How to check a waste carrier is registered (free EA, SEPA & NIEA lookup)

Every UK business that hands over waste to a collector must check the collector is a registered waste carrier — the duty of care demands it. All four UK regulators provide a free public register you can search by name or registration number in seconds. Here is how to use each one.

How do I check if a waste carrier is registered?

The quickest approach is to ask the carrier for their registration number before any waste changes hands, then enter it on the relevant register. Registration numbers typically begin with CB (carrier/broker) for EA and NRW registrations, or an equivalent prefix for SEPA and NIEA. The register result will show the business name, registration tier, and expiry date.

Which regulator covers which part of the UK?

What does the public register show?

Before any waste handover, confirm:

• →The business name on the register matches the company you are dealing with — not a trading name under a different legal entity.
• →The registration is upper tier (required if the carrier is collecting other people's waste or carrying construction or demolition waste).
• →The expiry date has not passed — upper tier registrations must be renewed every three years.
• →The registration number the carrier gives you matches what appears on the register.

Keep a written note of the registration number and expiry date you verified, and file it alongside your waste transfer notes. This is the evidence you would produce if an enforcement officer questioned your duty of care.

What is the difference between upper tier and lower tier registration?

If a business collects skips, runs a waste clearance round, or transports waste generated by its clients, it needs upper tier registration. A lower tier registration covers, for example, a retailer who takes their own cardboard to a recycling centre — carrying only the waste their own business produces.

When checking a carrier who collects your commercial or construction waste, you need to see an upper tier registration. A lower tier registration is not sufficient for that purpose.

Why does checking a waste carrier's registration matter?

Under s.34 Environmental Protection Act 1990, transferring controlled waste to an unregistered carrier breaches the duty of care and carries an unlimited fine. The carrier who transports waste without registration commits a separate criminal offence under the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989.

Beyond the fine, if waste you have handed over is later fly-tipped, the paper trail can lead back to you. A register check before every new engagement — and periodically for existing carriers to confirm their upper tier registration has not lapsed — is the practical minimum the duty of care requires.

This guide is general information about waste carrier registration checks in the UK, not legal advice. Verify your specific obligations with your environmental regulator or a qualified adviser.