Licences and permits

The permissions a business needs before it can trade, each one tied to the law that creates it and to the body that issues it. We point at GOV.UK for fees and forms, and never copy them.

18 of 426 licences in England for Building and construction

Choose from all 48 activities

A

Abstract water (England)

If you abstract water or plan to, you may need to apply for an abstraction licence.

Environment Agency · England

Any trade

C

Cooling tower notification

Cooling tower notification for commercial site owners

Your council · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Building and construction · Chemicals and petroleum · Property and real estate +1 more

F

Flood risk activities (England)

You may need an environmental permit to do work in or by a main river, flood defence structure or sea defence, or in a …

Environment Agency · England

Any trade

G

Goods vehicle operator licences

You need a goods vehicle operator’s licence if your business uses a goods vehicle with either a gross plated weight (the maximum weight that …

Traffic Commissioners · England, Wales and Scotland

Any trade

I

Impound water (England)

If you impound water, or plan to, you may need to apply for an impounding licence.

Environment Agency · England

Any trade

L

Licence to work with asbestos (England, Wales & Scotland)

You need a licence to work with asbestos in England, Wales and Scotland

UK Government · England, Wales and Scotland

Building and construction · Chemicals and petroleum · Cleaning +1 more

N

New Marina Application (England, Scotland & Wales)

Building a new marina in waters owned or managed by British Waterways

DEFRA · England, Wales and Scotland

Building and construction · Property and real estate

P

Pavement or street display licence (England and Wales)

Get a licence to put an advertising sign on the road or pavement in England and Wales - restrictions, fines, penalties

Your council · England and Wales

Any trade

Permission to distribute leaflets (England and Wales)

You may need to get permission to distribute free printed material in certain areas controlled by the local council.

Your council · England and Wales

Any trade

R

Register as an architect

Register with the Architects Registration Board before working as an architect in the UK - temporary register, fines, penalties, qualifications

MHCLG · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Building and construction · Property and real estate

Road occupation licence for building work (England and Wales)

You must get a licence from the council to dig up the road, or temporarily occupy it in connection with building work - fines, …

DfT · England and Wales

Building and construction · Energy, gas and electricity

S

Scaffolding and hoarding licence (England and Wales)

You need a licence from the local authority to put up scaffolding or hoarding on a public highway in the UK.

Your council · England and Wales

Building and construction

Scheduled monument consent (England, Scotland and Wales)

You need a licence to carry out work that would demolish, damage, remove, repair, alter or add to a scheduled monument, or to carry …

Your council · England, Wales and Scotland

Arts and recreation · Building and construction · Energy, gas and electricity +1 more

Skip licence (England and Wales)

You or the skip hire company need a skip licence/permit if you want to put a skip on a public road. You may need …

Your council · England and Wales

Building and construction · Environment: management and waste

Skip operator licence

Get a skip permit for your skip hire company - skip hire licence, local authority, highway act

Your council · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Building and construction · Environment: management and waste

Street works licence (England, Scotland and Wales)

You need a licence to place apparatus on a street or road in England, Wales and Scotland

Your council · England, Wales and Scotland

Building and construction

U

Using, treating, storing and disposing of waste (England)

You may need an environmental permit if your business uses, recycles, treats, stores or disposes of waste or mining waste.

Environment Agency · England

Any trade

W

Working with fluorinated gas (F gas)

You must have your own qualifications to work on equipment containing F gas, even if you work for someone else.

Environment Agency · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Any trade

Checking approvals more broadly?

A licence is one of several things you may need before your first day of trading. The pre-trading quick check walks the registrations, insurances and approvals alongside it.

Run the pre-trading quick check

Not sure which of these apply to you?

Our guides on finding a licence and dealing with your local council walk through the questions that decide it.

Find a licence