Licences and permits

The permissions a business needs before it can trade, each one tied to the law that creates it and to the body that issues it. We point at GOV.UK for fees and forms, and never copy them.

11 of 426 licences in England for Environment: management and waste

Choose from all 48 activities

D

Discharging effluent or waste water (England)

You may need an environmental permit to discharge liquid effluent or waste water to surface water or the ground.

Environment Agency · England

Any trade

F

Flood risk activities (England)

You may need an environmental permit to do work in or by a main river, flood defence structure or sea defence, or in a …

Environment Agency · England

Any trade

G

Goods vehicle operator licences

You need a goods vehicle operator’s licence if your business uses a goods vehicle with either a gross plated weight (the maximum weight that …

Traffic Commissioners · England, Wales and Scotland

Any trade

L

Licence to work with asbestos (England, Wales & Scotland)

You need a licence to work with asbestos in England, Wales and Scotland

UK Government · England, Wales and Scotland

Building and construction · Chemicals and petroleum · Cleaning +1 more

Local authority environmental permits (England and Wales)

Permit to carry out Part A(2) or Part B activities or run a Part A(2) or Part B installation or mobile plant.

Your council · England and Wales

Any trade

N

Nuclear site radioactive substances regulation (England)

Permits for operators of nuclear sites who are licensees under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. And for operators who are tenants on nuclear sites.

Environment Agency · England

Energy, gas and electricity · Environment: management and waste

O

Operating an A1 installation (England)

You must apply for an environmental permit if you operate a facility which is classed as an ‘A1 installation’.

Environment Agency · England

Any trade

P

Pesticide approval

You need approval from the Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) to sell, distribute or store new pesticides in the UK

HSE · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Agriculture: crops and plants · Chemicals and petroleum · Environment: management and waste

S

Skip licence (England and Wales)

You or the skip hire company need a skip licence/permit if you want to put a skip on a public road. You may need …

Your council · England and Wales

Building and construction · Environment: management and waste

Skip operator licence

Get a skip permit for your skip hire company - skip hire licence, local authority, highway act

Your council · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Building and construction · Environment: management and waste

U

Using, treating, storing and disposing of waste (England)

You may need an environmental permit if your business uses, recycles, treats, stores or disposes of waste or mining waste.

Environment Agency · England

Any trade

Checking approvals more broadly?

A licence is one of several things you may need before your first day of trading. The pre-trading quick check walks the registrations, insurances and approvals alongside it.

Run the pre-trading quick check

Not sure which of these apply to you?

Our guides on finding a licence and dealing with your local council walk through the questions that decide it.

Find a licence