Scrap yard near me: how to find a licensed scrap yard
Searching for a scrap yard near me usually means one of two things: you have metal to weigh in, or you have a car to get rid of. The two need different yards, and only some are licensed for both. This guide explains how to find a licensed yard near you, what yards take, what they pay and what you need to bring with you.
Scrap yard near me: key facts
| What a scrap yard is | Premises licensed to buy, sort and process scrap metal. Also called a scrap metal yard, a breaker's yard or a metal recycling site |
|---|---|
| Licence needed | A site licence from the council under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, lasting 3 years, displayed where the public can see it |
| Where that applies | England and Wales. Scotland licenses metal dealers under its own law. Northern Ireland sits outside the Act |
| Payment | No cash. Payment is by non transferable cheque or bank transfer only |
| What to bring | Photo identification and proof of address. The yard must check both before paying you |
| For a car | The yard must be an authorised treatment facility. It issues a Certificate of Destruction, and you must tell DVLA or risk a £1,000 fine |
| Finding one | Our directory lists 3,906 UK companies that collect or buy recyclable materials, across 114 postcode areas |
How to find a scrap yard near me
The quickest route is to search by postcode and material rather than by name. Our directory lets you enter a postcode, pick a material and set a distance, and it returns the companies nearest to you first. Each one has a page with its registered address, a map, and a phone number and website where we have been able to find them.
Two filters are worth using. Licensed scrap metal dealer narrows the list to companies that appear on the Environment Agency's register of scrap metal dealers, which is a public record we check monthly. Has a website narrows it to companies whose own site we have confirmed, which is usually where opening hours and the current list of what they buy will be.
Before you drive anywhere, phone. Yards change what they accept with the market, some take trade only, and a wasted journey with a loaded van is an expensive way to find that out.
What a scrap yard buys
Most yards split what they take into ferrous metal, which a magnet sticks to, and non ferrous metal, which it does not. Steel and iron are ferrous and make up the bulk of what passes through a yard. Copper, brass, aluminium, lead and stainless steel are non ferrous and are worth considerably more by weight.
Beyond metal, many of the companies in our directory handle other recyclable materials, so a yard near you may also be the right call for plastic recycling, cardboard recycling or glass recycling. Our guide to metal recycling explains what happens to the metal once the yard has it.
What a scrap yard pays
Yards pay by weight, at a rate that follows the metals market and changes month to month. The rate you are offered sits below the market figure, because the yard covers sorting, processing and transport to a mill or a smelter.
Separating metals before you arrive is the single thing that most changes what you are paid. A load of mixed scrap is priced close to the rate for its cheapest component. The same load sorted into copper, aluminium and steel is paid for at three different rates. Our scrap metal prices page carries the current UK figures, and The Waste Stock Calculator will work out what a given weight is worth today. If the load is large or awkward to move, scrap metal collection may suit you better than driving it in yourself.
Scrapping a car at a scrap yard near me
A car cannot go to just any yard. It has to go to an authorised treatment facility, which is a site permitted to drain and remove the fluids, battery, airbags and tyres before the shell is crushed. Plenty of scrap yards are authorised treatment facilities, but not all of them are, so ask before you book.
The facility issues a Certificate of Destruction, which is your proof the car has been scrapped. You must also tell DVLA yourself that the vehicle has gone to an authorised treatment facility. Failing to tell them can cost you a £1,000 fine, and until you do, the vehicle is still recorded as yours.
Two things are worth doing before the car leaves. If you want to keep the registration number, apply to retain it first and hold on to the yellow section of the V5C. If you want to keep parts, you may remove them for use on another vehicle you own, but parts taken out to sell on must come out at the facility itself.
How to check a scrap yard is licensed
A site licence has to be displayed in a prominent place where customers can see it, so the first check is simply to look for it. If it is not on show, ask.
The second check is the payment. No licensed yard in England, Wales or Scotland may hand you cash. Payment has to be by bank transfer or non transferable cheque, and a yard offering notes is breaking the law. The third check is identification: a licensed yard must verify your name and address from prescribed documents before it pays you, so being asked for identification is a good sign rather than an imposition.
