What Is a Section 19 Permit?
A Section 19 permit is an authorisation that allows non-commercial organisations — schools, charities, community groups and care providers — to use a minibus to carry passengers for hire or reward, without needing a full Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence.
It exists because the law recognises that a school running trips for pupils, or a charity transporting service users, isn’t operating a bus business. Provided the service isn’t run for profit, a Section 19 permit lets you carry your own members, pupils, patients or beneficiaries legally and safely, without the cost and complexity of a full operator’s licence.
Do I Need a Section 19 Permit?
You’ll usually need one if your organisation:
- Is a non-profit body — a school, academy, charity, care home, community group or similar
- Uses a minibus (typically up to 16 passenger seats) to carry its own members, pupils, service users or beneficiaries
- Charges for the journey, or the journey counts as “hire or reward” in any way — including cases where transport is bundled into fees, subscriptions or donations
You generally don’t need a permit if the minibus is used purely for your organisation’s own staff or volunteers with no hire or reward involved, or if journeys are genuinely free with no payment of any kind, direct or indirect. Because the rules around what counts as “hire or reward” are not always obvious — school trip contributions and care home transport costs are common grey areas — it’s worth checking with the Traffic Commissioner or your local designated body if you’re unsure.
Not sure whether your organisation needs a permit? Red Kite works with schools, charities and care providers across the UK every week. Get in touch and we’ll help you work out what applies to your vehicle and your use case.
Section 19 vs Section 22: What’s the Difference?
These two permits are often confused, but they cover different situations:
| Section 19 permit | Section 22 permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Your own organisation’s members, pupils or service users | The general public |
| Typical use | School trips, care home transport, club outings | Scheduled community bus routes |
| Can you carry the public? | No | Yes |
| Run like a normal bus service? | No — private use only | Yes — fixed routes and timetables |
If your minibus only ever carries people connected to your organisation — pupils, service users, club members — Section 19 is almost always the right permit. Section 22 only applies if you’re running something closer to a local bus service open to anyone.
Who Issues Section 19 Permits and How Do You Apply?
Section 19 permits are issued either directly by the Traffic Commissioner for your region, or by a “designated body” — typically a local authority or an organisation such as the Community Transport Association — acting on the Commissioner’s behalf.
To apply, you’ll generally need to provide:
- Evidence of your organisation’s non-profit status
- Details of the vehicle(s) you’ll be operating
- Confirmation of your maintenance and safety inspection arrangements
- Details of driver licensing arrangements
Permit fees are set by the issuing body rather than fixed nationally, and you’ll need a separate permit (and permit disc, displayed in the vehicle) for each minibus you operate at any one time. If your organisation changes name or structure, you must inform the issuing body — this typically means your existing permit needs to be replaced.
Your Responsibilities as a Permit Holder
Holding a Section 19 permit comes with ongoing obligations, not just a one-off application. As a permit holder, you need to make sure:
- Your drivers are correctly licensed and suitably trained
- Drivers take appropriate breaks on longer journeys
- The vehicle meets construction and use requirements and is kept in a safe, roadworthy condition
- Your insurer knows the vehicle is used to provide transport for hire or reward under a permit
- The service is not run with a view to profit, and isn’t incidental to an activity that is itself run for profit
- You only carry the passengers your permit allows — Section 19 permit holders cannot carry members of the general public
- You notify the issuing body of any relevant changes to your organisation
Regular safety inspections are a legal requirement, not an optional extra. If you can’t produce evidence of a scheduled inspection and walk-around check regime, your permit can be confiscated by the issuing body or Traffic Commissioner. You can read more about how Red Kite supports permit holders with on-site inspections, pre-MOTs and maintenance on our Section 19 page.
What About the Driver?
A Section 19 permit covers the organisation and the vehicle — it does not cover the driver. Anyone driving the minibus still needs the correct driving licence entitlement, whether that’s full D1 entitlement, “grandfather rights” from a pre-1997 test, or a qualifying exemption for volunteer, non-commercial driving. We’ve covered this in detail in our guide to minibus driving licence rules — it’s worth reading alongside this one, since permit and licence compliance are separate obligations that both need to be in place.
Quick Checklist: Section 19 Permit Compliance
- Do we hold a valid Section 19 permit for every minibus we operate?
- Is the permit disc displayed in the vehicle?
- Have we told the issuing body about any change of organisation name or structure?
- Does our insurer know the vehicle operates under a hire-or-reward permit?
- Can we produce evidence of a regular safety inspection schedule?
- Are all our drivers correctly licensed for the vehicle?
- Are we only carrying passengers our permit allows — not members of the general public?
Frequently Asked Questions
A Section 19 permit is an authorisation that allows non-profit organisations — such as schools, charities and care providers — to use a minibus to carry their own members, pupils or service users for hire or reward, without needing a full PSV operator’s licence.
If your organisation is a non-profit body using a minibus to carry its own pupils, service users or members, and any payment or hire-or-reward element is involved, you’ll almost certainly need one. If you’re unsure whether your specific arrangement counts as hire or reward, check with your local Traffic Commissioner or designated body.
Many schools operating their own minibus for trips, sports fixtures or transport do need a Section 19 permit, particularly where parents contribute towards costs. Each case depends on the specific arrangement, so it’s worth confirming with the issuing body if you’re not certain.
The permit applies to the organisation and vehicle, not the individual driver — but operating a minibus for hire or reward without a valid permit, where one is required, is a compliance breach for the organisation. Separately, the driver still needs the correct driving licence entitlement regardless of the permit.
A Section 19 permit is for carrying your own organisation’s members, pupils or service users — it cannot be used to carry the general public. A Section 22 permit is for community bus services that operate more like a public bus route, carrying members of the public on fixed routes and timetables.
Validity periods are set by the issuing body, so it’s best to check directly with whoever issued your permit — the Traffic Commissioner or your designated body — for the exact renewal date and process.
The official guidance is published by GOV.UK: Section 19 and 22 permits: not-for-profit passenger transport. Guidance can change, so it’s worth checking this directly, or confirming with your local Traffic Commissioner or designated body, before applying or renewing.
Keeping Your Permit Vehicle Compliant
Holding a valid permit is only part of the picture — you also need to keep the vehicle itself compliant, with regular safety inspections, pre-MOTs and maintenance records you can produce on request. Red Kite offers on-site Section 19 inspections, pre-MOTs, servicing and LOLER wheelchair lift testing, so permit holders don’t need to arrange delivery or collection.
If you’re setting up a new minibus, replacing an ageing vehicle, or just want to check your current compliance is in order, our team can help — including advice on school minibus leasing and wheelchair-accessible options for care and community organisations.
Call us on 01202 827678 or visit our Section 19 page to find out more.
This guide is intended as general information only and should not be relied upon as legal or regulatory advice. Permit requirements are set and administered by Traffic Commissioners and designated bodies, and can change. Always check current guidance with your issuing body before applying, renewing, or making changes to your organisation’s permit arrangements.
