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Waste motor vehicles

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What are waste motor vehicles?

A waste motor vehicle (WMV) is any type of motor vehicle that is classed as waste and includes end-of-life vehicles (ELVs).

How are they regulated?

Storage and treatment of waste motor vehicles is regulated by SEPA under the Environmental Authorisation (Scotland) Regulations (EASR). Anyone wishing to store or treat waste motor vehicles must do so with a relevant authorisation from SEPA.


Schedule 15 of these regulations and SEPA’s guidance on the storage and treatment of waste motor vehicles sets out the minimum requirements for sites.


Most sites which store and treat waste motor vehicles will require a permit. There are two registration tier activities for small scale activities:


These registration tier activities have a set of standard conditions that must be met for a site to be authorised under them. If a site can not comply with these conditions, they must apply for a permit. You can find out more about waste authorisations here.


The keeping and storing of waste motor vehicles was previously regulated by the End-of-Life Vehicles (Storage and Treatment) (Scotland) Regulations 2003, which were revoked in November 2025.
There are also two pieces of relevant UK wide legislation relating specifically to ELVs:


These regulations exist to ensure that the last owner of a vehicle is able to dispose of their vehicle free of charge. They apply to any vehicle defined as category M1 or N1 which covers almost all cars as well as small vans (under 3.5 tonnes).  


Such vehicles are taken to sites known as authorised treatment facilities (ATFs), which prepare the vehicle for dismantling and recycling – a process called depollution.


ATFs – more commonly referred to as dismantlers, scrap yards, salvage yards or breakers yards – are sites that have been authorised by SEPA to accept and treat waste motor vehicles. We maintain a register of all authorised ATFs (xlsx, 28 KB), last updated in August 2025.


ATFs issue a CoD to the vehicle’s owner: this is proof that the vehicle has been transferred, will be treated to the required standards before being destroyed and is no longer their responsibility. Issuing CoDs for an ELV that is being scrapped is a legal requirement for site operators. 

What do I need to do?

If you are a vehicle owner looking to discard your vehicle then please consult our register of authorised ATFs to find a suitable site. You should be issued with a CoD by the site operator to confirm that your vehicle is being scrapped although operators may decide to sell or repair your vehicle rather than scrapping it.

If you are scrapping your vehicle as part of a scrappage scheme then the CoD may be requested by the scheme administrator as proof that the vehicle has been scrapped so it may be worth ensuring that a site will give you this in advance.

Please note, while SEPA authorise and regulate ATFs, we do not administer any schemes for scrapping vehicles.

You must have a waste authorisation (which we issue) and you must meet certain standards to ensure that you:

  • store and treat WMVs in a way that does not harm the environment;
  • depollute WMVs to a defined standard;
  • store any parts or fluids appropriately to facilitate their reuse, recycling or disposal.

Once you have received an appropriate authorisation, SEPA will contact the DVLA to approve your site being given access to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s electronic CoD system which is required for the issuing of CoDs. If a site changes ownership and undergoes a transfer then SEPA may need to reach back out to the DVLA so the new owner/operator can be set up on the system.

 

Contact us

If you have any questions or require assistance please contact nationalwaste@sepa.org.uk