Apply for a waste e-permit
If you use a car towing a trailer or a commercial type vehicle, you will need an e-permit to access our Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).
There is no charge to apply for an e-permit.
This scheme:
- applies to residents taking their household waste to HWRCs in Northamptonshire
- limits commercial-type vehicles and trailers to 6 visits over a 12-month period
Check if your vehicle needs an e-permit
Vehicles allowed on site without a permit
- cars
- estate cars or people carriers
- 4x4s without pick-up
- campervans or minibuses with rear seats and fittings (used for passenger transport)
Vehicles allowed on site with a permit
- cars towing trailers under 1.8m in length
- pick-ups and crew cabs under 3.5 tonnes gross laden weight
- vans under 3.5 tonnes gross laden weight
- campervans and minibuses with rear seats and fittings removed
- horseboxes under 3.5 tonnes gross laden weight
- any medium vehicle towing trailers under 1.8m in length
Vehicles not allowed on site
- vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gross laden weight
- pick-ups over 3.5 tonnes gross laden weight
- vans over 3.5 tonnes gross laden weight
- trailers over 1.8m in length
How e-permits work
Provided all necessary criteria is met when completing the online application, the permit is issued for immediate use and a unique permit number is allocated against your vehicle registration number and address.
On arrival at the HWRC, your vehicle registration will be scanned by the site staff using a handheld device and you will be allowed to dispose of your waste and a visit deducted.
For each visit used, the e-permit holder will receive an email to say how many visits are remaining.
The number of HWRC visits is limited to 6 per year. Once all 6 permitted visits are used, the e-permit holder will not be able to access the HWRCs in their van or with their trailer until the 12-month period has passed.
You may apply for a new permit once the 12-month period has passed.
Renew or amend an e-permit
Permit renewal
When your permit is due to expire (12 months from the date of application) you will be sent a reminder email for you to go online and renew. The e-permit will not renew automatically.
Moving house
If you have recently moved house and you already have an e-permit, then please use the 'edit' option on the e-permit application system.
If the previous residents had a permit and this has not been ended, please email [email protected]. You may be asked to provide further information, such as proof of address.
Your vehicle will be recognised by the e-permit application system, so you will not be able to re-apply with the same vehicle at your new address.
New vehicles with existing permits
If you have a new vehicle which has previously been registered for a permit, you will receive a message informing you that this vehicle is already registered.
In this circumstance, please email [email protected], including the vehicle registration. You may be asked to provide further information, such as proof of ownership.
Trade waste
The e-permit is strictly for household waste and recyclables only. Trade waste is not permitted to be disposed of free of charge under this scheme. Read more about trade waste at HWRCs.
Hire vehicles
Hire vehicles require an e-permit. Please select the hire option and complete the dates to ensure only visits made in your hire period will be deducted from your e-permit. The vehicle will be automatically removed from your permit once the dates expired to allow any subsequent users to register.
If a commercial-type vehicle or trailer is borrowed from a friend, family member or neighbour, a valid e-permit is still required.
Modified, bespoke or adapted vehicles
If you have a bespoke vehicle and are unsure if the e-permit scheme will apply to you, or your vehicle has been adapted for reasons relating to a disability to assist either you or a member of your household, please email [email protected].
Apply, renew or change
Please read the terms and conditions before applying.
Please read and agree the following e-permit policy terms and conditions as part of completing the application form to obtain your free e-permit:
1. Householders must comply with the site rules and all waste acceptance policies for the HWRCs in Northamptonshire. Find out what can be recycled.
2. Intimidating, threatening or abusive behaviour towards staff or other site users will not be tolerated. Action may be taken to pursue offenders and prevent a recurrence.
3. Access to HWRCs will be refused for commercial-type vehicles or trailers without a valid e-permit.
4. An HWRC e-permit allows Northamptonshire residents to access HWRCs in a commercial-type vehicle or trailer to dispose of their own household waste.
Commercial-type vehicles are classed as any one of the following:
- designed to carry goods, not people
- no rear windows (this means rear windows which are side-facing)
- no rear seats
- an open back
- a back which is separate to the main cab area
5. Only one permit will be granted per household and per nominated vehicle registration number. If a household has more than one commercial-type vehicle they will have to decide which vehicle they apply for a permit for. It is not permissible to apply for a permit for multiple commercial-type vehicles from the same address or for the same vehicle registration to be issued with a permit from multiple addresses.
6. The e-permit is for vehicular or trailer access to the HWRC and for household waste only. Therefore, site staff have the right to turn away anyone suspected of bringing trade waste to site, whether or not an e-permit had been issued.
7. E-permits will only be issued to householders who intend to deposit their own household waste and applicants will be required to verify this as part of the application process.
8. E-permits will only be issued to people whose main residence is in Northamptonshire.
9. Each e-permit is valid at all HWRCs in Northamptonshire and for 12 months from the date of application, permitting a total 6 visits for the disposal of household waste. A permit cannot be renewed until the 12-month period has ended. A householder can choose when to use the visits, for example, all in one month, or spread over the year.
10. An e-permit will automatically expire on its 12-month anniversary date and any unused visits will be lost. Upon expiry of the e-permit an email notification will be sent out confirming expiry and a reminder to re-apply if a new permit is required.
11. If you visit the HWRC network more than once in one day, each visit will be counted separately.
12. A commercial-type vehicle towing a trailer will count as two visits under the e-permit scheme.
13. Commercial-type vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gross laden weight are not allowed on site. The HWRCs have vehicle size restrictions in place due to manoeuvrability and health and safety considerations.
14. Commercial-type vehicles or trailers, which have been hired by a householder to deposit household waste, are permitted to enter the HWRC but will also need an e-permit. The householder will be required to bring the hire purchase agreement with them and present them to site staff upon arrival. The restrictions on the vehicle sizes, weight, and trailer length still apply.
15. The e-permit is only valid for the commercial-type vehicle and/or trailer as described on the application. e-permits are approved per address and by vehicle/trailer, so any member of your household may visit the site with this vehicle and/or trailer.
Alternatively, you may designate a driver to help you bring your household waste to the site, provided that you, as the producer and owner of the waste, accompany them and you have not paid for this service.
If for any reason you are unable to accompany your own household waste to the site, please email [email protected] to seek further advice. If you change your vehicle or address it is possible for the e-permit holder to amend the details via the online form.
16. HWRC site staff will check a vehicle or trailer for a valid permit record by either taking a photo of the vehicle registration number or by manually entering the registration number onto a device.
17. North Northamptonshire Council, working in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council, reserves the right to cancel permits or amend the operation of the HWRC household waste e-permit scheme at any time.
18. The HWRC e-permits scheme is strictly for household waste and recyclables: trade waste is not permitted to be disposed of free of charge under this scheme. Trade Waste is defined as waste arising from any Trade, business, industrial or commercial activities.
Anyone who has received any payment for carrying waste or produces waste from their work cannot take this waste to a HWRC. See details of the trade waste scheme at HWRCs.
By accepting these Terms and Conditions you are agreeing to abide with each clause. By accepting the Household Waste Declaration disclaimer, you are confirming that the waste is from a household source and is not from a business or being carried for profit.
If you have any further enquiries regarding the HWRC household e-permit scheme, please contact [email protected].
As part of the application process you are asked to provide some personal data, the information provided will only be processed for the purpose of providing you with a permit. Your details will be kept on file for 15 months from the date of application. For full details of how we process personal data please see our full privacy notice.
You can request to remove your personal data, we will delete your name and email address, but we will retain your vehicle registration and address on file until 15 months from the date of your application to prevent permit fraud.
Last updated 28 September 2023