Registration rules and guidance
Updated 23 October 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
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, you need to register by phone.
See the guidance on waste exemption charges.
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 are valid 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 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.
To qualify as a charity, all your organisation’s aims and purposes must be exclusively charitable. Your organisation must also operate for the public benefit.
Read the Charity Commission’s list and descriptions of charitable purposes to find out if your organisation falls within one of the 13 types of charitable activity.
If you’re registering a T28 exemption, you must be an authorised person under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
Call the Environment Agency to register. You cannot register free through the online service.
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 waste exemption charges to find out about capped charges for farming exemptions.
6. Multiple site registrations
From 23 October 2025, there is a charge for multiple site registrations.
Read waste exemption charges to find out what the charges are.
A multiple site registration is one where you register the same exemptions at 30 or more sites.
To register a multiple site registration, fill in the registration form with details of your waste exemptions and the addresses or grid references of the sites.
Email the form to waste-exemptions@environment-agency.gov.uk.
The Environment Agency will:
-
contact you to arrange payment
-
send you a registration number and proof of payment
You can pay by credit or debit card or by bank transfer.
7. Linear network registrations
From 23 October 2025, there is a charge for linear network registrations.
Read waste exemption charges to find out what the charges are.
Some waste activities take place along a stretch of road, river, canal or railway. These stretches are known as linear networks.
The areas where waste activity takes place along a linear network are called operational areas.
There are only 4 waste exemptions you can register along linear networks:
How to register
To register along a linear network, use the registration form instead of the digital service.
If the operational areas have clear start and end points, fill in the form giving grid references for start point A and end point B. You’ll also need to give a name and short description of the areas.
Register your exemptions in the name of the business, at the registered office or main place of business.
Email your registration form to waste-exemptions@environment-agency.gov.uk.
When you need to send a map
If your waste activity takes place across a complex range of networks, send a map showing all the operational areas. You do not need to give grid references.
Email your registration form and map to waste-exemptions@environment-agency.gov.uk.
The Environment Agency will assess the information and contact you to discuss the registration and charges.
Paying for a linear network registration
The Environment Agency will:
-
contact you to arrange payments
-
send you a registration number and proof of payment
You can pay by credit or debit card or by bank transfer.
8. Exemptions due to expire
If you still need your exemptions after 3 years, you can register them again for another 3 years.
The Environment Agency will contact you a month before your exemptions expire to tell you what to do. You cannot register them again until the Environment Agency contacts you about them.
If you miss the expiry date, your exemptions will be removed from the public register of exempt waste sites.
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.