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.
8 of 426 licences for Finance, insurance and insolvency
Choose from all 48 activities
A
Apply for Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorisation
To undertake regulated financial activities, you must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
UK Government · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Authorisation to advise on or arrange general insurance
You need authorisation from the Financial Conducty Authority (FCA) to advise on, arrange or sell general insurance products
UK Government · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
B
C
N
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
We have not yet mapped an enabling instrument for 1 licence 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.