What is a CBDU number?
Every waste carrier, broker and dealer in England should be registered with the Environment Agency (EA). When a business registers, it gets a registration number made up of letters followed by digits. The letters always start CBDU or CBDL. Natural Resources Wales uses the same prefixes for carriers registered in Wales. It tells carriers that their number appears on their registration letter or email.
Defra's guidance defines a waste carrier as anyone who 'normally and regularly' collects, carries or transports waste as part of a business or for profit. That covers house clearance firms, skip hire and man and van rubbish removal. It also covers people who move their own waste as part of their work, such as builders and landscape gardeners.
For a householder, the number matters because of the household waste duty of care. Section 34(2A) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires occupiers of homes to take all reasonable measures to make sure their household waste only goes to an authorised person. Asking for a CBDU number and checking it on the register is the most basic of those reasonable measures. It is what councils mean when they tell residents to 'check the licence'.
CBDU
Upper tier registration
The tier a business needs to take your waste away for payment
CBDL
Lower tier registration
For businesses that only carry their own waste
3 years
Upper tier validity
Upper tier must be renewed. Lower tier is free and never expires (England)
Active
Status to look for
The register entry should show the registration as active
A CBDU number proves nothing on its own until you have looked it up. Anyone can paint letters and digits on the side of a van. The number only has value when it matches an active entry on the public register, under the same business name that is on your quote and invoice.
What does CBDU stand for? CBDU vs CBDL explained
No official document spells the letters out, but the register makes the meaning clear. Register records for upper tier businesses describe the registration type as 'Upper Tier Carrier, Broker, Dealer'. That is why CBDU is widely read as Carrier, Broker, Dealer – Upper tier and CBDL as Carrier, Broker, Dealer – Lower tier. Treat this as a helpful reading rather than a legal definition. The letter that matters to you is the last one.
The two tiers differ in whose waste is being moved. Lower tier is for businesses that only carry their own waste and do not act as brokers or dealers. It also covers certain public bodies, such as waste collection, disposal and regulation authorities. The EA register explains that anyone who does not meet the lower tier criteria is upper tier. In practice, that includes any business collecting other people's waste for payment.
| Question | CBDU (upper tier) | CBDL (lower tier) |
|---|---|---|
| Who it covers | Businesses carrying other people's waste, plus brokers and dealers | Businesses carrying only their own waste, and some public bodies such as waste collection or disposal authorities |
| Collecting your rubbish for a fee | Yes, this is the tier Defra's code says to check for | Not what you should see on a clearance or removal quote |
| Construction and demolition waste | Required for businesses that normally carry it, even if the waste is their own | Not enough for businesses that normally carry this waste |
| Fee and renewal | Paid registration that lasts 3 years, then must be renewed | Free and never needs renewing |
| Changing tier | Not applicable | Cannot be converted to upper tier. Natural Resources Wales says a new application is needed |
Defra's Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice is direct on this point. When you pay a private business to take your waste, such as a skip hire or house clearance firm, it says you should check that the business has a valid, current upper tier registration. This applies equally to businesses that approach you offering to take waste away. An older 2016 draft of the guidance mentioned 'CBDL or CBDU', so you may still see that wording quoted online. The current code points to upper tier.
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Where can you find a waste carrier's CBDU number?
A legitimate carrier should be happy to give you their number before the job, not after it. These are the usual places to find it.
The quote or booking message
Many carriers put the number on written quotes, websites and booking confirmations. If it is missing, ask for it in writing so you have a record.
The van
Some carriers display the number on the vehicle. The trading name on the van should match the register, or the legal name on your invoice.
The invoice or receipt
Check that the business name and number on the invoice match each other and match the register entry.
The waste transfer note
The note should show the carrier's registration number, your address, the date and time, a description of the waste and where it is going.
The registration letter or email
Carriers receive their number in a letter or email from the regulator, so they can show you proof on the spot.
The law requires carriers, brokers and dealers to show proof of registration if asked by a police constable or an authorised officer of the EA, Natural Resources Wales or a local council. A householder is not an enforcement officer. Even so, a carrier who cannot or will not give you a number is telling you something. If a broker or dealer is involved in passing the waste on, their registration number should also appear in the waste transfer information.
How do you check a CBDU number on the Environment Agency register?
