Plain-English guides for garden clearance firms
Checked against official sources, October 2026. Examples use England; each country has its own page.
- Working across borders
A waste carrier registration from England, Wales or Scotland is valid across all of Great Britain, so one registration covers all three. - Do I need a waste carrier licence to clear gardens?
Yes, if you carry other people’s waste as part of a business in England, you need to be registered with the Environment Agency as an upper tier waste carrier. - Waste transfer notes for garden clearance
A waste transfer note is a short written record that goes with every load of waste you take from a customer. - How much does waste carrier registration cost?
On gov.uk, a new upper tier waste carrier registration costs £191.02, and renewing it every three years costs £130.25 (checked October 2026). - The fine for carrying waste without registration
There is no upper limit. - Council rules for garden clearance in England
Yes. - If the council asks for your paperwork
Stay calm and show them. - Garden waste disposal records
Keep signed waste transfer notes for two years, plus a simple log of where each load went.