Guidance

Registration rules and guidance

Published 1 July 2025

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-exemptions-how-to-choose-register-and-pay/registration-rules-and-guidance

1. Overview

Most waste exemptions must be registered with the Environment Agency through the waste exemption service.

If you do not pay for your exemptions (for example if you’re a charity or you want a T28 exemption), you need to register by phone.  

Before you register, check that you have the right exemptions and that you can meet their conditions.

See the guidance on choosing the right waste exemptions for your activity.

2. Registration rules 

These rules apply to all waste exemption registrations. 

You cannot: 

  • have more than one of the same exemption at a site, at the same time 

  • register an exemption if it’s already registered at the site by another business  

  • register a storage exemption to increase the storage limit in a different exemption 

  • store waste that is not included in the exemption you have registered

3. What you need when you register

When you register, you’ll need to give the following information:

  • exemptions you want to register – see the list of waste exemption guides
  • name, address and contact details of the person or business carrying out the waste activity
  • site address and postcode where the exemption will be used, or a grid reference
  • for a limited company or limited liability partnership, the company registration number and registered address
  • your payment details – you can pay by credit or debit card, or bank transfer

Waste exemptions last for 3 years from the date you register. Details about your business and exemptions will be added to the public register of exempt waste sites. 

Find out about the charges for registering waste exemptions.

4. If you’re a charity or registering a T28

If you’re a charity or registering a T28 exemption, you do not have to pay for exemptions.

You’ll need to phone the Environment Agency to register. You cannot register through the online service. 

To qualify for free exemptions as a charity, your organisation must either be registered with the Charity Commission, or work only for a charitable purpose.

5. Registering exemptions on a farm

For waste exemptions on a farm (and outlying land or farmyards managed as a single farm unit) you need to register the exemption to the farm.

Yards or land parcels with different addresses and correspondence addresses are separate units and should be registered as separate sites.

Read the waste exemption charges to find out about capped charges for farming exemptions.

6. Multiple site registration  

If you want to register the same exemption at 30 or more sites (known as multiple site registration) use this registration form instead of the digital service.  

At present, there is no charge for a multiple site registration.

7. Registering along a linear network

Some waste activities take place along a stretch of road, river, canal or railway, rather than a site with a single postcode. These stretches are known as linear networks.

You can register just once to cover the whole linear network.

You will need to: 

  • register in the name of the operator, at their registered office or main place of business 
  • identify the network to which the exemption applies

Linear network registrations can apply to only 4 waste exemptions: 

Use this registration form to register once for the whole linear network. 

Currently there is no charge for a linear network registration.

7.1 Identifying a linear network 

Divide the linear network into areas of work and use a map or spreadsheet to give grid references of where these areas start and finish. The areas can vary according to the nature and size of the work activity. If areas can be identified, they can be registered. 

Fill in the registration form and submit it with a copy of a map or with the following details in the spreadsheet: 

  • the nearest town or district, and county 
  • name of watercourse or stretch of road 
  • grid references showing the start and end points of the stretch it is referring to

8. Renewing exemptions

If you still need your exemptions after 3 years, you can renew them. The Environment Agency will contact you a month before they expire to tell you what to do. You cannot renew until the Environment Agency contacts you about them.

When you renew, you can also register other exemptions or remove any you no longer need. 

If you miss the renewal date, your exemptions will expire and you’ll need to start a new registration.

9. Deregistering an exemption or updating your details 

Use the waste exemption service to: 

  • deregister waste exemptions you no longer need 
  • update your contact details if they’ve changed 

You’ll need: 

  • your waste exemption (WEX) registration number  
  • the email address you used to register the exemption

10. Contact the Environment Agency 

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

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