The EA runs a free online public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers. You can search it by business name, postcode or registration number, and you can download the full register as a zip file. For a fuller walkthrough of running the check, see our waste carrier licence check guide. The steps below are the short version.
Checking a carrier's registration
- 1
Get the details in writing
Ask for the registration number and the business name it is registered under. A screenshot of a message is fine.
- 2
Search the public register
Search by number first. If nothing comes up, try the business name or postcode, because trading names and registered names sometimes differ.
- 3
Check the tier
The record should show an upper tier registration with a CBDU number, described on the register as an upper tier carrier, broker, dealer.
- 4
Check the status and details
Make sure the status is active and that the name and address match the van, the quote and the invoice.
- 5
Record the vehicle
On collection day, write down the van's number plate alongside the business name and CBDU number.
- 6
Get a waste transfer note
The carrier should give you a waste transfer note or receipt that describes the waste and where it is going. Keep it.
The EA register covers England. It links to the separate registers run by SEPA for Scotland and Natural Resources Wales for Wales, so follow those links if a carrier says it is registered elsewhere. Some people say they are registered but have no paperwork. For those cases, councils such as Test Valley advise contacting the EA, which can run a waste carrier validation check by phone. The helpline is listed in Defra's duty of care code.
Registered vs licensed waste carrier: is there any difference?
In everyday use, no. The official system in England is a registration. The Defra code and the EA register both talk about registered carriers, brokers and dealers, and the law firm Burges Salmon describes the system as relatively light-touch. Councils, carriers and customers all use 'waste carrier licence' to mean the same thing. For example, Crawley Council's page 'Check your tradesperson has a waste carrier licence' tells residents to check that the tradesperson is registered.
Registered or licensed: what the words mean
'Registered waste carrier'
- The term used by the Environment Agency and Defra
- Means the business has an entry on the public register
- Upper tier entries begin CBDU, lower tier entries begin CBDL
'Licensed' or 'fully licensed'
- Everyday and marketing term for the same registration
- 'Fully licensed' has no separate legal meaning
- Still needs checking on the register like any other claim
So when a van says 'fully licensed', 'EA licensed' or 'licenced waste carrier', read it as a claim to be registered and check it the same way. For household waste collection, there is no higher grade of licence above upper tier registration. If you are a carrier working out which tier you need, our waste carrier licence page is written for you.
Does a man and van need a CBDU number to take my rubbish?
Yes. A man and van, house clearer or skip firm that takes your rubbish away for payment is carrying someone else's waste as a business. The Defra code says you should check it holds a valid upper tier registration. That applies whether you found the business yourself or it knocked on your door or messaged you first.
The size of the van, the size of the job and the way the carrier describes itself make no difference. A single mattress collected for cash is still household waste handed to a business. If you are comparing man and van rubbish removal options, check the CBDU number at the same time as price and availability, not afterwards. Councils list these trades as ones that usually need to register:
Building trades
Businesses that normally carry construction and demolition waste need upper tier, even when the waste comes from their own jobs.
Landscape gardeners and tree surgeons
Bromley Council notes that tradespeople such as gardeners who dispose of customers' waste must register.
House clearers
Clearing a property means taking away someone else's belongings and waste as a business.
Shops and scrap metal dealers
Test Valley Council includes these among the trades that usually need registration.
The exception is you. Householders moving their own waste, for example taking bags to the tip in their own car, do not need to register as waste carriers.
What happens if your rubbish is taken by an unregistered carrier?
If your waste is fly-tipped and traced back to you, the council can treat it as a breach of your duty of care. Many councils deal with this through a fixed penalty notice (FPN), which lets you pay instead of being prosecuted. Several councils currently set the householder FPN at £600, reduced to £400 if paid within 10 days (council figures checked September 2026). A few council pages still show older, lower amounts.
If the case goes to court instead, councils quote different maximum fines. Bromley says up to £5,000, Boston Borough Council says up to £50,000 and Test Valley says the fine is unlimited. We have not confirmed the current statutory maximum, so treat these as the councils' own warnings rather than settled figures.
A recent case shows how this works. In 2026, Wiltshire Council issued a £600 FPN to a Croydon resident whose household waste was dumped near Purton in Wiltshire and traced to their address. The resident had let a passer-by take the waste and could give no name, vehicle details, receipt or waste transfer note. The case shows that the council where waste is dumped can take action, not only your own borough. Defra's guidance also says the FPN in England is based on where the waste changed hands, not where it ended up.
