House-to-House Collection Licence
House-to-House Collection Licence
The power to regulate House-to-House Collections and to issue licences is contained in the House to House Collections Act 1939 (The Act). It is an offence to promote or to carry out a House-to-House Collection for a charitable purpose without getting a licence from the local authority.
Collections made for a purportedly charitable purpose are also illegal, as a collection is deemed to have been made for a particular purpose where an appeal is made in association with a representation that the money will be applied for that purpose.
What is a House to House Collection?
House-to-House Collection is a method of charitable collection when the person collects door to door. The term 'collection' includes visits from house to house, visits to public houses, offices and factories to appeal for money, other property (for example clothes) or to sell things on the basis that part of the proceeds will go to a charity.
How to apply
Before you apply you must contact the Licensing Section to obtain a unique reference.
Or download the Application Form and post or email to the address at the bottom of this page.
Please note the local authority require 28 days notice to process an application.
Will Tacit Consent apply?
Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard by the end of the target completion period which is 28 days from the date of submission of all correct and relevant information.
Bogus Charity Clothing Collections
To see more detail on a campaign developed around bogus charity clothing collections, go to our Charity donation fraud page.
Pedlar's Certificates
You can find more information on Pedlar's Certificates webpage.
No Cold Calling Zones
No Cold Calling Zones are areas of the city in which residents have stated that they do not wish to receive visits to their homes (cold calls) from businesses. Zones are selected on the basis of risk and local residents demand/enthusiasm. To see the maps of the established zones in Newcastle go to our webpage Locations
The zones do not seek to prevent legitimate charity collections, however, we would expect charity collectors to respect the wishes of residents and if they do take the decision to call, to be able to identify themselves.
To see the view on charities and NCCZ's, taken by the Institute of Fundraising please see guidance for fundraisers no cold calling document.
Copies of the legislation mentioned on this page can be purchased from Her Majesty's Stationery Office or can be accessed at OPSI.
Please note: This information has no legal force and is not an authoritative interpretation of the law, which is a matter for the Courts. It is intended to help businesses to understand in general terms, the main features of the legislation. The information is not a substitute for the legislation and you should refer to the text of the legislation for a full statement of legal requirements and obligations. Where appropriate, you should seek your own independent legal advice.
Contact
Email: NCCLicensing@newcastle.gov.uk
Phone: 0191 2783864
Licensing Office
Unit 2 Wincomblee Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE6 3PF
Need more information?
You may find reading the House to House Collections Act 1939 useful.
If you would like to give us feedback on our website, please complete this short online form.