How much uranium is it legal to own without licence in UK?
How much uranium is it legal to own without licence in UK?
Short answer: there isn’t a simple mass limit — UK law controls radioactive activity (becquerels), not kilograms. Small amounts of natural uranium can be exempt from permit/licence requirements, but the exemption thresholds are expressed in Bq (activity) and depend on the material (ore vs concentrated uranium) and isotopic composition. (GOV.UK)
Key points (practical):
- The UK’s radioactive-substances rules use exemption/clearance values expressed in activity (Bq) rather than a fixed weight of “uranium”. You must check activity concentration and/or total activity of the consignment to know whether it’s exempt. (GOV.UK)
- For natural uranium ore the commonly applied activity concentration exemption is about 1 Bq/g (≈1,000 Bq/kg) and an exempt consignment activity is around 1,000 Bq (so modest samples of ore may be exempt). For uranium concentrate the concentration and consignment thresholds are higher (example figures used in guidance are ~10 Bq/g and ~10,000 Bq for a consignment). These are the practical values used in transport and exemption guidance — but the precise test depends on isotope mix and whether progeny are in secular equilibrium. (World Nuclear Transport Institute)
- Different rules apply to enriched uranium, to materials containing significant daughter nuclides, to bulk NORM materials, and to transport/import (which has separate consignment limits). Higher activities or enriched uranium require permits and regulatory control (Environment Agency/ONR). (GOV.UK)
- Devolved administrations: guidance is slightly different for Scotland (use Scottish rules) — check the relevant regulator for your part of the UK. (GOV.UK)
What I strongly recommend
- If you have a specific sample, measure (or obtain) the activity (Bq) or activity concentration (Bq/g or Bq/kg) and the isotope mix (natural vs enriched).
- Compare that to the UK exemption guidance (the government guidance on exemptions / Schedule 23 etc.). See the GOV.UK guidance on scope & exemptions and the Environment Agency RSR pages for permit info. (GOV.UK)
- If you’re unsure, contact the Environment Agency (or Office for Nuclear Regulation for some materials) or your local environmental regulator before buying/keeping any measurable uranium — they’ll give definitive advice for your case. (GOV.UK)