Topic
Carrier Licensing
Registering, renewing and understanding upper and lower tier waste carrier status.
Waste carrier, broker or dealer: which registration actually applies to your business?
All three sit under the same Environment Agency scheme, but which one applies changes depending on whether you physically move the waste, arrange for someone else to, or buy and sell it on — and getting it wrong is a more common mistake than it should be.
22 July 2026 · 5 min readUpper tier vs lower tier waste carrier registration: which do you need?
If you only ever move waste your own business produces, you're likely lower tier. If you collect, buy, sell or broker other people's waste, you almost certainly need upper tier.
30 June 2026 · 5 min readRenewing your waste carrier registration before it lapses
Upper tier registration lapses if it isn't renewed every three years. A lapsed registration means, legally, you're no longer an authorised carrier — even if nothing else about your operation has changed.
8 June 2026 · 5 min readDo your subcontracted drivers need their own waste carrier registration?
If a subcontractor is transporting waste under their own operation rather than as an extension of yours, the registration responsibility likely sits with them — but it's worth checking, not assuming.
12 May 2026 · 5 min readWhat happens if you operate without a valid waste carrier registration?
Operating without valid registration is a criminal offence under the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 — and it can undermine every transfer note your business has signed while unregistered.