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.
29 of 426 licences for Education, including tutoring and training
Choose from all 48 activities
A
Approval and accreditation of vocational training courses (Scotland)
Approval from the Scottish Qualifications Authority for centres of learning including colleges, employers and private training providers
Scottish Government · Scotland
Approval for a centre to offer qualifications (Scotland)
You must be approved by the SQA to run an education or training establishment and offer courses which lead to qualifications.
Scottish Government · Scotland
Approval of initial teacher education programmes (Northern Ireland)
You need approval from the Department of Education to offer initial teacher education programmes
Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland
Authorisation to use university in an institution's title (Scotland)
To use 'university' in an educational body's title, you must get consent from the Privy Council
Scottish Government · Scotland
C
Collective worship copyright licence
You need a licence to reproduce the words of hymns or worship songs for collective worship at schools
DCMS · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Collective worship music reproduction licence
You need a licence to photocopy hymns or worship songs for collective worship at your school
DCMS · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
E
G
I
L
N
Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) educational licence
You may need a licence from the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) to make copies of newspaper content for teaching purposes.
DCMS · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Non-nuclear radioactive substances regulation (England)
Permits for different groups of radioactive substances users known as the ‘non-nuclear sector’.
Environment Agency · England
Notification to process personal data
You must notify the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if your organisation processes personal data in an automated form
UK Government · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
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
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
Permission to use street or pavement space for displays (Scotland)
You must get written permission to put advertising signs or displays on the road or pavement in Scotland - fines, penalties
Your council · Scotland
PSV (Public Service Vehicle) operator’s licence
You need a public service vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence to operate a vehicle for hire or reward (payment or payment in kind) that can …
Traffic Commissioners · England, Wales and Scotland
R
Regulated qualification awarding body registration (Wales)
You need to be a recognised awarding body to offer regulated qualifications in Wales.
Welsh Government · Wales
Regulated qualification course approval (Northern Ireland)
To offer regulated qualifications in Northern Ireland, you need to register with the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA)
Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland
S
School special educational needs (SEN) approval (Northern Ireland)
You need approval by the Department for Education in Northern Ireland to cater for special education in a non-maintained school
Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland
Special needs school approval (Wales)
You need approval by the Welsh Government if you run an independent school in Wales that admits children with special educational needs
Your council · Wales
Start a nursery (Scotland)
Register with Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) Care Inspectorate if you want to run a day nursery in Scotland.
Scottish Government · Scotland
Starting a nursery (Wales)
Getting a day care licence for running a children's nursery in Wales
Your council · Wales
T
Teacher registration (Wales)
You must register with the Education Workforce Council to be employed as a teacher in Wales.
Welsh Government · Wales
Temporary Events Notice (England and Wales)
You need a Temporary Event Notice if you want to carry out a 'licensable activity' on unlicensed premises in England or Wales
Your council · England and Wales
TV Licence
You need a TV Licence to watch or record programmes on a TV, computer or other device as they're broadcast, and to watch on-demand …
DCMS · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
W
Y
Youth support worker registration (Wales)
You must register with the Education Workforce Council to be employed as a youth worker in Wales.
Welsh Government · Wales
Youth worker registration (Wales)
You must register with the Education Workforce Council to be employed as a youth worker in Wales.
Welsh Government · Wales
Where GOV.UK lists a licence separately for each nation, it appears here once with a link to each nation's version. They are separate licences in law, often resting on different legislation.
We have not yet mapped an enabling instrument for 10 licences on this list. That is a gap in our graph, not a statement about the law, and those pages say so rather than guessing.
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.
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.