Start a retail business - compliance essentials
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UK Act of Parliament
2013
United Kingdom
Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013
At a glance
Enforced by
What's here
17 compliance obligations, 3 practical guides · 2 journeys
Penalty landscape
7 of 17 obligations carry a fine up to £1,000. 6 carry different penalties and 4 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Who this Act binds
Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.
- Any Person 11
- Trader 2
- Director or Officer 1
Plus 3 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
Step-by-step journeys using this legislation
Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.
Run a retail business
- 1 step
Relevant guidance
Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.
Direct — cites this Act
1 guidesSupporting — topic alignment
2 guidesOther Acts binding the same actors
For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.
Any Person also bound by 2338 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012 2012 169 duties
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995 1995 144 duties
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 101 duties
- Road Traffic Act 1988 1988 95 duties
- Air Navigation Order 2016 2016 95 duties
Traders also bound by 826 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Value Added Tax Regulations 1995 1995 413 duties
- Companies Act 2006 2006 243 duties
- The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 2008 114 duties
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 62 duties
- Building Societies Act 1986 1986 56 duties
Directors and Officers also bound by 425 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 161 duties
- Companies Act 2006 2006 108 duties
- Insolvency Act 1986 1986 72 duties
- The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 2008 55 duties
- The Housing Administration (England and Wales) Rules 2018 2018 26 duties
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Schedules
Further provision about licences
Fine up to £1,000- Fail to apply to vary licence when required Any Person
Closure of unlicensed sites
Unlimited fine- Fail to comply with a closure order for scrap metal premises Any Person
(1) A local authority may, on an application, vary a...
Fine up to £1,000- Fail to update scrap metal licence after a change Any Person
An applicant who in an application or in response to...
Fine up to £1,000- Provide false information in scrap metal licence application Any Person
(1) An applicant may appeal to a magistrates' court against...
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Magistrates' court must decide appeals against scrap metal licence decisions Tribunal / Court
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if the...
Unlimited fine- Breach a closure order on scrap metal premises Any Person
Browse 14 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
(1) A licence expires at the end of the period...
(1) A licence is to be issued or renewed on...
(1) The local authority may request (either when the application...
(1) An application must be accompanied by a fee set...
(1) If a local authority proposes— (a) to refuse an...
(1) If the authority refuses the application, or revokes or...
(1) For the purposes of this Schedule, a person has...
(1) This paragraph applies if a constable or the local...
(1) A closure notice may be cancelled by a notice...
(1) Where a closure notice has been given under paragraph...
(1) This paragraph applies if, on hearing a complaint under...
(1) This paragraph applies where— (a) a closure order has...
(1) Any of the following persons may make a complaint...
(1) An appeal may be made to the Crown Court...
Requirement for licence to carry on business as scrap metal dealer
Unlimited fine- Operate as a scrap metal dealer without a licence Any Person
Supply of information by authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Local authority must share licensing information with other officials Local authority
Register of licences
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales must maintain licence registers Statutory regulator
Notification requirements
Fine up to £1,000- Fail to notify changes required under scrap metal licence Any Person
Display of licence
Fine up to £1,000- Fail to display scrap metal dealer licence Any Person
Verification of supplier's identity
Fine up to £1,000- Fail to verify supplier's identity before receiving scrap metal Any Person
Offence of buying scrap metal for cash etc
Unlimited fine- Pay for scrap metal in cash or prohibited method Any Person
Records: receipt of metal
Unlimited fine- Record all scrap metal received by your business Trader
Records: disposal of metal
- Keep records of all scrap metal disposals Trader
Right to enter and inspect
Fine up to £1,000- Obstruct entry or fail to produce records Any Person
Offences by bodies corporate
- Corporate liability when directors consent or are negligent Director or Officer
Browse 12 other sections — procedural / definitional / commencement
Form and effect of licence
Issue of licence
Revocation of licence and imposition of conditions
Further provision about licences
Closure of unlicensed sites
Records: supplementary
Review of Act
Consequential amendments
Orders and regulations
“Carrying on business as a scrap metal dealer” and “scrap metal”
Other definitions
Extent, commencement and short title
Official guidance
Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.
- Heritage Crime | Historic England (opens in a new tab) from Historic England Detailed Guidance
- Tell DVLA you've sold, transferred or bought a vehicle (opens in a new tab) from DVLA Detailed Guidance
- DVSA: vehicle operators (opens in a new tab) from DVSA Detailed Guidance
- Sorting and processing waste (opens in a new tab) from HSE Detailed Guidance
Enforcement and responsible bodies
The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.
Local Authority
PrimaryLocal Authority (Environmental Health / Licensing / Planning)
Local councils enforce food safety (via Environmental Health Officers), issue alcohol licences, grant planning permission, and regulate certain business activities at local …
Trading Standards (Local Authority)
Enforces consumer protection legislation including food labelling, weights and measures, product safety, and fair trading. Part of local authority structure. Investigates food …
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Browse legislation
Find other UK business legislation with related guidance.
Regulators
Learn more about the bodies that enforce this legislation.