Register or renew as a waste carrier, broker or dealer
The online payment system is not working for some customers.
Call 0300 065 3000 if you receive a payment error message.
Who must register
If you normally and regularly transport waste as part of your own business, you will need to be registered as a waste carrier. Normally and regularly means that it’s part of your usual business, even if you do it infrequently.
If your business arranges for waste from other organisations to be transported, disposed of or recovered, you need to register as a waste broker.
If your business buys and sells waste, or uses an agent to do it, you need to register as a waste dealer.
It is a criminal offence to transport, deal in or broker waste without being registered with us which carries a maximum fine of £5000.
Check if you do not need to register
You do not need to register if you:
-
are a householder carrying waste produced at home and not as the result of any business activity
-
are a landowner removing fly-tipping from your land
-
only carry waste between different places within the same premises
-
only carry waste by air or sea from a place in Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales) to any place outside Great Britain
-
only carry waste from a country outside Great Britain to the first point of arrival
-
carry waste for a marine operation that either requires a marine licence or can be carried out under a marine exemption
Apply to the correct regulator
If your business is based in Wales, you must register with us and follow this guidance.
If your business is based in England, contact the Environment Agency. In Scotland, contact SEPA.
Apply to register or renew
Renewing your licence
If you have an existing licence for an upper tier registration, you will need to renew it with us every 3 years.
We will contact you with a reminder letter or email with a unique code and link for you to renew your licence, 6 weeks before your registration is due to expire. You do not need to apply for a new licence or create a new account.
To renew you will need to:
-
follow the unique link in your renewal letter or email
-
use the unique code, also in the renewal letter or email
-
follow the steps to renew your licence online
Your new registration will begin the day after your current registration expires.
If you haven’t received a renewal letter and your licence is set to expire, please contact us on 0300 065 3000.
Charges
There is no charge for a lower tier registration. You do not need to renew a lower tier registration.
The cost of a new upper tier registration is £154. This expires after three years. The cost of renewing an upper tier registration before the expiry date is £105.
All registrations are VAT exempt. We do not send invoices or receipts of VAT.
Declare relevant convictions
If you register in the upper tier you must tell us if you, an existing partner, director, manager, company secretary or similar have been convicted of an offence listed below. These are convictions that may mean you cannot register in the upper tier.
You should also tell us if you, an existing partner, director, manager, company secretary or similar has been convicted of a relevant offence since the registration was issued.
Current relevant convictions are for offences under the following legislation:
-
Section 110(2) of the Environment Act 1995
-
Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964
-
Section 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 22 or 25 of the Theft Act 1968, where the offence relates to scrap metal or is an environment-related offence
-
Section 170 or 170B of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, where the
-
offence relates to scrap metal
-
Section 9 of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985
-
Section 1, 5 or 7 of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989
-
Section 33, 34 or 34B of the Environmental Protection Act 1990
-
Section 85, 202 or 206 of the Water Resources Act 1991
-
Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 1994
-
Section 110 of the Environment Act 1995
-
Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999
-
Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000
-
Part 1 of the Vehicles (Crimes) Act 2001
-
Regulation 17(1) of the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002
-
Section 327, 328 or 330 to 332 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
-
Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005
-
Hazardous Waste (Wales) Regulations 2005
-
Section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006, where the offence relates to scrap metal or is an environment related offence
-
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006
-
Regulation 38 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007
-
Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007
-
Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007
-
Regulation 38 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010
-
Regulation 42 of the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011
-
Section 146 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012
-
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013
-
Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013
You do not need to tell us about any spent convictions. Find out about spent convictions in Guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders 1974 on GOV.UK.
After you register or renew
We will send you confirmation of registration. If we cannot accept the registration for any reason, such as relevant convictions, we will let you know.
Your reference number is proof of your registration and confirmation you are registered.
Once registered your business will appear on the waste carriers, brokers and dealers public register.
If you need to change your registration
You must let us know about changes to your registration details within 28 days of the change.
Activity type
You can change your activity type, for example, if you are registered as a carrier and dealer, you can change to carrier, broker and dealer. We can do this free of charge.
Call us on 0300 065 3000.
Legal entity
If your business's legal entity changes, you will need to make a new application for registration. A change of legal entity happens where:
-
you, as a sole trader, change to a limited company
-
your partnership becomes a limited company
-
a new individual takes over your business
-
a company takes over your business and it becomes a new legal entity, with a new company number.
Tiers
You cannot change a lower tier registration into an upper tier registration. You would need to apply for a new registration and pay the £154 fee.
Who your registration covers
| Registration | Who is covered by the registration |
|---|---|
| Individual or sole trader | The individual and any person employed by that individual as an employee who is undertaking work for the individual |
| Company | Anyone employed by the company as an employee undertaking work for the company |
| Partnership | Any specified partner and anyone employed by the partnership as an employee undertaking work for the partnership |
| Charity or voluntary organisation | Anyone employed by the charity or voluntary organisation undertaking work for the charity or voluntary organisation |
| The Local Authority (LA) | Any employee of the LA undertaking work on behalf of the LA |
| The Secretary of State for a department |
Any employee of the department whilst undertaking work on behalf of the department. Note the registration would apply to all parts of the department. |
Your responsibilities
Once you have registered as a waste carrier, broker or dealer you have responsibilities around transporting waste.
Read more about your duty of care.
Read more about moving hazardous waste.
Refunds
For upper tier carriers, we will provide refunds to customers based outside Wales who incorrectly register with us, or if you accidentally register with us twice.
To request a refund, email enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk.
Provide:
-
the reason for the request
-
your reference number
-
the payee name on the card you used to pay for the registration.
Refunds can take up to 30 working days.