Councils say they would rather pursue the fly-tipper. If your information helps them find the illegal operator, they will usually focus on that operator. Being unable or unwilling to give information can lead to a penalty, which is why the paperwork matters. Our guides to being fined after using an unlicensed waste carrier and how rogue waste carriers end up fly-tipping go into more detail. For every collection, keep:
The carrier's name and CBDU number
As shown on the register, not just on the van.
The vehicle's number plate
Write it down on the day of collection.
A receipt or invoice
Showing the business name, the date and the amount paid.
The waste transfer note
Describing the waste and where it is going.
Your register check
A dated screenshot of the active register entry.
How does RubbishBids deal with carrier registration?
RubbishBids is a marketplace, not a waste company. You post your job with photos, a postcode and a description of what needs to go. Environment Agency-licensed waste carriers bid on it, and you choose the bid you want. Only the carrier you select gets your contact details. Our page on how RubbishBids works covers the full process.
The checks we carry out on carriers' registrations are set out in how we verify waste carriers. Those checks cover who can bid, not what happens to your waste afterwards. RubbishBids does not collect, track or dispose of waste. The carrier you choose is responsible for that and must give you a waste transfer note. Because the duty of care is yours, it is still worth doing your own quick check:
Note the carrier's CBDU number
If it isn't shown with the bid, ask for it before collection.
Look it up yourself
Search the EA register and confirm the entry is upper tier and active.
Match the details on the day
Check that the van and the person collecting match the business you chose.
Keep the waste transfer note
Store it with your receipt in case questions are ever asked.
Frequently asked questions
What does CBDU mean on a waste carrier's van?
CBDU is the prefix for an upper tier registration with the Environment Agency, usually read as Carrier, Broker, Dealer – Upper tier. It is followed by digits that identify the business on the public register. Upper tier is the registration a business needs to collect other people's waste for payment, so it is what you want to see on a van, quote or invoice.
How do I check a CBDU number?
Search the Environment Agency's free public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers by registration number, business name or postcode. Open the record and check three things: it shows upper tier, the status is active, and the name and address match the van, quote and invoice. Keep a screenshot of the entry along with your waste transfer note.
What is a registered waste carrier?
A registered waste carrier is a business with a valid entry on the public register for carrying waste. In England, the Environment Agency runs that register. Anyone who normally and regularly carries waste as part of a business or for profit must register. Businesses collecting other people's waste need an upper tier registration, shown by a CBDU number.
Is a licensed waste carrier the same as a registered waste carrier?
In practice, yes. The official system is a registration, but councils, carriers and customers commonly call it a waste carrier licence, and you will also see the spelling 'licenced'. Whichever word is used, the check is the same. Find an active upper tier entry on the Environment Agency register that matches the business taking your waste.
What does 'waste carrier fully licensed' mean?
'Fully licensed' is marketing language with no separate legal meaning. For household waste collection, there is no grade of licence above an upper tier registration. Treat the phrase as a claim that the business is registered, and check it. Ask for the CBDU number, look it up on the register and make sure the status is active and the details match.
What does unlicensed carrier mean?
An unlicensed carrier is a business moving waste without a valid registration. Your duty of care requires you to take reasonable measures to make sure your household waste only goes to an authorised person. If waste you gave an unregistered carrier is fly-tipped and traced to you, several councils currently issue a £600 fixed penalty, reduced to £400 if paid within 10 days.
Is a CBDL number good enough for someone collecting my rubbish?
Not usually. CBDL is lower tier, meant for businesses that only carry their own waste. Defra's Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice says that when you pay a private business to take your waste, you should check it has a valid upper tier registration, which starts CBDU. Ask any firm quoting with a CBDL number to explain why before agreeing.
Sources
- Defra: Waste duty of care code of practice
- Environment Agency: Public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers
- Natural Resources Wales: Register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer
- Defra: Guidance for local authorities on household waste duty of care fixed penalty notices
- Wiltshire Council: Resident penalised after waste given to unlicensed collector
- Crawley Borough Council: Check your tradesperson has a waste carrier licence
- Boston Borough Council: Duty of care
- Countryside Alliance: New waste carrier regulations deliver key reform
Prices are typical market ranges checked October 2026; councils change fees, so confirm with your borough before booking.
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