Licensing and Exemptions

If you are dealing with waste at your site (e.g.: storing it, sorting it, recycling it...), you will either need to obtain a waste management licence, or to register the activities being undertaken there as exempt from the requirements of waste management licensing regulations. Please consult this NetRegs webpage to find out whether you need a licence or an exemption.

The Waste Management Licensing 2003 and amendments (March 2009) are the legislative documents setting out the procedure for obtaining a licence, bringing into operation the system described under Part II of the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. The 2003 regulations also identify a number of activities that are excluded from requiring a licence or that are exempt from licensing. Further information on other key regulations affecting waste can be found in the Key Regulations page. The following paragraphs contain links to the text of relevant parts of the 2003 Regulations and amendments and to NetRegs webpages providing information on registration of licences and exemptions.

Please visit the Northern Ireland Environment Agency website for more details.

Obtaining a Licence

In Northern Ireland, you need to apply for a waste management licence by completing a specific form, which you can find from the Department of Environment - Northern Ireland Environment Agency. For details on fees and charges, please download the Waste Management Charging (Northern Ireland) Scheme 2009/2010 here of visit the NIEA website.


Remember that, depending on the kind of activity you are undertaking, you may have to apply for other licences and permissions from other regulators (e.g.: Planning Permissions).

Registering an exemption

If you are undertaking an activity included in Schedule 2 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) as amended, then such activity is exempt from the need to hold a Waste Management Licence, provided that you also meet the conditions and limitations set out in other parts of the Regulations*.  However, you are required to register with the Department of Environment.

Further information on the details you need to provide can be found in Regulation 18 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and amendments. The Regulations also contain information on fees payable for first registration and renewal. 

Obligations for higher risk exempt activities

Different exemptions need different levels of information depending on the level of risk the activity poses:  Part II Schedule 2 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 lists additional details required for registering activities exempt under paragraphs 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 19 and 45. Some of the higher risk exemptions also require a charge to be submitted.  Paragraph 9,10, 11, 13, 19, 45, 46 and 47 activities require annual renewal. Records of the activities undertaken (e.g. quantity, nature, origin and destination and treatment method of all waste disposed or recovered) and of plans and documents used for registration need to be kept as required within paragraph 14 of Part I of Schedule 3 and regulation 19.

Please refer to the Exemptions Listing page for an overview of the activities exempt from waste management regulations that relate to construction and demolition waste. For more specific information, please use the WMR Step by Step Tool.

*Regulations 17 and following and Relevant Objectives in Paragraph 4 of Schedule 3 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 as amended.