You must register if you transport waste as part of your business.

You must also register if you buy, sell or dispose of waste – or arrange for someone else to do so.

You can be fined up to £5,000 if you don’t register.

Once registered, your business will appear on either:

• the register of ‘lower tier’ waste carriers (for most businesses that just carry their own waste)
• the register of ‘upper tier’ waste carriers

Before you start

It takes around 15 minutes to register. You’ll need:

• your company registration number
• names and dates of birth for partners, directors and company officers (eg the company secretary)
• details of any convictions for environmental offences

Cost

Registration is free if you’re just transporting your own organisation’s waste.

You’ll usually need to pay a fee of £154 if you’re dealing with other people’s waste.

Updating or renewing your registration

You must update your details within 28 days if the information you’ve provided in your registration changes.

Depending on the type of registration you’re given, you may need to renew your registration after 3 years.

England, Wales