Before you go: sort it, and bring ID
A mixed load is paid at close to the rate for its cheapest metal, so sorting before you go is the easiest money available. Pull a magnet over everything: if it sticks, it is ferrous, meaning steel or iron, and the cheapest by weight; if it does not, it is non ferrous, such as copper, brass, aluminium or lead, and worth considerably more. Watch for copper plated steel, which looks like copper but grabs the magnet.
Take photo identification and proof of address issued within the last three months, because a licensed dealer must verify both before paying you. Larger loads go over a weighbridge, weighed full and then empty. Ask for the ticket showing gross, tare and net weight with the grade against each, because it is your record of what you sold.
What happens when a car goes to an authorised facility
Only an authorised treatment facility may take a car for scrapping, and a properly run one works in the same order every time. It checks your identity, books the car in against its registration and chassis number, drains the fuel, oil and other fluids, removes the battery, catalytic converter, tyres and airbags, takes off anything saleable, and only then sends the shell for crushing. It issues a free Certificate of Destruction and pays by bank transfer. Every facility should appear on the Environment Agency public register of end of life vehicle sites with its permit number, so check before you book.
Related guides
- Scrap my car: the whole process, start to finish
- DVLA scrap car: the paperwork, and the £1,000 fine
- Certificate of Destruction: what it proves, and who has to give you one
- Scrap car prices: what decides the figure you are offered
- Scrap car comparison: comparing quotes without being undercut
- Scrap yard car parts: buying used parts, and what to check
- Write off categories: what A, B, S and N actually mean
- Scrapping without a V5C: what to do with no log book
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a scrap yard near me?
Search our directory by postcode, material and distance. It returns the nearest companies first, with a map and contact details for each, and lets you narrow the list to licensed scrap metal dealers.
Do scrap yards pay cash?
No. Cash payment for scrap metal has been banned in England and Wales since the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 came into force, and in Scotland since September 2016. A yard must pay by bank transfer or non transferable cheque.
What do I need to take to a scrap yard near me?
Photo identification and proof of your address, because the yard has to verify both before it can pay you. A passport or photocard driving licence plus a recent bank statement, council tax demand or utility bill will normally do it. For a vehicle, take the V5C log book as well.
Can I scrap my car at any scrap yard near me?
No. A car must go to an authorised treatment facility, which will give you a Certificate of Destruction. You then have to tell DVLA that the car has been scrapped, and you can be fined £1,000 if you do not.
What will a scrap yard near me pay for my metal?
It depends on the metal, the weight and the month. Non ferrous metals such as copper and brass are worth many times more per tonne than mixed steel. Our scrap metal prices page carries the current UK figures.
Is a scrap yard the same as a breaker's yard?
They overlap. A breaker's yard deals mainly in vehicles, dismantling them for parts and scrapping the rest, and must be an authorised treatment facility to do so. A general scrap yard buys metal of all kinds by weight. Many sites do both, which is why the same yard may appear under either name.
Should I sort my scrap metal before going to a yard?
Yes. A mixed load is paid at close to the rate for its cheapest metal. Separate it with a magnet first: ferrous metal sticks and is cheapest, while non ferrous metals such as copper, brass and aluminium do not stick and are worth considerably more.
What happens to my car at an authorised treatment facility?
It is booked in against its registration and chassis number, drained of fluids, stripped of the battery, catalytic converter, tyres, airbags and any saleable parts, then crushed. You get a free Certificate of Destruction and payment by bank transfer.
Sources
- Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, sections 2, 10, 11, 12 and 21, and Schedule 1
- Scrapping your vehicle and insurance write offs, GOV.UK, accessed October 2026
- Register of scrap metal dealers, Environment Agency public register, Open Government Licence v3.0
- Register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer, GOV.UK, accessed October 2026
- Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015, explanatory notes on metal dealer licensing