Whether your child will need a licence

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Paid/Unpaid Work	Type of Work	Absence from school?	Length of Performance	Medical Required?	Licence Required?
PAID (see note 1)	TV or filming	Yes (see note 3)	Any period of time	Yes - unless one provided within previous six months	Yes (see note 5)
PAID (see note 1)	TV or filming	No	Any period of time	Yes - unless one provided within previous six months	Yes (see note 5)
PAID (see note 1)	Theatre, sporting activity or modelling	Yes (see note 3)	Any period of time	No (see note 4)	Yes (see note 5)
PAID (see note 1)	Theatre, sporting activity or modelling	No	Any period of time	No (see note 4)	Yes (see note 5)
UNPAID (see note 2)	TV or filming	Yes (see note 3)	Any period of time	Yes - unless one provided within previous six months	Yes (see note 5)
UNPAID (see note 2)	TV or filming	No	Any period of time up to and including 4 days (and not performed within the previous 6 months)	No	No
UNPAID (see note 2)	Theatre, sporting activity or modelling	Yes (see note 3)	Any period of time up to and including 4 days (and not performed within the previous 6 months)	No (see note 4)	Yes (see note 5)
UNPAID (see note 2)	Theatre, sporting activity or modelling	No	Any period of time up to and including 4 days (and not performed within the previous 6 months)	No (see note 4)	No
UNPAID (see note 2)	TV or filming	Yes (see note 3)	5 days or more	Yes - unless one provided within previous 6 months	Yes (see note 5)
UNPAID (see note 2)	Tv or filming	No	5 days or more	Yes - unless one provided within previous 6 months	Yes (see note 5)
UNPAID (see note 2)	Theatre, sporting activity or modelling	Yes (see note 3)	5 days or more	Possibly (see note 4)	Yes (see note 5)
UNPAID (see note 2)	Theatre, sporting activity or modelling	No	5 days or more	Possibly (see note 4)	Yes (see note 5)

Note 1: Paid performance - Payment to the child in respect of the child's taking part in the performance whether to him/her or to any other person.

Note 2: Unpaid performance - "....no payment in respect of the child's taking part in the performance is made, whether to him/her or to any other person except for defraying expenses means that there is no question of any payment or consideration to procure the services of any child taking part in the performance." - A guide to The Children (Performances) Regulations 1968.

Note 3: Absence from school "....leave of absence may not be given to enable a pupil to undertake employment except in accordance with the licence. The Act and Regulations contain no provision under which absence from school may be authorised for an unlicensed performance." - A guide to The Children (Performances) Regulations 1968. Also see the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995, Regulation 8(2)(b).

Note 4: Medical certificates are required with applications for children wishing to take part in licenced performances in any television or film work, regardless of any number of days or half days under the conditions of the licence.

For broadcast performances, such as radio productions, a child can perform on up to and including six days in a six-month period without the need for a medical.

For other performances such as theatre work, if the child takes part on the maximum number of days in the week allowed, i.e. six days, and the performances are required for more than one week, a medical certificate will be required.

For sporting activities and modelling, where the application is for a licence for an activity, a statement by the child's parent that the child is medically fit for the proposed activity must be provided with the original application.

Any costs incurred with obtaining medical certificates are generally accepted as being met by the body responsible for the production.

Note 5: When a licence is required a child shall not take part in a performance or activity except under the authority of a licence. Backdated licences should not be issued; they undermine the licensing process which is, after all, a safeguard for the children.

When licences are requested at short notice Local Authorities will invariably try to accommodate requests.  However, there must be enough time to deal with the application detail beforehand. Productions should be mindful that the Local Authority can insist upon ’21 days’ notice – The Children (Performances) Regulations 1968, Regulation 1(3)

• Download the Application form for a Child Performance Licence Application form for a Child Performance Licence 116kb

Last updated: 25 May 2012