Last reviewed: 25 September 2026. This guide explains how to apply for a scrap metal licence in Kenya, the current prescribed licence fees, the documents the Scrap Metal Council asks applicants to prepare, and the main licensing stages.
Quick answer: scrap metal dealing in Kenya is regulated by the Scrap Metal Council (SMC). Applications are made through the Council's online licensing system. Before applying, identify the correct user category, prepare the required business and director documents, create a portal account, upload the application, and proceed through secretariat and Council review.
The prescribed licence fee depends on the type of user and the scrap-metal quantity band. The table below reflects the Scrap Metal Council's current published fee schedule and the corresponding fee categories published in the Scrap Metal Dealers Rules available through Kenya Law.
| User category | Scrap-metal quantity | Prescribed fee |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed dealer, miller or smelter | Over 5,000 kg | KES 250,000 |
| Agent | 3,000–5,000 kg | KES 150,000 |
| Collector or Jua Kali operator | 0–2,999 kg | KES 50,000 |
| Steel fabricator; motor vehicle salvage operator; stockist of second-hand metal parts; electrical rewinder; local welding-machine fabricator | Any amount | KES 50,000 |
Government fee source: Scrap Metal Council fee schedule and the Scrap Metal Dealers Rules. Confirm the amount displayed on the licensing portal before payment because regulatory fees can change.
Section 10 of the Scrap Metal Act provides that an application is accompanied by the prescribed fee. Rule 9(4) of the published Scrap Metal Dealers Rules states that the licensing application should be accompanied by proof of payment of the prescribed fees. Applicants should therefore follow the payment instructions generated by the current Council portal and retain the payment evidence for submission.
Biz Brokers Kenya's application-support fee is quoted separately after reviewing the applicant's category, premises and documents. Government fees and third-party costs are separate unless expressly included in a written quotation.
Our application support can include: licence-category assessment, document and premises-readiness review, application preparation, portal filing support, and regulatory follow-up on clarification or verification requests.
The Scrap Metal Council currently instructs applicants to prepare the following documents in PDF before applying:
The portal upload checklist is not the entire compliance test. The Scrap Metal Council Regulatory Manual also identifies requirements such as an operating premise, prescribed signage, payment of the prescribed fee, a valid Certificate of Good Conduct, Tax Compliance Certificate and a valid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Certificate.
The Scrap Metal Council's current published licensing materials, together with the published Scrap Metal Dealers Rules, identify environmental documentation for the business premises, including the relevant environmental impact assessment and waste-management documentation or summary project report where applicable. The published requirements also identify proof of payment and association membership documentation.
Association membership: the Council's public licensing page specifically asks for a Scrap Metal Dealers Association membership number and certificate. The Council's regulatory manual uses broader wording referring to Scrap Metal Dealers, Smelters or Manufacturers Associations. Applicants should confirm the association applicable to the particular licence category.
If you are still setting up the business entity, see our company registration in Kenya service before starting the licence application.
The Council's published licensing process is:
Open the official SMC licensing portal
Statutory decision period: 30 days. Section 10(3) of the Scrap Metal Act provides that the Scrap Metal Council shall approve or reject an application within 30 days from the date of application.
The 30-day provision should be distinguished from the practical end-to-end preparation time. Before the Council can decide, the file may require premises inspection, verification, clarification or further information. The published licensing requirements allow the Council to request additional information and indicate that an application may not proceed where requested information is not supplied.
For planning purposes, applicants should therefore aim to submit a complete and internally consistent file rather than treating the statutory 30-day period as a guaranteed completion date in every administrative circumstance.
The current Kenyan framework uses user categories such as licensed dealer, miller, smelter, agent, collector, Jua Kali operator and specified fabrication, salvage, stockist and electrical-rewinding activities. The Rules also define a collector as a mobile collector operating in a designated area and handling quantities that do not exceed 3,000 kg per transaction.
The correct category matters because it affects the prescribed fee and the way the Council assesses the activity. Applicants should describe the actual activity, premises and expected scrap-metal volumes rather than selecting a category only by price.
Exporter / importer note: the Scrap Metal Council's current FAQ lists exporters and importers among persons who may apply for licensing. However, scrap-metal exports remain subject to the separate statutory restrictions in the Scrap Metal Act. An exporter profile or licence category should therefore not be treated as automatic authority to export scrap metal.
For most applicants, the licensing file sits within a wider business-compliance setup. A practical startup checklist is:
For related county and sector approvals, see our business licensing and registrations in Kenya services.
Section 11 of the Scrap Metal Act provides that a licence granted or renewed under the Act is generally valid for one year. The licence specifies the authorized premises and other conditions imposed by the Council. The published Scrap Metal Dealers Rules state that the licence identifies the business premises authorized for scrap-metal dealings.
Category-specific Council guidance: the Council's current FAQ lists a one-year period for dealer and importer licences, but states six months for exporter and miller licences. Because this administrative guidance is more category-specific than the Act's general one-year rule, applicants in those categories should confirm the expiry date shown on the current portal and on the licence actually issued.
Renew before expiry and keep supporting documents current. Expired permits, tax-compliance certificates, association documentation or police-clearance documents can create problems during review or inspection.
Kenyan law restricts dealing in scrap metal without the required Council licence and association membership. The Council states that a first offence can attract a fine of up to KES 10 million, imprisonment for up to three years, or both; a second or subsequent offence can attract a fine of up to KES 20 million, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
Licence holders also have continuing duties concerning signage, records, registers, source identification, authorized premises and other operational controls. Licensing should therefore be treated as an ongoing compliance obligation, not a one-time registration exercise.
Scrap-metal export is generally prohibited under the Scrap Metal Act. Specific scrap metal may only be exported where the statutory authorization requirements are satisfied, including the required recommendation/authorization process and a certificate for the consignment. A licensing profile or exporter category does not by itself amount to permission to export.
The Council's published licensing requirements allow it to request further information relevant to an application. Applicants should respond promptly and completely because failure to supply requested information can prevent the application from proceeding.
The Council's published licensing requirements provide for inspection of the proposed premises as part of the licensing process. Premises details, lease or title documentation, signage and environmental compliance should therefore be ready for verification.
Professional review: Edward Omondi, Biz Brokers Kenya — Business Registration & Regulatory Compliance Consultant. His work includes Kenyan business licensing, registrations and regulatory applications. View Edward Omondi's professional profile.
This page is a practical licensing guide. The Scrap Metal Council determines whether an application satisfies the statutory and regulatory requirements and may request additional information, verification or inspection.
Send us your business/entity name, county and premises location, intended activity, estimated scrap-metal volume, documents already available, and target start date. We can review the file, identify gaps and quote separately for application support.
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