How to check a waste carrier licence, and what to do if it fails

Checking a carrier takes half a minute, and it is the one thing the law expects from everyone who hands waste over. The search box is the easy part. Knowing what the result means, and what to do when it does not look right, is where people get caught. This covers all four UK registers on one page.

The 30-second check

Each country keeps its own public register. They are free, and you do not need an account.

A registration with the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales or SEPA covers carrying in all three of England, Wales and Scotland, so a Welsh firm tipping in Bristol only needs to be on the Welsh register. Check the register of the country where the firm is based.

Reading the result

On the English register, a result shows the holder's name, the registration number, the tier, the registration type, the date registered, the expiry date and the address. Four of those matter:

• Tier. A firm carrying other people's waste for money, which includes every skip hire firm, must be upper tier. Lower tier is for businesses carrying only their own waste, other than construction waste, and a few others such as charities.
• Expiry date. Upper tier registrations last three years. An expired registration is not a registration. Lower tier ones do not expire, so they show no date.
• Name and address. These should match the company on the quote and the invoice.
• Registration type. Carrier, broker, dealer, or a mix. A broker arranges for waste to be moved but may not be registered to carry it themselves. If a broker's own vehicle turns up, the registration should say carrier as well.

The registration is valid, but the name does not match

There are plenty of honest reasons for this. The firm trades under a different name from its limited company. It restructured and the new company took over. A sole trader incorporated and has not updated the register yet.

There is also a less honest one: borrowing someone else's number. The fix is the same either way. Ask for the registration certificate, then look the company number up on Companies House and check the directors and address line up with what is on the register.

It does not show up at all

Usually it is one of three things: you searched the wrong country's register, there is a typing error in the number, or the registration has lapsed or been revoked. Check the first two before assuming the third.

If the firm cannot give you a number that checks out, do not hand over the waste. If a carrier you used without checking dumps your load in a lay-by, the waste is traced back to you, and a business that has not taken reasonable steps can be prosecuted under the duty of care. There is no upper limit on the fine.

Checking the tip as well

The carrier has its own duty of care: the site it tips at must have a permit or a registered exemption that covers that waste. In England you can check on the Environment Agency's register of waste permits and register of waste exemptions. In Wales, Natural Resources Wales has its own search.

For a quicker look, the LoadSnap waste directory puts registered carriers, brokers and dealers and permitted receiving sites on one map, with their licence status, for free.

How often to check again

Check on first use, then at least once a year, and whenever the paperwork changes: a new company name, a new number, a different vehicle turning up.

If you work with a lot of carriers or sites, that becomes a job in itself. LoadSnap checks the carriers and receiving sites you work with against the Environment Agency register, and warns you before a registration runs out.

One change is coming. From July 2027, upper tier carriers in England start moving to environmental permits, each firm on the day after its registration expires, and the permit number will have to appear on its advertising. Our post on carrier licences becoming permits explains what that means.

Questions people ask

Is a waste carrier licence the same as an operator licence?

No. A waste carrier registration is about being allowed to carry waste. An operator licence, from the traffic commissioner, is about running goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. A skip firm usually needs both.

Can I check a Scottish carrier on the English register?

No. Scottish carriers are on SEPA's register. Scotland moved carriers to a new authorisation system in November 2025, so a Scottish firm may show an older number alongside a new one.

What happens if I use an unregistered carrier?

A business can be prosecuted under the duty of care, with an unlimited fine. In England a householder can be given a fixed penalty by the council, of between £150 and £600.

Can a carrier be fined for not showing me their registration?

Yes. If an officer asks a carrier to produce its registration and it cannot, it can be given a £300 fixed penalty.

LoadSnap team

UK waste compliance

Written by the team building LoadSnap, the UK waste compliance platform for carriers and receivers.