Waste Carrier Licence

Upper tier and lower tier registration

England and Wales use upper and lower tier carrier registration. The tier depends on the type of waste and the nature of the business, not on the size of the vehicle. Scotland moved waste transport and brokering into its environmental authorisation framework in 2026, so Scottish operators should be checked through SEPA’s current waste transporter and broker register.

Lower tier

In England and Wales, lower tier registration generally covers businesses that carry only their own waste, and only waste that is not construction or demolition waste. A shop taking its own cardboard to a transfer station in its own van is the usual example. There is normally no charge for lower tier registration, but the business still has to register and keep the registration current.

Upper tier

In England and Wales, upper tier registration is required in the main cases where you carry waste for others, or carry your own construction or demolition waste. A builder moving rubble and soil from its own site falls into upper tier even though the waste is its own. Upper tier registration carries a fee and must be renewed in line with the regulator’s current requirements.

Northern Ireland also distinguishes between upper and lower tier waste carrier registration under its own system. If a carrier operates across a border, use the relevant regulator’s register and check that the authorisation shown is current for the activity being carried out.

How to check a waste carrier registration

Public registers are searchable online, and the check is quick. Use the official register for the nation concerned rather than a third party summary, because the official entry is the one that counts.

• England: the Environment Agency public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers.
• Wales: the Natural Resources Wales public register.
• Scotland: the Scottish Environment Protection Agency register.
• Northern Ireland: the Northern Ireland Environment Agency register.

Search using the details supported by the relevant register. Check that the entry matches the legal entity you are dealing with, that the authorisation is current and that it covers the activity being carried out. An authorisation that has lapsed, or one held by a different legal entity, is a warning sign worth resolving before any waste leaves your site.

Keep a record of the check. The date, the register used and the relevant registration, permit or authorisation details are useful if questions are asked later. This supports traceability; it does not by itself prove that everything downstream was handled correctly.

Duty of care and the carrier check

Checking a carrier is part of your waste duty of care, which applies to anyone who produces, carries, keeps, treats or disposes of controlled waste. The duty of care code of practice is issued under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and failure to comply is an offence with no upper limit on the fine a court can impose. Fixed penalty notices may be used in some cases instead of prosecution.

The duty of care also covers what happens to the waste after collection. An authorised carrier can still take waste to a destination that is not permitted for that waste type, so the check does not end with the carrier’s authorisation. Waste transfer notes and, for hazardous waste, consignment notes record the movement. These documents support traceability; they do not prove legal compliance on their own.

For hazardous waste, the requirements go further. Waste is generally considered hazardous if it, or the substances it contains, are harmful to humans or the environment. A name alone does not settle the classification. Waste classification technical guidance sets out how to assess and classify waste, and it needs a competent person with some chemistry knowledge to apply it properly. We can help with hazardous waste management where classification and routing need to be worked through.

Where carrier questions usually come up

Most problems surface in a few familiar situations. A site clearance produces mixed waste and the person removing it holds only lower tier registration. A contractor carries its own demolition arisings and has never registered at upper tier. A carrier’s registration has expired and nobody noticed. A broker arranges movement but is not registered as a broker.

Each of these is a duty of care issue for the producer as well as the carrier. The practical answer is to ask for the registration number before work starts, check it, and keep the record. Where a project involves several waste streams, a waste audit can map what is produced, how it is classified and which authorisations are needed. For construction and demolition work, construction waste management covers the site-level planning that sits alongside carrier checks.

We can help with waste carrier registration questions, carrier checks and the documentation that goes with moving waste, including waste transfer notes and hazardous waste consignment paperwork. We can also help with industrial waste collection and industrial waste disposal where the practical question is how waste is stored, segregated and moved off site.

Does a carrier need registration to move waste in its own vehicle?

Businesses that transport waste may need authorisation even when using their own vehicle. In England and Wales, lower tier may apply to a business carrying its own waste where it is not construction or demolition waste, while upper tier applies in the main cases where waste is carried for others or the business carries its own construction or demolition waste. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own current authorisation rules.

How long does carrier authorisation last?

It depends on the nation and the type of authorisation. Check the current regulator entry and any expiry or renewal requirements rather than assuming a fixed period.

Is carrier authorisation the same as permission to operate a waste site?

No. Authorisation to transport or control waste does not by itself authorise a site to store, treat or dispose of waste. The receiving site’s own environmental authorisation must also cover the activity and waste concerned.