Guide
Showing your permit number on adverts and vans
Last updated 15 September 2026
From 22 July 2027, permit conditions in England will require your permit number to appear in your advertising, and Defra has said this includes your vehicles. Businesses with a registered exemption must include their registration number in relevant advertising; that requirement is written into the regulations themselves. Today there is no legal requirement to display a waste carrier registration number anywhere, which is one reason rogue operators are so hard to spot.
What counts as advertising
The EA has not published a list, so plan for everything: your website, social media pages, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree listings, directory profiles such as Checkatrade or Yell, flyers and leaflets, business cards, and the livery on your vans and trailers. If a customer could find you through it, treat it as advertising.
Why it is being introduced
Householders have a duty of care for their own waste and can be fined if it is fly-tipped by someone they paid to take it away. Councils already tell residents to ask for a waste carrier number. Putting the number on every advert and vehicle makes that check instant, and it gives council enforcement teams a quick way to screen online listings. Expect enforcement to focus on exactly those listings once the rule is live.
How to get ready
Decide on a standard line, for example "Waste transporter permit number: [number]", and use it everywhere. Keep a written list of every place you advertise so you can update them all on the day your permit is granted. Price up vehicle vinyl now so the order can go in as soon as you have the number. If you sub-contract drivers or vehicles, work out whose number goes on which van, because the position of sub-contractors has not been confirmed.
Still to be confirmed
- The exact wording of the permit condition and whether it specifies size or placement on vehicles.
- Whether trailers, hired vehicles and sub-contractors' vehicles need your number.
- Whether existing registration holders are expected to display their registration number before they move to a permit.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to show my current registration number on my van?
- No. There is no legal requirement under the current rules, though many councils recommend it.
- I have three vans. Do all of them need the number?
- Under the stated policy, yes. The treatment of trailers and hired vehicles is not confirmed.
- Does a subcontractor's van need my number?
- Not confirmed. If the subcontractor holds their own transporter permit, their own number is the likely answer.
The compliance pack we send permit customers includes advert wording and signage text.See services and pricing
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The Environment Agency makes the final decision on any application.