Van permit system

Vans require a permit to access the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

The HWRC van permit system requires Devon County Council residents with privately registered (non-business/commercial/work use) panel vans (both small and large van size) or flat-bed vans to apply free of charge for a permit in order to access the above HWRC’s. The van must comply with the vehicle restrictions policy.

Fully-fitted camper vans, van-based people carriers/family type vans (with factory/professionally fitted seats and windows in the rear for carrying passengers) etc do not require a permit. Please refer to the ‘Do not require a permit’ section for a full list of vehicles which do not require a permit.

Permits will only be issued to vans registered to individual residents and not to vehicles registered to companies/businesses.

There will be no charge for the issuing of van permits. A permit provides permission to enter the HWRCs only and is not a permit to deposit waste, which will be subject to DCC’s waste acceptance policies and charges.

If your permit application is successful you will be sent a QR code, which will be scanned by site staff upon each visit to the HWRC. This can be printed or presented to site staff on a smart phone. The permit will allow for 12 visits per year to be made to the HWRCs.

Do I need a permit?

• Vehicles which require a permit

  All privately registered (non-business/commercial/work use) panel vans and flat-bed vans owned by Devon County Council residents must register for a permit to use a HWRC where the van permit system is in operation. Applications can be made now and the van must comply with the vehicle restrictions policy.

  For the purpose of this permit:

  • a panel van is defined as a vehicle with front seats, a rear load-carrying capacity instead of seats and rear side panels instead of windows.
  • A flat-bed van is defined as a vehicle having an enclosed cab (or enclosed double cab) and a rear cargo area (instead of seats) with either dropsides and a tailgate, or an unenclosed load bed.
• Vehicles which do not require a permit

  The following vehicles can access the HWRCs without a permit. The vehicle must also comply with the vehicle restrictions policy:

  • Cars
  • Bicycles and motorcycles
  • Pick-ups
  • Fully fitted camper vans
  • Fully fitted minibuses
  • Mobility type vans designed to carry people in wheelchairs.
  • Van-based people carriers/family type vans (with factory/professionally fitted seats and windows in the rear for carrying passengers). If the seats are removed or not in their original, fixed position, a permit will be required.
  • Vans hired to a householder from a legitimate hire company (for a hire period of less than 3 days. Appropriate documentation will need to be shown to site staff on site).
  • Vehicles accessing HWRCs as part of the trade garden and cardboard recycling scheme. (Valid tickets will need to be shown to site staff on site).
• Vehicles which are not eligible for a permit

  The vehicles listed below are not eligible for a van permit and these vehicles will not be permitted access to the HWRCs:

  • Vans registered to businesses/companies/organisations etc, used for business/commercial/work activities or which are sign-written.
  • Vans registered to addresses outside of the Devon County Council administrative area.
  • Vehicles in breach of the vehicle restrictions policy

Apply for a permit

• What do I need?

  The application process will require a scan/photograph/copy of:

  • First two pages (front and second page) of the vehicle’s V5 registration document
  • Driving licence

  Only vans which are privately owned (non-business/commercial/work use) by residents of the Devon County Council administrative area are eligible to be registered. The van must comply with the vehicle restrictions policy.

  Please ensure that the registered keeper of the vehicle is making the application.

  In order for us to approve your application, the address on your vehicle’s V5 registration document and the driving licence must match and be your current Devon residence. If you need to change the address on either of these documents, you can do this via the DVLA website.

  There will be no charge for the issuing of van permits.

• Online Application

  To register your van, please start the registration process by applying for a van permit.

  If your application is successful you will receive an email containing your permit/QR code. You will need to show this to site staff when visiting the HWRC on your smartphone. If you do not have access to a smartphone, you can print off the email.

• Postal Application

  A postal application is available for those without access to the internet. This can be requested by calling our Customer Service Centre on 0345 155 1010 or emailing hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk

  Postal applications take a significant amount of time to process, we recommend applying for a van permit online where possible.

  Devon County Council will not be able to photocopy documents for you.

