Van & trailer permit system
Staffordshire County Council has a van and trailer permit scheme in place for Staffordshire residents who drive a van/pick-up or use a trailer (please see the full list of vehicles which will require a permit) to dispose of their household waste at all Household Waste Recycling Centres. A permit is also required for hire vans.
Vehicles over 5 metres and trailers over 2.5 metres are not permitted.
This scheme does not apply to the disposal of waste generated as a result of a commercial and business activity (trade waste). There is a separate scheme for the disposal of trade waste, which is a chargeable service.
No e-permit required
- Cars, including:
- Estates
- People carriers
- 4 x 4's
- Quad bikes
- Motorcycles
- Bicycles
- Minibuses with seats in place*
- Campervans with fixtures and fittings in place*
- Trailers of up to 1.5 metres in length (excluding towing mechanism) and 570 litres capacity
e-permit required
- Panel vans*
- Pick-up trucks*
- Tipper trucks*
- Minibuses with seats removed*
- campervans with fixtures and fittings removed*
- Trailers of between 1.5 metres and 2.5 metres (excluding towing mechanism) or over 570 litres capacity
Exclusions from site
- Vehicles not listed in columns 1 or 2
- Vehicles larger than 5 metres in length
- Trailers of over 2.5 metres in length (excluding towing mechanism)
- Horse boxes
- Agricultural Machinery
- Driver & Van services – This service is charged under separate trade
*Maximum vehicle size - 5 metres in length
Van and trailer permits are free of charge. Permits are only valid for the disposal of household waste by Staffordshire residents.
If you’re a Staffordshire resident you can apply for a van and trailer permit via the Council’s website and will need to have access to an email account. Once the application has been approved, a permit number will be sent to your email account.
A van and trailer permit will be issued to a Staffordshire address. At the time of application, you will be required to provide a proof of residency and details of the vehicle registration which will be using the permit. The permit holder must live at the address the household waste is from.
Your permit is valid for 12 months and can be used for up to 12 visits. When that permit has expired you can apply for a new one. You will receive an email to tell you when you can reapply.
How do apply for a Van & Trailer Permit?
Simply click the button below and fill in the short form. Once submitted you will receive a confirmation email, and your permit will be emailed to you once your application has been processed.
Apply for a Van & Trailer Permit
Using your permit
Each time you visit one of Staffordshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres in the vehicle registered against your permit, you will be required to inform site attendants of one of the following:
- Your permit number - you can show this on your mobile phone
- The address the permit is registered to
- Your registration number – you must come to site in vehicle registered against permit
You will be refused entry to the Household Waste Recycling Centre if you arrive:
- In a vehicle and / or trailer which requires a permit and you don’t have one
- The vehicle registration does not match the details provided against the permit
- You have used all 12 permits allowable for the year
- It is suspected that the waste has been generated as a result of a commercial or business activity (trade waste charges will apply)
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Answer:
No e-permit required
- Cars, including:
- Estates
- People carriers
- 4 x 4's
- Quad bikes
- Motorcycles
- Bicycles
- Minibuses with seats in place*
- Campervans with fixtures and fittings in place*
- Trailers of up to 1.5 metres in length (excluding towing mechanism) and 570 litres capacity
e-permit required
- Panel vans*
- Pick-up trucks*
- Tipper trucks*
- Minibuses with seats removed*
- campervans with fixtures and fittings removed*
- Trailers of between 1.5 metres and 2.5 metres (excluding towing mechanism) or over 570 litres capacity
Excluded from site
- Vehicles not listed in columns 1 or 2
- Vehicles larger than 5 metres long
- Trailers of over 2.5 metres in length (excluding towing mechanism)
- Horse boxes
- Agricultural Machinery
- Driver and Van Services
*Maximum vehicle size - 5 metres long and 2 metres high
- Answer:
Yes, if you live at the same address. The permit is registered to a Staffordshire address and a vehicle registration; therefore, you will need to know the address and be driving in the vehicle registered to the permit.
- Answer:
Yes, if the permit is registered to a Staffordshire address – a Staffordshire Council Tax bill will need to be uploaded onto the system when registering for a permit as proof of residency. You will also need to provide the vehicle registration number of the vehicle you will be visiting the site in.
- Answer:
No, you have a total of 12 visits per year, how you use that is down to your own requirements. You will be able to re-apply for a new permit once the 12 months have passed - you will receive an email when your permit is up for renewal.
- Answer:
You can only apply for a permit via the website. If you don’t have access to the internet, you can ask family or a friend to help, you can also visit a Staffordshire Library or use the computers available in the Staffordshire County Council building.
- Answer:
You will need an email address to apply for a permit.
- Answer:
No, permits are electronic. You will be emailed a permit number which is registered against your Staffordshire address and a vehicle registration number.
- Answer:
Your permit number is linked to your address and vehicle registration. Site staff can use this information to find your permit number when you visit the site. You must visit the site in the vehicle registered against the permit / Staffordshire address.
- Answer:
No, permits are free.
- Answer:
No, permits are free. However, you should cancel your permit if you move outside of Staffordshire.
- Answer:
Permits are free of charge and for the use of Staffordshire residents to dispose of waste generated from their household. You can dispose of your household waste with a van permit registered to your home address. However, different rules apply for the disposal of trade waste.
If you are suspected of disposing of trade waste using the permit scheme, you will be asked to sign a ‘disclaimer form’ at the site to confirm waste has been generated from your household. If it is found that you are disposing of trade waste via the permit scheme, you could face a fine of up to £50k.
- Answer:
Yes, as part of the application form (on the website) there is a separate section relating to hire vehicles. You will need to upload a Staffordshire Council Tax bill as proof of residency as the permit is registered against a Staffordshire address. Permits for van hire will be valid for a month.
- Answer:
No. Van and/or trailer permits are for Staffordshire residents use only. Non-Staffordshire residents visiting one of Staffordshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres to dispose of their household waste in a van and/or trailer requiring a permit will be subject to trade waste charges
- Answer:
No, you are only entitled to 12 visits per year in a van and or a trailer which requires a permit. There are no limits if you are visiting sites in a vehicle not requiring a permit (see question 1). Permits will need to be applied for annually.
- Answer:
Please email vanpermits@staffordshire.gov.uk to request any changes to your vehicle. Please provide your permit number, postal address, the vehicle registration number you wish to remove and your new vehicle registration number.
- Answer:
Please email vanpermits@staffordshire.gov.uk to request any changes to your address. Please provide your permit number, current postal address, and new postal address. Please also send proof of your Staffordshire address such as a Council Tax Bill, Utility Bill or Driving Licence.
- Answer:
- No, one annual van and trailer permit will be issued per address.
- Answer:
- Before you apply for a permit, you should check on the Council’s website Van & Trailer Permit System to make sure that your van / trailer (a) does not require a permit (b) requires a permit (c) is excluded from sites. You will be turned away, if you arrive at a site in a van / trailer which is excluded.
- Answer:
Utility bill, council tax bill or driving licence will be accepted for a proof of residency.
- Answer:
Yes, as part of the application form on the website, there is a separate section relating to hire vehicles. You will need to upload your proof of residency as the permit is registered against a Staffordshire address. Permits for van hire will be valid for a month and you will have up to 12 visits.