Do I need a permit, and how do I apply?
Any Person who wishes to collect money or sell articles for the benefit of charitable or other purposes is required to apply for a collection permit.
No collection shall be made unless a promoter has first obtained a permit from the relevant Licensing Authority.
A collection or sale which is to be held on any highway and public bridge, road, lane footway, square, court, alley or passage, whether a thoroughfare or not, will require a permit.
A collection which is to take place within a private building, for example a supermarket, does not require a permit. However, if you wish to hold a collection standing in the entrance of a private premises and solicit contributions from passers by then a permit will be required.
Collections at supermarket forecourts etc. need be authorised by way of a permit. Please refer to list of definitions for more information.
When do I need to apply?
We require one month's notice for these types of charitable collections.
In order that you are able to carry out a collection on the day/dates/times you require, provisional bookings for street collections may be made via email to the licensing team at licensing@swdevon.gov.uk.
We strongly recommend that you make a provisional booking before sending in your application to avoid disappointment. Another organisation may already have been issued a permit for the dates/times for which you hoped to collect.
Please Note: Although every effort is made to meet preferred dates we do experience a high volume of applications for Saturday collections, over the Christmas period and on national holidays. We process applications by date of receipt, so it is best to return your application forms as soon as possible.
When will I receive my permit?
On receipt of your application form we will check that the form is completed correctly and that the date(s) requested are still available. If we are not able to issue a permit for your requested date(s) we will contact you.
If all is satisfactory, a permit will be issued with a promoter return form - please see the 'Form of Statement' section of this guidance note for more information.
Only one permit will be issued per area per day. However, this requirement may be relaxed where an increase of applications is made in response to national/international disasters or over the busier festive season. This is always with the prior approval of the Licensing Manager.