Apply for a Section 171 licence to do minor works on a road

You need a Section 171 licence if you:

• want to undertake small excavations on the public highway (this includes trial holes and minor highway alterations)
• want to book road space where tree felling or hedge cutting works can be carried out
• want to put up Christmas decorations and banners or bunting

A Section 171 licence costs £193.

To apply, you'll need:

• a location plan or a map of the location
• site specific traffic management plans (this must comply with Chapter 8 and installed by a suitably qualified operative)
• name and address of your chosen contractor
• front and back of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 accreditation, operative and supervisor
• statutory undertaker plans from your contractor (STAT plans)
• a copy of your contractor’s risk assessment and method statement (RAMS)
• a copy of your contractor's Public Liability Insurance of £10 million
• certification or qualification of use of CAT & Gennie location device

Applications will take approximately 4 weeks to complete from when we have received a fully completed application.

If you've already started the works, you'll need to apply for a retrospective 171 licence.

A retrospective licence costs £259.

If you need any help or support, email [email protected].