How to check a waste carrier's registration (and why you must)

Why checking is part of your duty of care

In England and Wales, the duty of care applies to anyone who imports, produces, carries, keeps, treats or disposes of controlled waste, and to dealers and brokers who have control of it. One of its requirements is that you take all reasonable steps to make sure anyone you transfer waste to has the correct authorisation. A carrier, broker or dealer counts as authorised if they hold a valid registration, and the code says you should use the public register to check any evidence they give you.

Producers are not the only ones who need to check:

• Receivers. The person receiving waste must also check that the previous holder has complied with their duty of care.
• Brokers and dealers. If a dealer or broker is used, each party has to make sure the waste only goes to an authorised person. A broker or dealer must be registered as one even if they never take physical possession of the waste.

Scotland's code says that, as a minimum, you ask for a copy of the transporter's registration certificate and check it against SEPA's online public registers. In Northern Ireland, DAERA says the duty of care includes making sure any transfer of waste is only to an authorised person.

Who has to register, and the tiers

In England you must register if your business transports waste (a carrier), buys, sells or disposes of waste (a dealer), or arranges for someone else to buy, sell or dispose of waste (a broker). In Wales, NRW says it is a criminal offence to transport, deal in or broker waste without being registered.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland split registrations into upper and lower tier. In England, a business is lower tier if, for example, it only carries its own waste (unless that is construction or demolition waste) or is a charity or voluntary organisation. Otherwise it is upper tier, which covers a business that transports other people's waste or acts as a broker or dealer.

Scotland works differently. Since 1 November 2025, waste activities are regulated under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR), and SEPA issues three registrations: transporting waste, transporting your own waste, and acting as a broker or dealer of waste.

Registration is changing in England

Defra plans to replace carrier, broker and dealer registrations in England with environmental permits. Upper tier registrants will apply for a permit when their registration is due for renewal. The regulations were made on 22 July 2026, and most of them come into force 12 months after that. Until then, the register checks in this guide are the ones that apply.

The four public registers and how to search them

Use the register of the regulator the business is registered with. The Environment Agency says carriers and brokers registered in Scotland or Wales are also authorised to operate in England, and NRW says a registration with NRW, the Environment Agency or SEPA is valid in any of those three countries, and your carrier will tell you where they are registered. SEPA says anyone transporting waste to and from Northern Ireland should register with both SEPA and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

If you cannot find a carrier or broker on the English register, the Environment Agency asks you to check with it by calling 03708 506 506. In Wales you can call NRW on 0300 065 3000.

What to check on the register entry

• The name. It should be the business you are dealing with, not a lookalike. The English register also shows the company number.
• The registration number. In England, an upper tier carrier's number starts CBDU, followed by a set of numbers. Lower tier numbers on the Environment Agency register start CBDL. Northern Ireland numbers are prefixed ROC UT or ROC LT.
• The tier or type. A business that collects other people's waste, such as a skip company, falls in the upper tier in England, so a lower tier entry should make you ask why. In Scotland, a "transporting your own waste" registration only covers a business's own waste; carrying yours needs a "transporting waste" registration.
• The role. Entries on the English register say what the business is registered as, for example carrier, broker, dealer or a combination, with its tier. A broker arranging your collection should be registered as a broker.
• The expiry date. The English and Welsh registers show one for upper tier entries. Lower tier entries in England have none.

Copy the number onto your paperwork: the waste description must include each party's relevant authorisation, for example their permit number or registration number.

If the registration is expired, revoked or missing

Do not hand over the waste: a business with no valid registration is not an authorised person. If you are receiving waste and suspect the previous holder has breached their duty of care, the code says do not accept the waste and report your suspicions.

Two nations have specific rules on expiry:

• Scotland: under SEPA's regulatory position statement, a transporter can keep carrying waste past its expiry date if SEPA received a renewal application by that date. If the date shown is in the past, check the "Details" section.
• Northern Ireland: an upper tier registration not renewed by its expiry date is closed, and a new licence is needed.

To report an unregistered carrier:

• England: moving waste without being registered is listed as a waste crime you can report to Crimestoppers (anonymously, 0800 555 111) or the Environment Agency incident hotline (0800 80 70 60).
• Wales: report it to NRW online or on 0300 065 3000, 24 hours a day.
• Scotland: SEPA takes reports of incidents, including illegal dumping of hazardous or large amounts of industrial waste, online or on its pollution hotline, 0800 80 70 60.
• Northern Ireland: report illegal waste activity to your local council or NIEA's Environmental Crime Unit (environmentalcrime@daera-ni.gov.uk).

How often to re-check

Scotland's code advises re-checking a transporter's registration from time to time, because registrations renew every three years and SEPA may cancel or revoke them. A sensible routine: check before the first job, around each expiry date, and when details change. Thousands of upper-tier registrations come up for renewal every month: our registration figures show how many, nation by nation. In England and Wales, record any checks you make, as you can use them as evidence that you met your duty of care.

