How do I check if a waste carrier is licensed?

Search the regulator's free public register: the Environment Agency's register in England, NRW's in Wales, or SEPA's in Scotland. Search by registration number, business name or postcode, and check that the registration is current and that the name matches the business you are paying. Upper tier registration numbers start CBDU.

How long do I have to keep waste transfer notes?

The waste duty of care code of practice sets 2 years for non-hazardous waste and for season tickets, and three years for hazardous waste consignment notes. Landfill operators keep non-hazardous records for six years for landfill tax purposes. There is no legal requirement to keep a record of the check you made on the carrier's registration, although the code recommends it as evidence.

Guide

How to check a waste carrier is registered

Updated 2026-08-15

If your waste is fly-tipped, the question you will be asked is who you gave it to and what you checked. The check takes about a minute and it is free.

The public registers

England: the Environment Agency's public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers, searchable by registration number, business name or postcode. The duty of care code also gives the Environment Agency's phone line, 03708 506 506.
Wales: the NRW public register, or 0300 065 3000.
Scotland: SEPA's register of waste carriers and brokers. SEPA notes that transporters and brokers based in England and Wales must be registered with the Environment Agency or NRW instead.

What the duty of care actually asks of you

The duty of care sits in section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and the statutory code of practice explains how to meet it. Failure to comply is an offence "with no upper limit on the courts' power to fine", and in some cases a fixed penalty notice can be issued instead of prosecution (gov.uk).

There is no legal requirement to keep the check itself

This is the part most guidance gets wrong. The code says in terms: "There is no legal requirement to keep records when you check a carrier is registered or a site is permitted or exempt, and a lack of records does not prove you did not meet your duty of care." It then says that records help you prove it if the waste is later fly-tipped, and suggests recording the registration, permit or exemption number, keeping a receipt showing the operator's business details, photographing the carrier's registration, or noting the vehicle registration, make, model and colour.

What you must keep

The written description of the waste is different, and it is compulsory. The code sets out the retention periods: 2 years for non-hazardous waste and for season tickets, three years for hazardous waste consignment notes, and longer for landfill operators. If an authorised officer asks for the written description and you cannot produce it, they can issue a fixed penalty notice.

The two-minute version

Ask for the registration number. An upper tier number starts CBDU.
Search it on the regulator's public register for the nation the carrier is based in, and check the name matches the business you are actually paying.
Check the registration is current, not expired, and that it covers the activity, carrier, broker or dealer.
Complete the waste transfer note, keep your copy for 2 years for non-hazardous waste, and note the registration number and vehicle details while you are there.

Cheap and cash-only, no paperwork, and a number that does not appear on the register are the three signals that end with your waste in a lay-by and your name on the invoice inside it.