Licences and permits

The permissions a business needs before it can trade — each one tied to the law that creates it, or to a plain statement that no national statute does, and to the body that issues it. We point at GOV.UK for fees and forms; we never copy them.

3 of 41 licences · 3 with a named enabling instrument · 2 issued by a council

Narrow it down

Pick the activity you are asking about, and the nation you trade in. A licence can exist in one nation and not the next, so both matter.

What you do

All activities Advertising and marketing¹ Agriculture: animals² Agriculture: crops and plants¹ Animal products: manufacturing and wholesale² Animals, including pets and zoos¹ Arts and recreation⁹ Beauty, hairdressing, nails and spa treatments⁴ Building and construction⁶ Charity and community⁴ Chemicals and petroleum² Cleaning¹ Driving and motor vehicles² Education, including tutoring and training² Energy, gas and electricity¹ Environment: management and waste³ Environment: water¹ Events⁹ Finance, insurance and insolvency¹ Firearms, explosives and fireworks¹ Fisheries¹ Food and drink: wholesale, manufacturing and production¹ Gambling and betting, including arcades, bingo and racing² Healthcare¹ Hospitality, restaurants, bars and catering⁷ Legal services¹ Materials, metal and mining¹ Media and broadcasting³ Property and real estate¹ Retail: manufacturing and wholesale⁴ Social care³ Sports¹ Street trading and markets⁴ Tattooing, piercing and electrolysis² Telecommunications, technology and information services¹ Tourist accommodation, including hotels and campsites⁷ Transport and logistics, including aviation³ Veterinary¹

Where you trade

Any nation England⁴¹ Wales³⁸ Scotland¹¹ Northern Ireland³

Who issues it

Most business licences are issued by the council for the area you trade in — the licensing authority — under powers Parliament gave it. A small number are issued by a national regulator instead, and go to that body wherever you are.

Issued by a national regulator, not your council

Registration of independent health care service (England and Wales)

CQC · England and Wales

Charity and community

House to house collection licence (England and Wales)

Apply for a licence for house-to-house collections of money or goods for charity in England or Wales

England and Wales Your council

Street collection licence (England & Wales)

If you want to collect money or sell items on the street for charity, you might need a street collection licence, depending on your …

England and Wales Your council

Healthcare

Registration of independent health care service (England and Wales)

You need to register with the Care Quality Commission or Healthcare Inspectorate to run an independent health care service (eg private hospital or clinic) …

England and Wales CQC

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