If you’re thinking of hiring a skip, one of the first things you’ll need to consider is whether or not you’ll need a skip permit. If you live in England or Wales and are intending to place the skip on a public road or public highway, then you’ll need a skip permit.
Is a skip permit the same as a skip licence?
Yes, your skip company will refer to it as a skip licence or a skip permit; they’re exactly the same.
Do I need a permit/licence if the skip is on my property?
No. You won’t need a permit if the skip is located on your own land. This will save you a tidy packet too.
For example, you can use a driveway or a garden instead of a public road meaning you won’t need a licence.
Do I need to apply for the permit myself?
This depends on where you live. In certain areas, your local council will require you to apply for the permit yourself. Other local authorities will ask your skip company to apply on your behalf. It’s a slightly odd and confusing setup, but there it is. You may reasonably assume that the skip licence application process should be the same wherever you are in England or Wales. Unfortunately, it isn’t.
How do I apply for a skip permit?
The first thing to do is to find out from your local skip company if they can apply for a permit on your behalf. They should be able to tell you straight away. Most skip hire companies won’t charge you extra to do this. If you live in England or Wales and it turns out that you need to apply for the skip licence yourself, here’s how to do it…
Visit the UK Gov website first
You can begin the process by visiting this page and entering your postcode. If you’ve just moved home or are a 3rd party contractor working at the property and don’t know the postcode, you can visit the Royal Mail’s website and use their handy postcode finder service.
Once you’ve got the postcode, you can go back to the Gov. website and start the process. If you put the postcode in, the site may well inform you that you can’t continue on that page because you’ll need to contact your local council directly. If that’s the case, you can do it here.
Restrictions
There are certain restrictions that you’ll need to be aware of if you intend to place your skip on a public highway. Firstly, you can’t place a skip on the pavement. You should also put safety lights and clear markings around or on your skip. This may include things like:
- reflective markings and/or traffic cones (available on eBay etc.)
- some night-time safety lamps
- the name and phone number of your skip hire company
Some skip hire companies will include some or all of these for free while others may provide them for a small fee. If they don’t, you’ll need to source these yourself as you’ll be the one responsible if your skip is not sufficiently visible. We also recommend that you contact your local council to confirm the precise rules for lights, markings etc. in the area where you live.
Breach of regulations
If you’re not duly diligent and fail to put up the required lights and markings, you could face a fine of up to £1,000 (at the time of writing this article).
Do I need a skip permit or licence in Scotland?
Many of the rules for Scotland also apply in a similar way to England and Wales; if you live in Scotland and think you may need a skip permit, you should visit this Government page regarding Scottish skip hire licences.