Waste carrier registration is being replaced by permits
DEFRA has confirmed it will replace the waste carrier, broker and dealer registration with environmental permits. Here is what is changing, and what to do for now.
The way you register as a waste carrier is set to change. The government has confirmed it will replace the current registration system with environmental permits. This is bigger than a name change, and it raises the bar for everyone who moves waste. Here is what is coming, and what to do in the meantime.
What is changing
Today you register with the Environment Agency as an upper or lower tier waste carrier, broker or dealer, the system we explain in our carrier licence guide. Under DEFRA's reform, that registration will be replaced by a standard rules environmental permit, or in some cases a registration exemption.
Three types of permit
The new system splits the job into three permits. A waste controller permit, for brokers and dealers who arrange waste but do not move it. A waste transporter permit, for those who carry it. And a combined permit for those who do both. Each is set by the kind of work you do, the scale of it, and the type of waste you handle.
You will have to prove you are competent
This is the big change. The new permits bring in a test of technical competence, the same idea that already applies to permitted waste sites. You will need to show you know how to handle waste properly and within the law. New applicants will be given time to provide their proof once the system goes live.
What happens to your current registration
Nothing changes overnight. When the new system starts, holders of a three year upper tier registration will move across when their registration is next due to renew. Holders of a lower tier registration, which does not expire, will get a set window to apply for a permit or an exemption. So the move is staggered, not a single switch.
When does it start?
DEFRA confirmed the direction in a policy paper in 2025, but it has not yet set a firm start date. The change needs new regulations before it goes live, and timelines in this area have moved before. So treat it as coming, not here. For now, the current registration system still applies in full.
Why it matters
Permits and a competence test mean a higher bar to carry waste, and a clearer record of who is allowed to. It sits alongside the move to digital waste tracking and the wider crackdown on waste crime. The direction is the same across the board: more proof, less paper, fewer places to hide.
The system is changing from registration to permits, with a real test of competence. It is not here yet, but it is coming. Keep your registration current, and keep an eye out.