Terms and Conditions

• Please ensure that you have read the Van Permit System's terms and conditions before applying
  • You must bring your permit with you when you attend a HWRC.
  • Permits will only be issued to vans registered to individual residents who live in the Devon County Council administrative area.
  • Permits will not be issued to vehicles registered to companies/businesses.
  • Permits will not be issued to vehicles used for business/commercial/work activities.
  • Permits will not be issued to vehicles which are sign-written.
  • Devon County Council and its HWRC site operators reserve the right to check and inspect vehicles to ensure they are not used for business/commercial activities.
  • The registered keeper of the vehicle must be the named applicant on the permit application and their drivers licence must be uploaded.
  • Only a maximum of one van permit will be allocated per household/vehicle.
  • Registered vans will be permitted 12 visits for a rolling calendar year from the permit issue date and can be used as needed across the twelve month period.
  • You accept the HWRC site user and vehicle restrictions policy.
  • You agree to follow all DCC’s HWRC rules, procedures and policies.
  • A permit provides permission to enter the HWRCs only and is not a permit to deposit waste, which will be subject to DCC’s waste acceptance policies.
  • You will need to show your permit to site staff on your smartphone or via paper copy on every visit.
  • The permit must match the registration number of the vehicle you have driven to the HWRC.
  • You must only bring waste from your own household to a HWRC.
  • You must not bring waste to a HWRC for which you have taken payment to transport or deposit, even if it is from a household.
  • You must not bring commercial waste to a HWRC under the applied-for van permit.
  • The HWRC site operator has the authority to refuse access to the HWRC to anyone suspected of depositing commercial waste.
  • Devon County Council and its HWRC site operators reserve the right to make further enquiries regarding the source of the waste. Site users may be asked to sign a household waste declaration form prior to the disposal of their waste. Permission to deposit the waste will be refused if the declaration form is not completed.
  • Use of this permit scheme is solely for Devon residents with a residential address within the administrative area of Devon County Council.
  • After the permit expiry date, you will need to renew your permit. Any unused visits are not transferable.
  • Permits are not transferable and should be destroyed if you no longer use the van for which the details are shown on the permit. A new permit with the correct vehicle details will be required by making a new application.
  • If we receive an application for a permit from a new resident or new owner of a sold vehicle, we reserve the right to expire permits within five working days if we are unable to contact previous residents or owners so that the new application can be processed. Alternatively, we reserve the right to expire permits if evidence is provided of a new vehicle/residence owner.
  • DCC and its HWRC site operators will not tolerate abuse of its staff or anyone working on DCC’s behalf. Your permit and access to services may be withdrawn if you abuse the staff on site.
  • Devon County Council reserves the right to cancel the permit at any time.
  • These terms and conditions, and others relating to use of recycling sites and other waste services, may be changed at any time without prior warning.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why have we introduced the van permit system?

  Devon County Council provides HWRCs for residents to dispose of their household waste free of charge.

  The disposal of trade/commercial/business waste is not accepted at the HWRCs (with the exception of users of the trade garden and cardboard waste recycling scheme) and should be deposited at commercial waste sites with the appropriate charges paid.

  Overall, this system aims to improve householders experience of the HWRCs by:

  • Tackling trade abuse
  • Decreasing queuing times (vans full of waste can take a significant time to unload)
  • Improving site safety (by limiting the number of large vehicles trying to manoeuvre in confined areas with lots of pedestrian activity).
• Which HWRCs do I need a permit for?

  A permit is required to access all HWRCs.

• Where can I apply for a van permit?

  To register your van, please start the registration process by applying for a van permit.

• I have completed my permit application, what happens next?
  Applications will aim to be processed within 14 days.

  If your permit application is successful, you will be sent a QR code, which will be scanned by site staff upon each visit to the HWRC. This can be printed or it can be presented to site staff on a smart phone.

  You will be permitted twelve visits for a rolling calendar year. These visits can be used as needed across the twelve month period starting from the permit issue date.

  Once at the HWRC, you will need to show your permit to the site staff. The site staff will scan the QR code on your permit before permitting access to the HWRC.

  We reserve the right to cancel/withdraw van permits if any information provided to use incorrect. Any van which does not comply with the vehicle restrictions policy will be turned away from the HWRC’s where the van permit system is in operation.

• I have not received my permit within 14 days, what should I do?
  Applications will aim to be processed within 14 days.

  If you have not received your permit within the 14 days, please ensure that you have checked any spam or junk folders that you may have.

  Please contact us at hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk quoting your permit reference if you are certain that you have not had a response to your application.

• I have used my twelve visits, can I still access the HWRCs in my van?

  Once you have used your twelve van visits, you will not be permitted to use the HWRCs with your van until the twelve months after the permit issue date.

  Permits will not be automatically issued/renewed to the next twelve months. You will be required to reapply for a new permit each year.

• I have lost my permit, what do I do?

  If you have lost the email containing your permit please email us at hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk

  If you received your permit in the post, please call our Customer Service Centre on 0345 155 1010 or email us at hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk to request a replacement.

• I have changed my van, what do I do?

  If you change your van you will need to apply for a new permit, however we will need to cancel the permit for your previous van.

