Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964
Guidance Note
Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964, any person carrying on the business of a
scrap metal dealer must be registered with the Council.
A scrap metal dealer is defined as any person who carries on a business that
consists wholly or partly of buying and selling scrap metal, whether it is sold in the
form it was bought or otherwise. Failing to register is a criminal offence, for which
the maximum penalty upon summary conviction is £1,000.
Scrap Metal includes any old metal, and any broken, worn out defaced or partly
manufactured articles made wholly or partly of metal, and any metallic wastes, also
includes old, broken, worn out or defaced tooltips or dies made of any materials
commonly known as hard metal or of cemented or sintered metallic carbides;
Scrap metal store, means a place where scrap metal is relieved or kept in the
course of the business of a scrap metal dealer.
The purpose of the Act is to regulate the activities of scrap metal dealers, in order
to prevent stolen metal being bought or sold and to assist the police in investigating
such offences when they occur. In conjunction with the Duty of Care with regard to
waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it also seeks to protect our
environment.
In addition, any person who carries on a business that involves the recovery of
salvageable parts of vehicles, and the subsequent sale or disposal for scrap of the
remainder of the vehicle for repair or resale needs to have a Motor Vehicle Salvage
Operator Licence. Please contact Environmental Services on 020 8314 7171.
How to Register
Please complete the application form, there is currently no fee payable. If you are
an Itinerant Collector (see below) it is important that you complete and sign
page 2 of the form. Failure to do so will mean that you will not be granted the
exemption from keeping certain records, and you will not be exempt from the
offence of buying scrap metal for cash.
Itinerant Collectors
An itinerant collector is a person regularly engaged in collecting waste materials,
and old, broken, worn out or defaced articles, by means of visits from house to
house. Where a person satisfies the Council that they carry on the business of a
scrap metal dealer as part of the business of an itinerant collector, the Council
may, after consulting with the Chief Constable, make an Order requiring that on the
sale of any scrap metal he shall obtain from the purchaser a receipt showing the
weight of the metal and the aggregate price at which it was sold and shall keep
such receipts for a period of two years. No other records need then be kept.
Prescribed Records
Every scrap metal dealer must keep, at each place occupied by him as a scrap
metal store, a book detailing all scrap metal received at that place and all scrap
metal either processed at, or dispatched from that place. Two books may be kept
where the metal processed and or dispatched from a place is not received at that
place. Entries must be made immediately upon receipt, processing or dispatch and
books containing records must be kept for two years following the last entry.
The details to be kept for scrap metal received are:
The description and weight of the metal, and
The date and time of receipt of the metal, and
If the metal is received from another person, then the name and
address of that person, and
The price of the metal if it has been ascertained at the time the entry
is made in the book, and
If no price has been ascertained, the estimated value of the scrap
metal, and
The registration mark of any mechanically propelled vehicle used to
deliver the scrap metal.
The details to be kept for scrap metal processed or dispatched are:
The description and weight of the metal, and
The date of processing or dispatch, and in the case of processing,
the process applied, and
Where scrap metal is dispatched for sale or exchange, the name and
address of the person to whom it is sold or with whom it is
exchanged and the consideration for which it is sold or exchanged,
and
Where scrap metal is dispatched or processed other than for sale or
exchange, its estimated value before being dispatched or
exchanged.
Offences
Any person failing to register a scrap metal business or to notify the
Council of alterations in the appropriate particulars shall be liable on
conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,000.
Any person failing to notify the Council that a business has ceased
shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding £200.
Any person failing to keep the proper prescribed records shall be
liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,000.
Any person acquiring scrap metal from a person under the age of
sixteen shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding £200.
Any person who obstructs the entry of an Environmental Health
Officer or Police Constable, or who fails to produce to them any
prescribed record shall be liable on conviction to a fine not
exceeding £200.
Any person who, on selling scrap metal to a dealer, gives the dealer
a false name or false address shall be liable on conviction to a fine
not exceeding £200.
Where a person is convicted of failing to register or failing to keep prescribed
records, the Court may make an Order imposing restrictions on the dealer for a
period not exceeding two years. The magistrates court also has the power to
impose additional obligations on convicted dealers.
If the registered dealer ceases to carry on business as a scrap metal dealer in
the London Borough Of Lewisham the dealer shall give notice of this to the
Licensing Team within 28 days of ceasing to trade.
The registration is valid for 3 years from the grant date.
Contact
Licensing Services
4th Floor
Laurence House
1 Catford Road London SE6 4RU
020 8314 6400