Apply for a Child Performance Licence
You may need a performance licence for a child to take part in:
- a public performance (such as TV, film, theatre or musical)
- a sporting event for which the child will be paid
- a modelling assignment that you are organising and for which the child will be paid
A public performance can include:
- any performance for which an admission fee or other charge is made
- any performance which takes place on licensed premises
- any production which is being filmed, broadcast or recorded for public exhibition
Applications should be made to the Local Authority in which you live, not the Local Authority for where the performance is taking place.
A separate licence is needed for each production or set of performances. We aim to process your application within 21 working days of receiving it and will provide you with a copy of the licence once your application has been processed.
Please note: If the application is made less than 21 days before the child’s first performance, we can’t guarantee to issue a licence in time.
If time off school is required, consent must be given in advance by the head teacher of the child’s school.
A child taking part in a performance - which can include TV, film, theatre, sporting activities or modelling – must be accompanied, including by a chaperone who is licensed by the local authority.
Cases when a performance licence is not required
This may vary for each child, so please contact us to check whether a licence is required prior to making an application.