Apply for this licence
Contact your council for a ‘certificate of competence’ to operate a chargeable weighbridge.
It’s illegal to operate a chargeable weighbridge without a certificate of competence.
Conditions
You must:
- carry out weighing on demand (unless you have a good reason not to)
- carry out the weighing fairly
- provide a written statement of the weight to the person requiring the weighing
You must keep a record of each weighing for 2 years, including:
- the date and time of the weighing
- the name and address of the person making the request
- details to identify the vehicle (eg registration number)
- the type of load on the vehicle
How to apply
Contact the council where your weighbridge is based to apply for a certificate of competence.
Your application must include:
- your name
- the address of the weighbridge
- the type of weighbridge you’ll be using
You’ll then be tested to make sure you can use a weighbridge competently and honestly.
There’ll usually be a charge, depending on the council.
Fines and penalties
You could be fined up to £5,000 and imprisoned for 6 months if you operate a weighbridge without a certificate of competence or don’t follow any of the restrictions.