Apply for a scrap metal licence

A site licence lets you buy and sell scrap metal from a fixed location or locations within our council area.

The applicant should be the name of the person who will hold the licence.

Director's and partner's

A director or partner is someone who has or shares legal responsibility for the operation of the company, including filing returns at Companies House. You will need details of any directors or partners involved in the business including their home address. 

Site manager

A site manager is the person who will oversee the site daily. You will probably need a different site manager for each site on the licence. We need to know the address of the site or sites you want the licence for and the details of each site manager responsible for that site. 

We also want to know if you operate or propose to operate a site in another local authority area, along with details of the site, the council which has licensed it or to whom you have applied for a licence.

Planning permission

If your site(s) were established after 1990, then you are required to have planning permission from the council. You will need to tell us if this is the case, and it will be checked with the council planning department.

Basic disclosure certificate

You and every person required to be listed on the application form need to submit a basic disclosure certificate that has been issued to you no earlier than 3 months before you submit your application.

A collectors licence allows you to travel within our area to collect scrap metal but it does not allow you to run a site to take the metal back to in order to sell it.

The applicant should be the name of the person who will hold the licence. You are asked to provide contact details including their home address.

Basic disclosure certificate

You need to submit a basic disclosure and barring service (DBS) check that has been issued to you no earlier than 3 months before you submit your application.

Storage

We must also provide details of any place where you may store any collected scrap metal in our area before taking it to a licensed site to dispose of it. Note, you are not allowed to sell or buy metal at this storage site and doing so is an offence.

Vehicles

It is your responsibility to ensure that all your vehicles are roadworthy, are properly taxed, insured and otherwise meet legal requirements to be on the road.

In order to carry on your business (site or collector) you may need to hold other environmental permits or licences that we should know about. If you are unsure what licences or permits you or your business might require please use the Licence finder.

Waste carrier

If you carry waste as part of your business it is a legal requirement to register as a waste carrier. This includes transporting waste while travelling from job to job, to a storage place for disposal later, or to a waste disposal company or waste site. 

We also ask for details of any other scrap metal licences you hold. Please make sure you include the licence number as we will check this against the national register.

Motor salvage operator

You must declare if you will be salvaging motor vehicles as part of your work.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 brings together the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 together with Part 1 of the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001, which means you now only need a scrap metal dealers licence. 

You must provide the bank details which you will use to pay people for the scrap metal you receive or sell. This is to check that you are do not sell the metal for cash, which is illegal. These details will be kept securely by the council.

The Home Office requires that you and any person listed on the application need to tell us about convictions for certain crimes. Possessing a conviction may not automatically prevent you from having a licence, for instance, if the offence was unrelated to being a scrap metal dealer or a long time ago and if the council considers that you are a suitable person.

You must declare any relevant convictions or enforcement activity that has been undertaken against you by the Environment Agency or Natural Resources Wales. 

You must also declare any enforcement action in relation to any other licence issued under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.

It is an offence under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 to make or recklessly make a false statement. The information you provide will be checked against the Basic Disclosure Certificate(s) along with information retained by the Police and the Environment Agency or Natural Resources Wales. 

What you need to do will depend on whether you’re applying for a licence for the first time or whether you’re making a subsequent application, such as renewing a licence.

First time application

If you are applying for a licence for the first time, you will not need to complete the tax check. However, you need to read HMRC guidance on what you need to do to be properly registered for tax in the future and to confirm you have done this. 

Renewing

If you are renewing your licence or apply to us for the first time but have held a licence elsewhere under a different licensing body, you’ll have to do a tax check. 

You can complete this tax check on GOV.UK, through your Government Gateway account. You will only need to answer a few questions to tell HMRC how you pay any tax that may be due on income you earn from your licensed trade. If you do not already have a Government Gateway account, you can sign up on GOV.UK.

When you’ve completed the tax check, you’ll get a code. You must give this code to us as we cannot proceed with your licence application or renewal until the tax check is completed.

We will only receive confirmation from HMRC that you’ve completed the tax check, we will not have access to information about your tax affairs.