Apply for a highways permit or licence

Roads and pavements should be kept clear and safe as much as possible. Sometimes work and events mean a highway may need to be closed or partially closed. This requires a licence.

If your licence request involves a road under the Kent Lane Rental Scheme, we will advise you of any additional cost.

• View all current highways fees and charges
• Read the full terms and conditions for each licence
• Read the StarGo accessibility statement
• Read the highways licence applications privacy notice.

Before you apply

Before you apply for a licence, you can check the street or address details:

• FindMyStreet shows every street in England and Wales that’s held in the National Street Gazetteer. It will tell you where a street is, what its official name is, and the maintenance responsibility of that street. The data is created and maintained by local authorities, collected, and managed centrally by GeoPlace.
• FindMyAddress allows you to search for the official address, UPRN and location of every property in England, Scotland and Wales. The data is created and maintained by local authorities, collected and managed centrally by GeoPlace and published by Ordnance Survey as AddressBase®.

If you have any questions before you apply call us on 03000 41 81 81.

All street works licences require the company, business or applicant to hold public liability insurance (a minimum of £5 million or above) before registering to make an application.

View details of all current and planned permits on the roadworks map.

How to apply

Apply online

• Attachments to street lights
• Cranes and mobile working platform
• Dropped kerbs
• Hoarding or site fencing on the highway
• Kent Permit scheme
• Materials on the highway
• Request for belisha beacon bagging up of zebra crossings
• Road closures
• Scaffold on the highway
• Skip(s) on the highway
• Street lighting disconnection request.

Download a form and return to us

• A-boards on the highway.

Request a form to apply

Email highwaylicences@kent.gov.uk to get an application form for:

• Apparatus in the highway
• Banners, cables, decorative lighting or bunting over the highway
• Cultivation or landscaping of the highway
• Maintaining apparatus in the highway
• Sewer connections.

To find out more about brown tourism signs, email:

• east.highwayimprovements@kent.gov.uk for attractions in Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, Swale or Thanet
• west.highwayimprovements@kent.gov.uk for attractions in Dartford, Gravesham, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling or Tunbridge Wells.

We are currently unable to accept postal applications or payments by cheque. Submit your application by email and we will then contact you to advise how to pay.

We are working to bring online applications to as many of our forms as possible.

Applications we do not manage

Some highway permits are managed by other organisations.

Contact your district council

• Events on the highway
• Tables and chairs on the highway
• White vehicle access marking lines (also known as 'dog bones').

Kent Film Office

• Filming on the highway.

Roundabout advertising

Looking to promote your business on one of our roundabouts? Contact Kent Roundabout Sponsorship.