Public register
What is the public register?
SEPA is legally required to maintain certain information about activities that we regulate and make that information available for public inspection. These different registers of information are commonly referred to together as the 'Public Register'.
While access to much Public Register documentation was lost in December 2020, we have now made a significant amount of information available online and we continue to provide information on request.
We are continuing to improve our Public Register services as part of our digital transformation, and we’ll keep making it easier for everyone to access our regulatory documents and data.
Find public register information online
Find key authorisation and application information (including documentation)
Our search the register webpage provides access to key public register data which can be used to search for information about authorisations and applications through the following three services:
1. The 'find authorisations' service
The find authorisations service allows you to search for data and, where available, documentation on authorisations under:
Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR) for water, waste, and industrial activities authorisations issued after 1 November 2025 (EAS).
For water, waste and industrial activities authorisations issued before 1 November 2025, whilst such activities are now deemed EASR authorisations, they are currently still searchable under the authorisation numbers issued under the previous relevant regime, as follows:
Industrial activities — Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC)
Waste activities (WML)
Water activities — Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR).
The find authorisations service also allows you to search for data on authorisations under:
Radioactive substances (EAS)
Controlled Reservoirs (RES).
Where applicable, this includes data on authorised place, authorisation holder and authorisation number. Not all authorisations have documents available online, but the service indicates which authorisations do have documents available and how to request documents if they are not available.
Note on fully or partially suspended and partially revoked authorisations
Due to current system limitations, if an authorisation is currently suspended (whether fully or partially) or partially revoked, the status of “suspended in full”, “suspended in part” or “revoked in part” will not show in the Find Authorisations service. The Authorisation Status will show as Granted.
If you wish to check whether an authorisation is fully/partially suspended or partially revoked, please email registry@sepa.org.uk. We are working towards publishing notices which fully/partially suspend or partially revoke authorisations (and any subsequent removal notices) to allow you to check published documentation yourself.
We are also planning to make improvements to enable us to show other types of authorisation status.
2. The 'find applications' service
The find applications service is under development and we aim to launch it during October 2026. When available, this service will allow you to search for data for applications received by SEPA from 1 November 2025 for Waste, Water and Industrial Activities under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018.
3. The ‘find waste transporters and brokers’ service
The find waste transporters and brokers service allows you to search for data on active authorisations under:
• Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (‘EASR’) issued after 1 November 2025
For Waste Carrier and Brokers authorisations issued before 1 November 2025 that are currently active, whilst such activities are now deemed EASR authorisations, they are still searchable under the authorisation numbers issued under the previous regime, The Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations 1991.
Getting a copy of the information
The find authorisations service allows you to download the data from your search results by clicking on the 'Export as CSV' button. This will create a comma separated value spreadsheet of all data, which can be opened by Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet applications.
This information is available under an Open Government Licence.
More information on the services
For an overview of what’s available using these services, visit the about section. If you need help using these services, the help section provides step-by-step instructions.
Services will be updated every 24 hours.
Other data available online
Public register data for the following activities is currently available online:
Information on fixed monetary penalties (FMP), variable monetary penalties (VMP), enforcement undertakings and VMP undertakings can be found on penalties and undertakings.
The National Batteries & Accumulators Register is maintained by the Environment Agency on behalf of all four UK regulators, including SEPA. The register provides information on all battery producers, compliance schemes, and battery treatment operators or exporters.
Special sites in Scotland contains non-published public register information, such as notices and notifications, available on request from our access to information service.
Registers of land identified as statutorily contaminated are maintained by local authorities. Contact the relevant local authority in relation to information on sites other than special sites.
SEPA and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) are a joint competent authority under the COMAH Regulations 2015. Whilst the competent authority is not required to maintain a public register of COMAH information, it is required to make certain information in relation to every COMAH establishment available to the public. The HSE maintains this information on behalf of all the GB competent authorities with this information available through its website. Information is uploaded directly by operators.
The register of controlled reservoirs contains key information about each registered reservoir including reservoir manager details, panel engineers associated with the reservoir and an inundation map highlighting the area of land that is likely to be flooded in the event of an uncontrolled release of water.
Additionally, the following information is available on request by emailing the reservoirs team
- Safety reports and other associated documentation.
- Inspection reports and other associated documentation.
- Written recommendations/statements by a supervising engineer.
The packing waste register is maintained by the Environment Agency on behalf of all four UK regulators, including SEPA. The register provides information on all packaging producers, compliance schemes, packaging re-processors and exporters.
Northumbria River Basin District is maintained by SEPA in a agreement with the Environment Agency.
Register of protected areas provides a searchable list of all protected areas in Scotland and Solway Tweed
Water Environment Hub provides protected area information in maps and charts.
Protected areas provides additional information on water bodies and special protection designation.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) public register of producers and compliance schemes is maintained by the Environment Agency on behalf of all four UK regulators, including SEPA. It provides a register of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) producers and producer compliance schemes.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) public register of Approved Exporters and Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities is maintained by SEPA and provides a register of Approved Exporters and Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities.
Requesting Public Register documentation that is not available online
The following public register documentation is not available on our 'search the register' service, but you can request it directly from SEPA.
The following items can be requested by emailing foi@sepa.org.uk with the subject line 'Enforcement information enquiry’:
Enforcement or regulatory notices for active authorisations and unauthorised activities
Suspension notices for active authorisations
Documents issued for fixed monetary penalties, variable monetary penalties, enforcement undertakings and VMP undertakings.
The following items can be requested by emailing registry@sepa.org.uk with the subject line ‘Pre-2021 document request’:
Waste Activities (WML) information not covered above, for example: waste management licences and modification notices issued before 1 January 2021, or documentation submitted by operators after 1 January 2021.
Waste Carriers and Brokers (WCR) information not covered above, for example: Waste Carrier Registration documents, including those issued after 1 January 2021.
Registrations and related documentation for professional collectors and transporters of waste not covered above
Industrial Activities (PPC) information not covered above, for example: Part B PPC authorisations issued before 1 January 2021, and some operator-submitted documentation received after 1 January 2021.
Water Activities (CAR) information not covered above, for example: water use licences and variation notices issued before 2021, operator-submitted documentation received after 1 January 2021, registrations for activities such as private sewage treatment systems, including those issued after 1 January 2021 up to January 2024 or any that have been applied for on SEPA’s digital online application system.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs):
Email foi@sepa.org.uk with the subject line 'PCB information request' for PCBs information, including: inventories of contaminated equipment and producers, register specifying the quantity, origin, nature and PCB content of used PCBs.
Radioactive substances:
Email rsenquiries@sepa.org.uk with the subject line 'Radioactive Substances information request' for documentation for authorisations for the disposal of radioactive waste.
Documentation from before 1 January 2021
As a result of losing access to much of our Public Register documentation in December 2020, documentation from before 1 January 2021 is not always complete or verified.
Requests for this documentation will be fulfilled with the best available information. Any use of this information is made at the requester's own risk. You can request this documentation by emailing the Registry Team: registry@sepa.org.uk.
If you cannot find what you're looking for
SEPA publish a large amount of data online, and much of this can be found on our access to information page.
If the information you are looking for is not listed above or detailed on our access to information page you can submit a request for information, regardless of who you are, where you live or what you want the information for.
To submit a request for information, email the Access to Information team: foi@sepa.org.uk. You should be as specific as possible about the information you want so we can help you, although you don't need to tell us why you want it.