Do you need a permit to take a van to a Greater Manchester tip?

Yes, if you want to take household waste to a Recycle for Greater Manchester recycling centre in a van, pick-up truck, hire van, or a vehicle towing a twin-axle trailer, you need a permit. The permit is free. Apply online at least two working days before your first visit.

The official pages to use are the Recycle for Greater Manchester van permit page and their “Do I need a van permit?” test. TipYard does not issue permits. We only explain the published rules and help you decide whether the tip, a skip, or a different council scheme is the right next step.

Which councils this covers

The Recycle for Greater Manchester permit is for residents whose home address is in one of nine councils: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside or Trafford. The vehicle should be registered to that home address. They may ask for proof of address.

Wigan is not in this scheme. Recycle for Greater Manchester tells Wigan residents to use Wigan Council. Wigan’s permit is free as well, but it is a single-use permit, emailed within two hours, and valid for one visit within seven days. On 15 November 2026 winter hours of 9am to 5:45pm apply, vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are not allowed, and soil, rubble and plasterboard are accepted in “small amounts” only — no numeric limit is published. Use the Greater Manchester tip checker and the official Wigan waste permit FAQs.

Who needs a permit, and who does not

You need a permit for:

• any van, car-derived van or campervan
• any pick-up truck
• any vehicle towing a twin-axle trailer
• any hired van

You do not need a permit to visit in a car or a 4×4 that is not a pick-up, or if you are towing a single-axle trailer. The official page also says the permit applies to a car, MPV or SUV that appears to have been adapted to operate like a van, for example by removing seats.

Only one permit is allowed per household, even if you have more than one van.

How to apply

1. Apply for a permit account at least two working days before your first visit, on the official permit application. Processing does not include weekends or bank holidays.
2. Upload a copy of the V5C log book for the van, pick-up, or the car that will tow the twin-axle trailer.
3. Upload proof of address. Recycle for Greater Manchester accepts a valid full UK photo driving licence, a utility bill dated within the last three months, or a current annual council tax or water bill. A screenshot of an online account is accepted if it clearly shows the name and address.
4. Check your email, including the spam folder, for confirmation. The permit is assigned to the vehicle registration, so you do not need to show a paper permit when you arrive — staff enter the registration.

Hire vans: you still need a permit, and the hire van must be less than 5.3 metres long. Recycle for Greater Manchester says you should create an account to confirm you are a Greater Manchester resident before you hire the van, and then apply at least two working days before the visit. A van borrowed from friends or family can be used if it is under 5.3 metres and the owner, who must be a Greater Manchester resident (excluding Wigan), applies for the permit.

Visits, size limits and which sites you can use

The permit is valid for 12 months, from 1 April to 31 March. Visit limits reset each year and you do not have to reapply. Cars and cars with a single-axle trailer can visit 52 times a year. Vans, pick-up trucks and vehicles towing a twin-axle trailer can visit 18 times a year. If you apply part-way through the year, van and trailer visits are pro-rated at 1.5 per remaining calendar month, including the month the application is accepted, and half visits are rounded up. Official pages describe walk-up visits; they do not describe a pre-booked timeslot for ordinary household visits.

No vans over 5.3 metres or 3.5 tonnes are allowed on any of the recycling centres. Official site pages say 2 metre height barriers remain only at Spring Vale in Rochdale and Every Street in Bury. Pick-up trucks, campervans and minibuses can only use the larger sites listed on the official permit page (including Salford Road in Bolton, Cemetery Road in Radcliffe, Longley Lane in Sharston, Arkwright Street in Oldham, Chichester Road in Rochdale, Boysnope Wharf, Lumns Lane, Bredbury Parkway, Bayley Street in Stalybridge, and Chester Road in Stretford). Campervans and minibuses over 5.3 metres must use those larger sites but do not need a permit. Pick-up trucks still need a permit. Reliance Street in Manchester (M40 3EZ) is temporarily closed for improvement works. The official works page says it will reopen in early 2027; the Manchester area page still says 6 to 8 months.

What you can take, and what you cannot

The sites are for Greater Manchester residents’ household waste only. Business, trade or commercial waste is not allowed. If a builder, gardener or other tradesperson has done work at your home, Recycle for Greater Manchester classes that waste as trade waste. They say the trader should dispose of it at a trade waste facility or by using a skip, and may include that cost in the quote. You cannot get a permit for the trader.

Soil and rubble from your own DIY work can be taken, but only up to five 900 mm × 600 mm sacks per visit. Official pages do not say whether soil and rubble share one combined five-sack allowance or each have a separate five-sack limit. For larger DIY loads they advise hiring a skip. See soil and rubble: skip or tip? and the skip size helper.