How to check a waste carrier registration, and what the numbers mean
Last checked 26 October 2026
Search by name or registration number on the Environment Agency public register. It shows who holds the number, the tier and, for upper tier, when it runs out.
Look yourself up
The Environment Agency public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers is free and needs no account. Search by business name or by registration number. It covers England; Wales has its own register, held by Natural Resources Wales.
What the numbers look like
- England and Wales: CBDU followed by digits for upper tier, CBDL followed by digits for lower tier. For example CBDU123456.
- Scotland: WCR/R/ followed by seven digits, from SEPA.
- Northern Ireland: ROC UT or ROC LT followed by up to five digits.
Upper and lower tier
Upper tier covers carrying other people's waste as a business. Lower tier covers carrying only your own waste, and some other limited cases. In England, lower tier registrations do not run out, but upper tier ones do, so put the renewal date in your diary.
What a lapsed registration costs you
You cannot lawfully carry waste on a lapsed registration, and Defra may refuse loads from a carrier whose registration is not valid. Renew with the regulator that issued it.
How Loadmark helps
When you save an England or Wales number, Loadmark looks it up on the public register and tells you if it cannot find it or the name does not match. It emails you once when an upper tier registration is about to run out and again if it has. It is a check, not a block: you can always carry on.
Sources
- Environment Agency: public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers
- Defra: digital waste tracking service (GOV.UK)
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check Defra's and your regulator's current guidance before you rely on it. Loadmark is not run by Defra or the Environment Agency.
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