Do you need a waste carrier licence for this job? Find out before you load the van.
For sole traders, small firms, gardeners and house clearance operators. Covers when upper and lower tier licences apply in England and Wales.
Sound familiar?
- “I'm stripping out a kitchen and taking the skip to the tip myself. Do I need a licence?”
- “I only move my own waste. Is that still regulated?”
- “I've heard there are two tiers and I don't know which I'd be.”
- “The council wanted to see my licence at the transfer station.”
What this tool does
Traffic-light answer on whether you need an upper tier or lower tier waste carrier licence based on the waste type, the source, and whether you own or carry it. Covers England and Wales, Scotland and NI have separate regimes.
Question 1 of 4
Do you produce waste as part of your work? (rubble, timber, plasterboard, packaging, etc.)
What the law actually says
- •The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 require most people transporting waste for business to be registered with the Environment Agency.
- •Lower tier covers carrying your own waste in narrow cases. Most sub-contractors need upper tier.
- •Fly-tipping prosecutions now frequently trace back to the unlicensed carrier, not just the dumper. Fines and vehicle seizure are live risks.
What to do next
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