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Testing and Production API Codes

This document explains what API Codes are and where to use them.

What are the Production and Testing API Codes?

The production API Code (apiCode) is a mandatory (uuid) field used in a Request Body (receiveMovementRequest) of the Receipt API POST or PUT request. It is a unique sixteen byte identifier for the receiving organisation.

API Code listed in API Specification

Using the API Code

  • When software developers begin testing their software against the API, they need to provide a "Dummy" Test Code.
  • Once developers have been granted access to the Receipt of Waste API production environment, the Defra Team will issue receivers with an initial Production API Code. This is passed to software developers so that they can set up a working connection to the Receipt of Waste Production service. An organisation can have one or more apiCode. Following receipt of the initial apiCode, the apiCodes for an organisation are produced and managed by that organisation.

API Code as used in a PUT or POST request

{
  "apiCode": "1f83215e-4b90-4785-9ab2-2614839aa2e9",
  "dateTimeReceived": "2025-11-20T12:26:24.281Z",
  "reasonForNoConsignmentCode": "NO_DOC_WITH_WASTE",
  "wasteItems": [
    {
      "ewcCodes": [
        "200121"
      ],
      "wasteDescription": "Industrial waste containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and hazardous heavy metals from decommissioned electrical equipment and contaminated soil",
      "physicalForm": "Mixed",
      "numberOfContainers": 15,
      "typeOfContainers": "SKI",
      "weight": {
        "metric": "Tonnes",
        "amount": 1.2,
        "isEstimate": true
      },
      ... etc

Dummy Test Codes

There are ten dummy codes to choose from (see below). There are no restrictions, developers can select any code from the list. 

1. 1f83215e-4b90-4785-9ab2-2614839aa2e9

2. c1611aa6-e1ae-487f-9768-cb2b5e5b8afb

3. 5a6058cc-ac78-47e1-b1b3-37b5eca15cb2

4. 6f1f80e3-5c77-46cb-9766-f3d0f28039a6

5. 1a4a1076-f3c9-4aee-8b80-f548e1d745bb

6. 98093f51-a0b8-41a4-a349-a533a0dffd97

7. a3e264b7-21c1-4c6f-ae7e-52305336bbdd

8. 3ec44d7a-e319-494b-b8bb-d156d7004b61

9. 17ea0c22-668a-41b2-b5ad-83c954f314f1

10. 75ff9140-8617-406e-9163-2ba4907e645b

Dummy Code for error code 402 Unpaid Response

To test the 402 error response for the service charge payment expiry date, a single dummy code is available to test in a POST or PUT request.

a64f3f1a-f20b-4da2-8ff7-3b256dc77ce9
For example:

{
  "apiCode": "a64f3f1a-f20b-4da2-8ff7-3b256dc77ce9",
  "dateTimeReceived": "2025-11-20T12:26:24.281Z",
  "reasonForNoConsignmentCode": "NO_DOC_WITH_WASTE",
  "wasteItems": [
    {
      "ewcCodes": [
        "200121"
      ],
      ... etc

Changelog

You can find the changelog for this document in the Receipt API v1.0 API Codes GitHub wiki page


Page last updated on September 3rd 2026.