Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013
Anyone wishing to carry on a business as a scrap metal dealer needs a licence under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.
A person carries on a business as a scrap metal dealer if he:
- carries on a business which consists wholly or partly in buying or selling scrap metal, whether or not the metal is sold in the form in which it was bought, or
- carries on a business as a motor salvage operator
Scrap metal includes:
- any old, waste or discarded metal or metallic material, and
- any product, article or assembly which is made from or contains metal and is broken, worn out or regarded by its last holder as having reached the end of its useful life,
but does not include
- gold, silver and any alloy of which 2 per cent or more by weight is attributable to gold or silver
There are two types of licences:
Site licence - This is where the scrap metal business is operated from one or more sites in the local authority area. The licence allows the licensee to buy and sell scrap metal and to transport scrap metal to and from those sites from any local authority area.
Collector's licence - This is where the scrap metal operator collects scrap metal in the local authority area. A separate licence must be obtained from each council the collector wishes to operate in.
A scrap metal dealer is only permitted to hold one type of licence in any one local authority area.
A scrap metal dealer must not receive scrap metal from a person without verifying that person's full name and address and must not pay cash for any scrap metal he purchases. The scrap metal dealer must keep copies of any documents used to verify the seller's identity.
The dealer is required to record specific information about the sale or purchase of any scrap metal.
Application
Application for a Site or Collectors Licence
Fees
Contact us
Licensing
London Borough of Hounslow
Hounslow House
7 Bath Road
Hounslow
Middlesex
​​​​TW3 3EB
