You will require a Street Collection Permit to collect money (cash) or sell articles for the benefit of charitable or other non-profit purposes, if that collection is to be held 'in a street or public place'. A 'public place' is a 'place where the public has access'. 

It is often assumed that collections can be held in shop doorways or car parks and do not need a Street Collection Permit because they are being held on 'privately owned land'. This is not true, as the legislation does not refer to the ownership of the land or street collections on 'privately owned land' as exempt from the licensing regulations. A shop doorway or car park, when that shop is open for trading, is a 'public place' because the public has access at that time, therefore will require a licence. If any collections take place within the shop, a permit is not required.

The purpose of the legal requirement to obtain consent is to ensure collectors are properly authorised, that money is collected in a secure way, and the total proceeds collected are properly accounted for.

Direct Debit Collections

Charities or non-profit organisations who obtain contact details for members of the public for the purposes of setting up a direct debit donation do not require a street collection permit. This is because they are not collecting money (cash).

We politely request that organisations wishing to collect customer details, for the purposes of direct debit donations, contact us to advise on which dates they will be collecting information and in which location in the district. 

To apply for a street collection permit, please complete the online application form.

There is a restriction of 40 street collections per year within the Winchester City Centre, albeit no such restriction applies outside of Winchester City Centre. No two charities will be permitted to collect on the same day in the same location, to ensure fairness. Please contact the Licensing Department to discuss availability for your chosen date/location. 

Please note that no completed booking application form for the next calendar year will be received any earlier than 1st October of the previous year, after which preference will be given to those charities set out in the Policy or on a ‘first come first served’ basis.   

For more information on how we administer Street Collections, please refer to the Street Collections Policy. You must comply with our Street Collection Conditions whilst undertaking your collection. 

Within one month after the date of any collection the person to whom the permit has been granted shall forward to Winchester City Council:

• A completed statement showing the amount received and the expenses and payments incurred in connection with such collection, and certified by the person and either a qualified accountant or an independent responsible person acceptable to Winchester City Council.
• A list of the collectors.
• A list of the amounts contained in each collection box.
• Within the same period above, a statement showing the name of the person to whom the permit has been granted, the area of the collection, the amount collected, and the amount of the expenses and payments incurred in connection with the collection shall be published in the local newspaper where the collection has taken place.