House to house collections

House to house collections are licensed under the House To House Collections Act 1939.

There are no restrictions on the allocation of dates for house to house collections, nor on the length of the collection (provided it is less than one calendar year). Many collections are carried out by regional or national charitable organisations who hold a Home Office exemption.

A house to house collection does not just mean collecting door to door in a residential area. 'House' includes a place of business so, for example, a collection which includes visits to public houses would also need to be licensed.

We cannot limit the number of such collections to be carried out in one particular area. It is therefore possible that any number of charities will be found collecting legitimately in one street on any particular day of the week.

How to apply

To apply for a house to house collection permit, you will need to complete the application form (PDF) [249KB] (opens new window) and return it to us by email no less than 28 days before the collection is planned to take place.

There is no fee for this permit.