United Kingdom · guide · 7 September 2026
What does C3 mean on an Environment Agency CAR?
C3 is risk category 3 under the Compliance Classification Scheme (CCS). It appears on a Compliance Assessment Report (CAR) when the Environment Agency records a breach of a permit condition that could have a minor impact on human health, quality of life or the environment if not addressed. Source: EA assessing and scoring guidance (OGL v3.0).
What C3 means
Category 3 — 4 points — associated with a minor impact on human health, quality of life or the environment.
The score reflects the reasonably foreseeable impact if the issue is not addressed (except for amenity conditions such as odour, dust, noise, or pests, which are scored on actual impact).
Examples of C3 breaches
Typical C3 findings include:
- Missing or late monitoring records with no environmental consequence.
- Minor site infrastructure defects (signage, containment, housekeeping).
- Failure to notify the EA of a minor change or incident within the required timeframe.
- Incomplete management system documentation where no actual impact occurred.
The EA officer determines the category based on published criteria. This guide does not advise whether a specific finding should be C3 or another category.
How C3 scores accumulate
A single C3 non-compliance adds 4 points to your site's year-to-date CCS score. If the same CAR records several findings under one permit condition, they are usually consolidated into one score for that condition — so you may see multiple C3 findings but only one C3 score per condition on the summary.
Scores accumulate over the calendar year. At year end, your total determines your compliance band (A to F). See our CCS scores guide for the full band thresholds.
Will C3 increase my permit fees?
Compliance bands affect subsistence charges. Band C begins at 10.1 points. A single C3 score (4 points) alone will not move a site from band A to band C, but multiple C3 scores or a mix of C3 and higher categories can push the year-end total above 10 points. See our fees guide for how bands affect charges.
What to do after receiving a C3 score
The CAR will explain what action is required and by when. You should address the issue by the stated deadline. The EA may request evidence that the breach has been corrected, either at a follow-up inspection or by submitting photographs or written confirmation.
What CARBrief does with C3 scores
We extract the C3 findings from the CAR, link them to the relevant permit conditions, and include them in your year-to-date CCS total and band projection. We do not re-score the EA's assessment.
Common questions
What does C3 mean on a CAR?
C3 is risk category 3 under the Compliance Classification Scheme. It is assigned to breaches that could have a minor impact on human health, quality of life or the environment if not addressed. A C3 non-compliance scores 4 points.
How many points does C3 add to my CCS score?
A single C3 non-compliance adds 4 points to your site's year-to-date CCS score. If several findings are recorded under one permit condition, they may be consolidated into a single C3 score for that condition.
Will a C3 score affect my permit fees?
CCS scores accumulate over the calendar year. At year end, your total score determines your compliance band (A to F). Bands C and above can increase subsistence charges for the following year.