Apply for this licence
Contact your council to apply for a public charitable collection permit if you want to collect money for charity in Scotland.
This permit covers collecting money from members of the public:
- in public
- on a ‘place-to-place’ basis (eg house to house)
If your collection spans an area covered by more than one council - eg a charity run - you must apply to the councils that cover the areas you collect in.
Restrictions
The permit does not cover some public access places, like privately-run shopping centres or car parks.
Exemptions
You do not need to apply for a permit if you collect:
- during a public meeting
- using a container in a fixed position in a public place, eg a collecting tin kept on a shop counter
How to apply
Contact your council for a public charitable collection permit.
Depending on your council’s rules, you may have to apply up to 3 months before you can start collecting.
You do not have to pay for a public Charitable collection permit.