The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 regulates the business of scrap metal dealers and itinerant scrap metal colllectors. If you are a scrap metal dealer you must register with us.

What is a scrap metal dealer?

A scrap metal dealer's business consists wholly or partly of buying and selling scrap metal (whether sold in its original form or otherwise) but not scrap metal bought as material for the manufacture of other articles and sold either as a by-product or as surplus to requirements.

Scrap metal is: aluminium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, nickel, tin, zinc or any alloys of them, brass, bronze, gunmetal, steel, white metal etc. An alloy is not regarded as such if 2% or more is gold or silver, platinum, iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium or ruthenium.

Apply to register as a scrap metal dealer

Registration lasts for three years and must be renewed on or before the expiry date.

You must notify us 28 days in advance of any changes to the registration or if the business ceases to operate.

Your premises and records of scrap metal transactions are liable to inspection.

Which address needs to be registered?

• If you occupy one or more scrap metal stores the address of each store within York must be registered.
• If you have no store you should register the address where you usually live.
• If you occupy a place wholly or partly for the business (but the premises is not a store) the address of the business premises and the facts of that business.
• Planning permission will be required in most cases and should be subject to a separate application. See planning.

Cost

There is no fee for the grant or renewal of a scrap metal dealer registration.

Application forms

You can download the application forms to register as a scrap metal dealer or to renew your registration on the right hand side of this page.  Please return completed forms to Licensing & Regulatory Services.