Charity collection permit

If you intend to undertake a collection for the benefit of a charitable purpose you must first obtain the relevant permit. There is no charge for issuing collection permits. We issue two types of charity collection permits, one for Street Collections and another for House to House Collections.

Street collection permits 

A Street Collection permit must be obtained from us by any person (being a representative or agent of an organisation) intending to collect money in the street in aid of charitable purposes.

Street collections, which involve the public sale of goods or magazines, in aid of the charitable purposes of an organisation, also require a Street Collection permit.

A permit will authorise the holder to conduct collections in the street on a given date within a specified part of the Council's area. 

House to house collection permits

Organisations wishing to collect money or articles from house to house for a charitable purpose must first obtain a House to House collection permit, unless the organisation has been granted a Home Office exemption certificate. 

Certain charities that collect over a wide area have been granted an Exemption Certificate by the Secretary of the State. These Charities may collect without obtaining a further Licence but must inform the Council of their collection. A list of current exemption holders can be found on the Home Office website.

There are a number of No Cold Calling Zones within the County, details of these zones are given in the guidance notes. 

Charity collection returns 

Following the collection, permit holders must submit a completed return form to us in accordance with the relevant collection regulations. 

Apply for a permit

You are advised to read the guidance to ensure you are able to meet the requirements of the regulations before submitting an application.

Applications for street collection dates during the next calendar year will not be determined until January of that year. Organisations are encouraged to submit next year's applications by November, this enables the Council to accommodate the maximum number of charity street collections during the coming year. 

Please note that we have introduced a general policy, limiting applicants for street collection permits to a maximum of one Saturday and one weekday in any particular location within the county during each calendar year.

Applications for collection dates during the current year are strongly advised to submit the application at least six weeks prior to the proposed collection date.

We will only permit one collection in any locality at any one time

Please ensure your application includes:

• A completed application form 
• The charities latest accounts/annual financial report.
• Literature giving details of the charities work and in particular any projects supported within Carmarthenshire. 

As a public body, we are under a duty to protect the public funds that we administer, and to this end may use the information  provided to us on application forms for the prevention and detection of fraud. We may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.