  Please contact us at hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk quoting the permit reference for your previous van.

• I have changed address, what do I do?

  If you move to a new property within Devon County Council’s administrative area, you will need to apply for a new permit.

  Please contact us at hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk quoting your permit reference.

• Do hire vans require a permit?

  Hire vans do not require a permit. However, hire vans will only be permitted access to the HWRC’s if it is hired from a legitimate hire company (for a hire period of less than 3 days). Appropriate documentation will need to be shown to site staff on site).

  The van must also comply with the vehicle restrictions policy.

• I have access to a works/company van through my business/employer. Can I access the HWRC's?

  Panel vans and flat-bed vans registered to businesses/companies, used for business/commercial/work activities or which are sign-written will not be permitted access to the HWRC’s.

• I am unable to access a HWRC. How can I dispose of my household waste?

  The following alternatives are available to anyone who is unable to access a HWRC:

  • District Council bulky waste collection service.
  • District Council kerbside garden waste service.
  • Retailer collection/take-back
  • Donate/sell waste items via Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle, Ebay etc
  • Charity donation
  • Skip hire, hippo bag service, commercial waste company etc

  The reuse it section on Recycle Devon also lists initiatives near you that will reuse and repair unwanted items

• The van permit system does not recognise my address/postcode

  Certain postcodes are sometimes not recognised on our address database. Please email hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk with your full address so that we can investigate.

  You can verify how your address is recognised using the Post Office website.

• Why am I only allowed 12 visits per year to the HWRCs?

  We consider that 12 van visits per year is sufficient for private residents use of HWRCs with their household waste. This limit is designed to encourage residents producing large volumes of waste to consider waste reduction, re-use and methods such as home composting.

  If you have used your 12 visits, the following alternatives are available:

  • District Council bulky waste collection service.
  • District Council kerbside garden waste service.
  • Retailer collection/take-back
  • Donate/sell waste items via Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle, Ebay etc
  • Charity donation
  • Skip hire, hippo bag service, commercial waste company etc
• I lease my van, can I apply for a permit?

  Yes. If you have a leased van, please upload your lease hire agreement in place of the V5 document.

  In order for us to approve your application, the hire agreement needs to be in the applicant’s name, showing full address, along with the registration plate of the van. Please also upload your driving licence.

  Vans leased to businesses are not eligible for a permit. We will only approve applications where the van is privately leased to a DCC resident.

• Do I need a permit to access the HWRC resale shops in my van?

  No, however the van must comply with the vehicle restrictions policy.

• Do I require a permit if I remove the seats from my van?

  Under ‘Vehicles that do not require a permit’ it is listed ‘Van-based people carriers/family type vans (with factory/professionally fitted seats and windows in the rear for carrying passengers)’. A vehicle would fit under this category if all seats were installed and in their original position, and would therefore not require a permit to access the Household Waste Recycling Centre.

  However, if the seats are removed or not in their original, fixed position it will no longer fall under this category and will therefore need a permit. If your van has a rear loading-capacity instead of seats, it essentially functions as a panel van.

• I am having difficulties uploading my files

  If you are having difficulties uploading files for the van permit application, then it is likely you are experiencing one of the following problems-

  1. You must upload a document into the ‘vehicle V5 registration document’ and ‘drivers licence’ sections.
  2. You are trying to upload the 2 documents at the same time. You will need to upload one document first, then the other one separately. Documents need to be uploaded into the appropriate section.
  3. If you have the V5 document and drivers licence scanned into one document, you will need to upload the document into both upload sections.

  Please try these following steps to upload the files –

  • Select ‘Choose File’
  • Select the file you wish to upload and click ‘Open’
  • Click the ‘Upload’ button.
  • Once the document has been uploaded, it will be listed alongside the ‘Upload’ button.
  • Repeat for the following document(s) in the appropriate sections.
  • Once all the necessary files are shown alongside the ‘Upload’ buttons, you will be able to submit the application.

  Please also ensure that the documents you are uploading do not have the same file name.

  If these steps are still not working, please contact hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk

• I am having difficulties completing the online application?

  If you are struggling to upload files, please see the FAQ above.

  If you are having another issue, please contact hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk and describe exactly what the issue is. Please do not travel to County Hall, as the office is often unmanned and we will not be able to meet you.

• When can I apply (or renew) for another permit?

  Your permit is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. You can only apply for another permit once the old permit has expired.

  You can reapply online here.

Contact us

• How to contact us about permits
  • Email – hwrcvanpermit-enquiries@devon.gov.uk (please do not send us your documentation by email).