Penalties

• England: a business that should register and does not can get an unlimited fine.
• England and Wales: failing to comply with the duty of care is an offence with no upper limit on the courts' power to fine, and a fixed penalty notice may be issued instead of prosecution. Carriers, brokers and dealers who fail without reasonable excuse to show proof of registration when an officer asks can be prosecuted or given a fixed penalty notice.
• Scotland: failure to register may result in a fine of up to £5,000.
• Northern Ireland: transporting controlled waste without registering is a criminal offence with a maximum fine of £5,000.

Checklist

1. Ask for their registration number and which regulator they are registered with.
2. Search that regulator's public register yourself, rather than relying on a certificate alone.
3. Check the name, and company number where shown, match the business you are dealing with.
4. Check the tier or type covers the job: upper tier (or "transporting waste" in Scotland) to carry other people's waste; broker or dealer for anyone arranging or trading it.
5. Check the expiry date has not passed.
6. If they are missing, expired or revoked, do not hand over or accept the waste, and report it.
7. Put the registration number on the transfer note or consignment note.
8. Record the check and its date, and re-check before expiry.

Common questions

How do I check if a waste carrier is registered?

Search the public register of the regulator they are registered with: the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland, or DAERA in Northern Ireland (upper tier and lower tier). Ask the carrier for their registration number and regulator, then search the register yourself: the code of practice says you should use the public register to check any evidence they give you.

What should I look for on a waste carrier's register entry?

Check the name, the registration number, the tier or type and the expiry date. In England, an upper tier carrier's number starts CBDU, followed by a set of numbers, and the English register shows an expiry date for upper tier entries but none for lower tier ones.

What is the difference between an upper tier and a lower tier waste carrier?

In England, a business is lower tier if, for example, it only carries its own waste (unless that is construction or demolition waste) or is a charity or voluntary organisation; otherwise it is upper tier, which covers a business that transports other people's waste or acts as a broker or dealer. So a business that collects your waste, such as a skip company, should be upper tier. Scotland works differently: SEPA's "transporting your own waste" registration only covers a business's own waste, and carrying yours needs a "transporting waste" registration.

Can a waste carrier registered in Scotland or Wales collect waste in England?

Yes. The Environment Agency says carriers and brokers registered in Scotland or Wales are also authorised to operate in England, and NRW says a registration with NRW, the Environment Agency or SEPA is valid in any of those three countries. For Northern Ireland, SEPA says anyone transporting waste to and from Northern Ireland should register with both SEPA and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

What should I do if a waste carrier is not registered?

Do not hand the waste over. In England and Wales you must take all reasonable steps to make sure anyone you transfer waste to has the correct authorisation, and failing to comply with the duty of care is an offence with no upper limit on the courts' power to fine. In England you can report someone moving waste without being registered to Crimestoppers (anonymously, 0800 555 111) or the Environment Agency incident hotline (0800 80 70 60).

Check the official guidance

This guide is based on these pages. Rules change, so check them for the latest position.

• Waste duty of care: code of practice (accessible version) (GOV.UK / Defra)
• Register or renew as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (GOV.UK / Environment Agency)
• Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers (Environment Agency public register)
• Public Registers Online: About the public registers (Environment Agency)
• Reporting fly-tipping, large-scale dumping or other waste crimes (GOV.UK)
• Register or renew as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (Natural Resources Wales)
• Check for a permit, licence or exemption (Public Register) (Natural Resources Wales)
• Waste carriers, brokers and dealers public register (Natural Resources Wales)
• Report an environmental incident (Natural Resources Wales)
• Waste activities (SEPA)
• Transporting waste or acting as a broker or dealer of waste (SEPA)
• Transporting waste EASR-SC-035 (SEPA)
• Transporting your own waste EASR-SC-034 (SEPA)
• Public Register Search: Waste Transporters and Brokers (SEPA)
• 2. Your Obligations as a Waste Producer, Managing controlled waste: duty of care code of practice (Scottish Government)
• Report an environmental incident (mygov.scot / Scottish Government)
• Registration of carriers and brokers (DAERA)
• Duty of care (DAERA)
• Environmental Crime (DAERA)
• Registered carriers database (upper tier applications) (DAERA public registers)
• Registered carriers database (lower tier applications) (DAERA public registers)
• Registration of carriers application guidance (DAERA)
• Waste carriers' responsibilities (nibusinessinfo.co.uk / Invest NI)
• Reforming the waste carrier broker and dealer system (GOV.UK, Defra)
• The Environmental Permitting (Waste Controlling or Transporting) and Relevant Functions of Primary Authorities (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026 (legislation.gov.uk)