Licences for skip operators

Skip companies need a licence to place a skip on a road, pavement or verge. If you place a skip on a road without a licence, we may remove it and recover our expenses for doing so.

A licence lasts for a maximum of 14 days.

You don’t need a licence if you're placing a skip on a driveway, on private land, or in a garden.

Apply for a licence

Before you can apply for a licence you'll need to apply to be an approved contractor. To become an approved contractor you'll need to fill in our online form.

You'll need to upload:

proof of your public liability insurance to the value of £10 million as you'll be responsible for any third party liability claims that may arise as a result of the skip being placed on the highway.
a copy of your waste carriers licence.

We'll contact you once we receive your application.

Regulations you must follow

If you place a skip on a highway, you must not cause an obstruction or danger to road users or pedestrians. The skip must have warning lights on it from 30 minutes after sunset, through to 30 minutes before sunrise, otherwise you could be fined.

Read the skips code of practice.