Waste facility and transporter licenses
Annual operating licenses issued for solid, hazardous and infectious waste activities cover a one-year period, from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. You may apply for a license at any point during the year, but the full amount of any applicable license fees will still be required.
Who needs a license
Transporters/haulers
You would need a waste transportation license if:
- you are transporting more than 20 tons of solid waste during a year;
- you transport hazardous waste from businesses or institutions (nonhouseholds); or
- you are transporting more than 50 pounds of infectious waste within any one calendar month. Visit the infectious waste page for more information.
For more information about specific types of waste that may require transporter licenses, see the following.
- Requirements for haulers of solid waste or recyclables [PDF]
- Information for waste tire haulers
- Information for used oil transporters/handlers [PDF]
Not everyone needs a state license to transport solid waste, recyclables, hazardous waste or infectious waste. For example, households hauling their own trash, recyclables, etc., do not need a transportation license. You can review the exemptions using the links below, but it is also a good idea to contact the DNR environmental program associate for your area to learn more about whether any of the exemptions apply to you.
- Transporting Hazardous Waste (WA-137) [PDF]
- Solid waste/recyclable transportation license exemptions are listed in s. NR 502.06(2), Wis. Adm. Code [exit DNR]
- Infectious waste transportation license exemptions are listed in s. NR 526.10(2), Wis. Adm. Code [exit DNR].
Recyclables Transporter Reporting Training
Haulers who transport municipal solid waste or municipal recyclables have additional special reporting responsibilities. DNR hosted trainings for these haulers in December 2021. Topics covered included a brief overview of legal requirements and information how haulers can assist municipal customers with recycling reporting.
For any questions about the training, contact Ariana Mankerian, recycling and solid waste reporting specialist.
Facilities
A DNR license is required for a solid waste landfill. For more information on siting a landfill, please see the landfill siting process.
In most cases, a DNR license is required for a compost facility, processing facility, storage facility, woodburning facility, incinerator or transfer station. See the following links for more details.
- Compost facility license information
- Information for waste tire transfer, storage or processing facilities
- Other nonlandfill solid waste facility license information
Facilities that treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste must be licensed by the DNR, unless the activity is specifically exempt from the licensing requirement. For more information, see the hazardous waste overview.
How to apply
Electronic payment options
Payments for plan review and license fees may be made electronically through the DNR's E-Pay system. For more information, visit E-Pay invoice payment options.
Transporter licenses
Application forms for solid waste/recyclables, hazardous waste and infectious waste transporters are available below. Before submitting any license application forms, please contact the DNR environmental program associate for the area of the state where your operation is located to get more information about the licensing process or to obtain other application materials. For out-of-state transport services, make your selection based on where the majority of your business will be conducted.
Note: Fillable PDFs currently only work in Internet Explorer, not in browsers such as Chrome, Edge or Firefox. You can find more information on the DNR's PDF help page.
Solid waste/recyclables
- Cover letter for Solid Waste and/or Recyclables Transporter License Information and Application Package [PDF]
- Solid Waste and/or Recyclables Transportation License Application (Form 4400-179) [PDF]
- S. NR 502.06, solid waste collection and transportation services [exit DNR]
Hazardous waste and/or PCB waste
Warning: Due to the fillable nature of these PDF forms, many current browsers will not open them properly.
- From a desktop computer, download the PDF form (right-click on the link, then select "Save link as" or "Save target as")
- Make a note of the file location and file name so you can access the file from your device.
- Do not double-click the file. Open the Adobe Reader software then select "File > Open" then browse to the PDF file you saved on your device. See PDF Help for additional information.
- Cover letter for Hazardous Waste and/or PCB Transporter License Information and Application Package [PDF]
- Hazardous Waste and/or PCB Waste Transportation License Application (Form 4400-086) [PDF]
- Social Security Number/FEIN Collection Request (Form 9400-568) [PDF]
- Ch. NR 663, hazardous waste transporter standards [exit DNR]
- Ch. NR 157, management of PCBs and products containing PCBs [exit DNR]
Infectious waste
- Cover letter for Infectious Waste Transporter License Information and Application Package [PDF]
- Infectious Waste Transportation License Application (Form 4400-205) [PDF]
- Social Security Number/FEIN Collection Request (Form 9400-568) [PDF]
- S. NR 526.10, infectious waste transportation and shipping [exit DNR]
Licenses for facilities handling solid or hazardous waste
For information on licensing a solid waste landfill, please see the landfill siting process.
For information on licensing a compost facility, processing facility, storage facility, woodburning facility, incinerator or transfer station, see the following links.
- Compost facility license information
- Information for waste tire transfer, storage or processing facilities
- Other nonlandfill solid waste facilities
- Information for used oil transporters/handlers [PDF]
For information on hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facility licensing, contact your regional hazardous waste management specialist.
Lists of licensed transporters and facilities
Lists of currently licensed waste transporters and facilities
The following links take you to interactive lists of license holders that you can sort and search based on your needs. You can also download spreadsheets of the lists.
Please note: "County" refers to the location of the licensed or registered operation, not its service area. A licensed or registered operation may service an area covering multiple counties or may operate statewide. Contact the licensee directly to see if it operates in your area. Licensed operations based outside Wisconsin are at the end of the list.
Lists of licensed landfills
Licensed landfill information is provided in the links below.
- List of solid waste landfills licensed in Wisconsin
- List of solid waste landfills licensed in Wisconsin, by county and waste type [PDF] (updated list coming soon)
- List of solid waste C&D small size landfills in Wisconsin [PDF]
- List of solid waste C&D intermediate size landfills in Wisconsin [PDF]
Facilities accepting tires
For a list of licensed facilities that accept tires for proper management, follow this link and select the facility types “Solid Waste Processing – General Not as Part of Landfill Operation” and all three “Solid Waste Transfer” options.