Does your business need a permit, licence or exemption?
Please Note: Starting in 2024, Licences, Permits and Authorisations from SEPA and the NIEA will start to be transferred to a new system. Businesses will eventually need a Single Authorisation from their environmental regulator.
This Single Authorisation will include conditions covering all relevant activities that at present require some form of permit.
This new system will be introduced in stages, and information will be made available in good time to all businesses affected by these changes.
In the meantime:
Your business may need one or more of the following permits, licences or exemptions.
Pollution prevention and control permit if you operate an installation or mobile plant which carries out:
- part A, B or C activities: Northern Ireland
- part A or B activities: Scotland
Waste management licence or registered exemption if you carry out certain waste management activities or use waste mobile plant:
Hazardous/special waste notification if you move hazardous waste:
Waste carrier or broker registration if you transport waste or arrange for someone else's waste to be disposed of or recovered:
Northern Ireland: Radioactive substances certificate of registration if you keep or use radioactive materials and a radioactive waste authorisation if you store or dispose of radioactive waste:
Scotland: an authorisation which can be GBRs, a Notification, a Registration or a Permit for radioactive substances activities
Water discharge consent or groundwater authorisation or authorisation under the Controlled Activities Regulations (Scotland) if you discharge sewage or polluting material into rivers, streams, lochs, loughs, ponds, canals, reservoirs, coastal water, estuaries or groundwater:
Trade effluent consent or agreement if you discharge trade effluent into the public sewerage system:
Trade effluent - managing liquid wastes
Water abstraction or water impounding authorisation or authorisation under the Controlled Activities Regulations (Scotland) if you take or hold water from surface water or groundwater:
Further information
Read our more detailed description of the environmental permits, licences and authorisations you may need: