SubscribeLegal Myths
DJmark assess quality standards for the UK mobile disco industry.
The mobile DJ industry in the UK is largely unregulated. Lots of mobile disco operators run their businesses on a part-time basis often alongside other jobs - sometimes because they are passionate about music or entertaining people but (unfortunately) sometimes because it is seen as a way of making a 'quick buck'.
Many operators take care of their own publicity and the desire to stand apart from local competitors is naturally very strong. This, and sometimes pure ignorance / inexperience, often leads to inaccurate claims being made in respect of the legalities of operating as a mobile disco.
We have deliberately omitted public performance licencing from this section as this whole area is currently being re-evaluated by the governing bodies. This will be updated in due course as the new rules are published.
Public Liability Insurance (PLI)
This is NOT a legal requirement but is a very good idea for plenty of reasons. See our PLI page for more details. There's also a Wikipedia entry Here. ALL DJmark-accredited DJs have PLI policies.
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
Correctly defined as "In-service Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment", this is NOT a legal requirement but is a very good idea for plenty of reasons. See our PAT page for more details. There's also a Wikipedia entry Here. ALL DJmark-accredited DJs have PAT policies.
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosures
CRB Checks are NOT a legal requirement but if your DJ is expected to work alone with children or vulnerable young adults, it's a good idea to try to obtain a check; however the current operating methods of the agencies involved make this very difficult unless you are a "Registered Body" such as a school, large employer or other regular user. Further information is available from the UK Government's CRB Website and on our CRB page
Miscellaneous Myths
Some other misconceptions we've seen advertised on various DJ websites include:
- A DJ must be registered - there are no current legal requirements for a DJ to be registered with any body with the exception of HMRC in respect of income;
- DJs must have vehicle insurance - ALL vehicle owners/drivers are obliged to carry insurance; this is no different for DJs!
- All DJs must be health & safety trained - there is no onus on DJs to have any formal training of this nature. DJmark considers application of risk management (including health & safety aspects) to be an important asset which is why is it a pre-requisite for our Platinum award;
- Venues are legally bound to refuse DJs access without certain paperwork - any such refusals are on the basis of non-compliance with the venues' own policies. This is most commonly applied to DJs without PLI or PAT and is often the case with large hotel chains and publicly-owned buildings who have strict rules for contractors.
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