Guide
Driver numbers: what your drivers must carry
Last updated 15 September 2026
From 22 July 2027, every driver moving waste under a permit or registered exemption in England must carry the relevant permit or registration number and a unique driver number allocated by the operator. If you are a sole trader driving your own van, you allocate one number to yourself. If you employ drivers, you keep a register and give each of them a number.
What is known
The regulations put the responsibility for allocating driver numbers on the operator, not the EA. Drivers must carry both numbers when transporting waste. The purpose is to link a load at the roadside to a named person as well as a company, which the current system cannot do.
Setting it up
Keep a simple driver register: the driver's name, their driver number, the date you issued it, and the date it was withdrawn if they leave. Give each driver a card or printed sheet with the permit number and their driver number, and keep a copy in the vehicle. Never reuse a number after a driver leaves.
Brief every driver on what to produce at a roadside stop: the permit number, their driver number, and the transfer record for the load, whether that is a paper waste transfer note or a digital waste tracking record. The load in the vehicle should match the record.
Sub-contracted drivers
If someone drives for you under your instruction using your vehicle, they are transporting waste for your business and our reading is that they carry your permit number with a driver number you allocate. An independent haulier with their own vehicle who takes loads for several firms is more likely to need their own transporter permit. The EA has not confirmed where the line falls, so treat this as open.
Still to be confirmed
- Whether the EA specifies a format for driver numbers or whether any unique reference will do.
- Whether driver numbers have to be reported to the EA or only held by the operator.
- Whether a card or document format is required.
- The position of agency and sub-contracted drivers.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the EA issue driver numbers?
- No. You allocate them and keep the record.
- What happens when a driver leaves?
- Withdraw the number, record the date, and do not reuse it.
- Do agency drivers need a number?
- Not confirmed. If they drive for you, plan to allocate one and record the dates they worked.
Our compliance pack includes a driver register template.See services and pricing
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The Environment Agency makes the final decision on any application.