. You can contact us for further information.