Fees for waste carriers, brokers and dealers in Northern Ireland have risen with immediate effect after the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs signed new regulations on Monday 19 January 2026. The Statutory Rule was sealed by DAERA senior officer Shane Doris, bringing the changes into force the same day.

The new charges move a standard new application to £191, renewals to £96 and the third prescribed fee to £49. The uplifts apply to both the Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003, covering carriers alongside brokers and dealers.

This is the second increase in twelve months. In February 2025, DAERA raised fees to £180 for new applications, £90 for renewals and £46 for the third fee line. Taken together, the two steps lift headline costs by roughly 16–17 percent since last winter, adding £11 to a new registration, £6 to a renewal and £3 to the third fee.

Officials frame the move as cost recovery rather than revenue raising. DAERA’s charging approach, set out alongside its licensing scheme, is designed to meet the principles of Managing Public Money Northern Ireland, aiming for “full cost recovery” for the work involved in regulating waste activity.

For operators on the ground - from skip hire firms and demolition contractors to waste brokers - the changes are small per transaction but land in a year of tight margins. Many businesses register multiple entities or renew several licences on a rolling basis; the extra pounds add up over a fleet, especially when paired with higher fuel, insurance and wage costs.

The rules matter beyond Stormont. It is an offence to transport controlled waste to or from any place in Northern Ireland without being a registered carrier with the Department. That means North West and North East contractors moving materials for NI projects - or handling NI-origin waste on return legs - must keep NIEA registration current when operating on the island.

Administration still runs through DAERA’s online service. Firms approaching renewal should check expiry dates, allow processing time and budget for the updated amounts. If a renewal lapses, a fresh application may be required at the higher new‑application rate, so scheduling matters for cashflow as well as compliance.

Bottom line for operators: new applications £191, renewals £96, third fee £49, in force from 19 January 2026. DAERA says details will also sit within its wider charging scheme for waste management licences, so finance leads should update forecasts and purchase orders accordingly.