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.

5 of 426 licences in Scotland for Environment: water

Choose from all 48 activities

A

Authorisations to impound water (Scotland)

You must apply for an authorisation from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to build a dam or weir in Scotland.

Scottish Government · Scotland

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

U

Using a boat on inland waterways

You usually need to register your boat to use it on inland waterways, such as rivers and canals.

Environment Agency · England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Arts and recreation · Driving and motor vehicles · Environment: water +1 more

W

Water abstraction authorisation (Scotland)

You need an EASR authorisation to abstract water from natural water sources in Scotland

Scottish Government · Scotland

Agriculture: animals · Agriculture: crops and plants · Environment: water +1 more

Water activities authorisations (Scotland)

You must be authorised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to carry out any controlled water activity, e.g. abstraction or construction work.

Scottish Government · Scotland

Environment: water

We have not yet mapped an enabling instrument for 1 licence on this list. That is a gap in our graph, not a statement about the law, and those pages say so rather than guessing.

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