What Defra requires
Checked 22 September 2026.
From 1 October 2026, permitted and licensed receiving sites in England and Wales must report the waste they take in, using Defra's digital waste tracking service. This is now law: The Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026, SI 2026 No. 729 came into force on that date.
Defra's own developer guide: "permitted or licenced sites in England and Wales will need to report their waste digitally using the Report Receipt of Waste Service".
Two things follow from that:
- A deadline. A load must be recorded, and a digital waste record number obtained, by the end of the second working day after it was received. See The two-working-day deadline.
- A charge. Registering costs an upfront annual charge of £26, paid by your firm directly to Defra, not through Tipslip. See The £26 Defra charge and the 402 message.
Scotland and Northern Ireland are not mandated until January 2027 — see Scotland, and carriers, from 2027.
Whether your site or activity is in scope is a question for your regulator, not Tipslip. Environment Agency: 03708 506 506. Natural Resources Wales: 0300 065 3000. Source: Waste duty of care: code of practice.