In England, a business that carries, brokers or deals in waste must register with the Environment Agency. Lower tier registration is usually free and does not need renewing. Upper tier costs £191.02 and is renewed every three years for £130.25. The right tier depends on the waste you carry. (GOV.UK; fees checked on 3 November 2026)

This guide is not legal advice; the official links give the full requirements.

Who must register

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). GOV.UK warns of an unlimited fine if you do not register. (GOV.UK)

Once registered, your organisation's details appear on the Environment Agency's public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers, where anyone can check them. (GOV.UK; the register) Before you hand waste to a carrier, check the register yourself: check a waste carrier is registered.

Lower tier: usually free, no renewal

The Environment Agency register says a person or organisation is lower tier if they: (the register)

only carry waste they produced in the course of their business, unless it is construction or demolition waste
only carry, arrange or deal in animal by-products, waste from mines and quarries, or waste from agricultural premises
are a charity or voluntary organisation
are a waste collection, disposal or regulation authority

GOV.UK says registration is usually free if you only transport waste you produce yourself, and you do not need to renew a lower tier registration. (GOV.UK)

Upper tier: £191.02, renewed every 3 years

If none of the lower tier criteria apply, the registration is upper tier. The register gives the key examples: a business that transports other people's waste like a skip company, carries construction and demolition waste, arranges for other businesses' waste to be transported, recovered or disposed of (a broker), or buys or sells waste or uses an agent to do so (a dealer). (the register)

A new upper tier registration costs £191.02, and it must be renewed every 3 years for £130.25. (Fees checked on 3 November 2026: GOV.UK)

You must tell the Environment Agency within 28 days if your contact details or management change, someone in management is convicted of an environmental offence, or what your organisation does changes; changing what it does costs £49.62. You need a whole new registration, at £191.02, if your business's legal form changes or you move from lower tier to upper tier. (GOV.UK)

Wales: Natural Resources Wales

A business based in Wales registers with Natural Resources Wales, and it is a criminal offence to transport, deal in or broker waste without being registered. Lower tier registration is free and needs no renewal. A new upper tier registration costs £184 and expires after three years; renewing before the expiry date costs £126. You cannot change a lower tier registration into an upper tier one: you apply again and pay £184. (Fees checked on 3 November 2026: Natural Resources Wales)

Scotland: SEPA

Scotland does not use the upper and lower tier names. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has separate registrations for transporting waste produced by another person, transporting only your own waste, and acting as a broker or dealer. If you transport waste, or arrange for its transport, as part of your business you must register with SEPA even occasionally, and failure to register may mean a fine of up to £5,000. (SEPA)

A registration to transport waste costs £304.10 new and £198.55 to renew, with a three-yearly renewal; a broker or dealer registration costs the same. Registering to transport only your own waste has no fee. (Fees checked on 3 November 2026: SEPA: transporting waste; broker or dealer; your own waste)

Northern Ireland: NIEA

In Northern Ireland, companies or individuals who transport controlled waste must register with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA calls the registration a licence), and transporting controlled waste without it is a criminal offence carrying a maximum fine of £5,000. An upper tier registration, covering anyone who transports, disposes of, buys or sells controlled waste or arranges for others to do so, costs £180 new and £90 to renew, and lasts three years. The lower tier is free and lasts until cancelled, covering the organisations the DAERA page lists, such as councils, charities and businesses that only carry certain wastes. (Fees checked on 3 November 2026: DAERA)

Sources

Checked 3 November 2026.

Registered carriers do their rounds and paperwork on CWR Micro. Try Pro free for 14 days.

Upper or lower tier waste carrier registration?