HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

How to hire a mascot in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Mascot hire needs no licence in the UK. Here is what to check, what to ask and what the booking must say.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a mascot in five steps

  1. Costume only, or a performer?Know what you are hiring from the mascot firm.
  2. Book a minderA helper to guide the mascot, who cannot see well, through children and crowds.
  3. Keep appearances shortMascot costumes get very hot; plan breaks and somewhere to cool down.
  4. Ask for a record certificateFor a performer at a children's event, a basic DBS, Level 1 or basic AccessNI certificate.
  5. Check deposits and cleaningCostume-only hire usually carries a deposit and cleaning terms.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to mascot hire firms in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is required by law. Costume-only hire and a booked performer are different services with different risks; be clear which you are buying.

Before any deposit, ask for two recent hosts you can contact and for the mascot booking terms in writing.

Public liability insurance for the mascot

The law does not make public liability cover compulsory for this kind of booking, yet most venues write a minimum into their supplier rules. Venues and shopping centres commonly ask for it before a mascot appears.

Get the venue's minimum in writing and match it against the mascot's current certificate.

Criminal record check for the mascot

Anyone can ask for a basic check on themselves: a basic DBS check for work in England and Wales, a Level 1 disclosure from Disclosure Scotland, or a basic AccessNI check in Northern Ireland. Each shows unspent convictions only. No licence makes a self-booked mascot hold one, so asking for it is your decision.

Ask the mascot to show the certificate or online disclosure and its date. gov.uk →

Trader status and cancellation terms

Paying a mascot makes the arrangement a contract with a trader, and under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the work must be done with reasonable care and skill. The usual 14-day right to cancel a distance or doorstep contract rarely helps here, because regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 leaves out leisure and catering services tied to a particular date; the mascot's terms are what count.

Check, in writing, how much of the mascot's deposit is refundable and by what date. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Mascot costume hire, with or without a performer, is standard-rated at 20%. Mascot hire firms with more than £90,000 of taxable turnover must register for VAT, charge it, and itemise it on every quote and invoice.

Ask the mascot firm for its VAT number and check the 20% is shown under costume and performer separately. gov.uk →

“Is a performer included with the mascot, or only the costume?”

A good answer: A clear answer from the mascot hire firm, priced either way.

“Who guides the mascot through the crowd?”

A good answer: A minder from the firm, or a plan for one of your adults.

“How long can the mascot appear before a break?”

A good answer: Short appearances with breaks, and a private room to change.

“Does the mascot performer hold a record certificate?”

A good answer: A basic DBS, Level 1 or AccessNI certificate in their name.

“Is the mascot hire firm insured?”

A good answer: Public liability cover with a copy for the venue.

“What is the deposit and cleaning charge for costume hire?”

A good answer: Figures in writing, and when the deposit comes back.

“Is the character licensed, or a generic mascot?”

A good answer: An honest answer; a firm offering famous characters should say what rights it has.

Getting the quote right

  • The mascot character, the date and the appearance times
  • Costume only or with performer, and a minder
  • Deposit, cleaning and damage terms for costume-only hire
  • Travel and any extra appearance time
  • Cancellation terms
  • The mascot firm's VAT number, and VAT under the appearance fee
  • Who actually attends in the costume and as minder, and whether they are employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • No minder for a mascot among small children
  • Long appearances with no breaks planned
  • No record certificate for the mascot performer at a children's event
  • Costume deposit terms that are unclear

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Mascot hire firms near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Arrive and changeThe mascot performer changes in a private room out of sight of the children.
  2. EntranceThe mascot arrives with the minder guiding the way.
  3. Meet and greetPhotos, waves and high-fives, short and cheerful.
  4. BreakOut of costume to cool down, out of sight.
  5. GoodbyeA final appearance, then the costume comes off away from the children.

Costume-only hire
Renting the mascot outfit without a performer.
Minder
A helper who guides the mascot and manages the crowd.
Appearance
One timed spell in costume, usually short.
Damage deposit
Money held against loss or damage to the costume.
Public liability insurance
Cover for injury or damage caused while working.
Basic DBS / Level 1 / basic AccessNI
The criminal record checks an individual can request in each nation.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the bookingIt records what the mascot hire covered and the deposit terms.
Return the costume as agreedCostume-only hire: back on time, in the agreed state, photos taken.
Chase the depositIf it is not back in the agreed time, ask in writing.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy come only from booked jobs, which is why one about the mascot hire firm carries weight. If something went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first: the mascot hire firm is asked to put it right before the review goes live.

STEP 1Put it to the mascot in writingPut the problem — a late appearance, no minder, a costume in poor condition — to the mascot in an email, with dates and what you are asking for. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats every service contract as promising reasonable care and skill (section 49), and section 56 lets you ask for an appropriate reduction where a repeat is impossible.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the mascot below four stars and you are asked whether to send the problem to them first; we follow it through, then your review is published.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesComplaints about mascot hire firms have no regulator to go to. If the trader will not engage, Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) covers England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) covers Scotland, and Consumerline (0300 123 6262) covers Northern Ireland; each can pass a complaint about mascot hire firms to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Money the mascot will not returnMoney still owed by the mascot can be claimed through the small-claims routes: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in the sheriff court in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a mascot: questions people ask

No. Nothing in UK law licenses mascot hire firms themselves. Any licence an event needs — an entertainment licence in Northern Ireland, a Temporary Event Notice in England and Wales — belongs to the venue or organiser, not the mascot.

No licence makes a self-booked mascot performer hold one, but you can ask. A basic DBS check covers work in England and Wales, a Level 1 disclosure from Disclosure Scotland covers Scotland, and a basic AccessNI check covers Northern Ireland; each shows unspent convictions.

We have found no published UK range for mascot hire we can stand behind, so no figure appears here. Send the same brief to a few mascot hire firms and compare the written quotes item by item.

The performer can barely see out of the costume. A minder steers them through children and keeps everyone safe.

Short spells with breaks; the costume gets hot. Ask the firm what it allows.

Many firms rent costumes alone, with a deposit and cleaning terms.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in events & entertainment

How to hire: Children's EntertainerHow to hire: Stilt WalkerHow to hire: Face PainterHow to hire: Balloon ModellerHow to hire: MagicianHow to hire: Party PlannerHow to hire: Bouncy Castle HireHow to hire: Event Staff & HostessesAll 701 hiring guides →

Mascot hire firms near you

Mascot hire firms in LondonMascot hire firms in ManchesterMascot hire firms in BirminghamMascot hire firms in GlasgowMascot hire firms in BelfastAll mascot hire firms on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — entertainment licence (Northern Ireland)
  2. gov.uk — Temporary Events Notice
  3. gov.uk — request a basic DBS check
  4. mygov.scot — apply for a Level 1 disclosure
  5. nidirect — types of AccessNI checks
  6. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  9. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  10. nidirect — small claims process
  11. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  12. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  13. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register