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Scrap Metal Dealers

Scrap Metal

You must have a licence to carry out business as a scrap metal dealer (including motor salvage operators).

Pile of scrap metal

There are two types of licence specified in the Act, a site licence or a collectors licence. You can only hold one type of licence in any one local authority area, so you can only apply for site licence or a mobile collector’s licence from the same council.

Site licence

All the sites where a licensee carries on business as a scrap metal dealer have to be identified and a have a site manager. This licence allows the licensee to transport scrap metal to and from those sites from any local authority area.

 

Please submit the following to the Licensing Team in order to apply for a scrap metal site licence:

Collector’s licence

This allows the licensee to operate as a collector in the Dover district (Please see below for Dover districts boundary). It does not allow the collector to operate in any other local authority area, so a separate licence has to be obtained from each council the collector wishes to operate in. The licence does not authorise the licensee to operate a site - to do so they will need a site licence from the relevant local authority.  Dover District Boundary

Please submit the following to the Licensing Team in order to apply for a scrap metal collector's licence:

Dover District Council has introduced a scheme to assist residents in identifying scrap metal collectors who are licensed to operate across the District.  Licensed collectors will be asked to display a yellow plate detailing some of their licence information on the rear of their vehicle, in addition to displaying their licence at the front of the vehicle.  Unlicensed collectors are committing criminal offences.  If you have concerns over an individual or business operating as an unlicensed collector please contact the Licensing Team who can investigate.

Photograph of a Dover District Council licence plate for scrap metal collectors, located at the rear of the vehicle.

 Fees

Scrap metal dealer fees

 

Grant
(3 year licence)

Renewal
(3 year licence)

Variation

(change of name/address)


Replacement Licence

Variation
(Change of Manger)

Site Licence

£530

£515

£18

£15 

£100

Collectors Licence

£300

£295

£18

£15 (Paper Licence)

£20 (Vehicle plate)

N/A

Additional Site

£165

£165

£18

£15

£100

 

 

Fines and Penalties 

Trading without a licence is  crimincal offence.

You could be fined £5,000 if you do not hold a licence.

You could also face the following conditions:

  • you must not receive scrap metal except between 9am and 5pm on any day
  • all scrap metal must be kept in the form it was received up to 72 hours from when it was received

We may revoke a licence at any time and close unlicensed sites.

 

You can now report an unlicenced scrap metal collector online - Please click here

 
 
 
***Alert for scrap collectors (January 2020)*** We are aware of an organisation who are claiming that collectors who collect by means of appointment do not require a licence, but should register with an organisation called the 'National Metal Agency'. We have received advice on this matter which has confirmed that this advice is incorrect and could leave collectors at risk of prosecution. Additionally it has been noted that the 'National Metal Agency' referenced is not a government, industry, or police organisation and registration with them has no bearing on the requirements of the Act.
 

Contact the Licensing Section

Email: licensing@dover.gov.uk

Telephone: 01304 872295