Beaver reintroduction and management in England
Find out how to manage beavers on your land, and about reintroducing beavers in England.
Managing beavers on your land
Eurasian beavers are a protected species in England. Find out how to manage beavers on your land with and without a licence, and how to record sightings of beavers and beaver activities.
Licences to manage beavers on your land
You must have a licence for certain activities that affect beavers, their resting places or their ability to breed.
There are 3 beaver class licences to modify or remove beaver habitats:
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CL52 – for farmers, landowners, fishery managers or foresters outside the beaver breeding season
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CL51 – for land, water or fishery managers or those who work for a public body or authority
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CL50 – for experts, specialists or those in a beaver management group
A12: use this mitigation licence to carry out works that may affect beavers in ways that would otherwise be illegal.
GL44: use this general licence to temporarily possess and move dead beavers for post-mortem testing.
GL22: use this general licence to immediately re-release beavers that have been accidentally taken from the wild, for example in a trap set for another species.
Approach to reintroducing beavers in England
Beavers are being reintroduced as a native species in England. Find out about the government’s approach to releases into the wild and enclosures.
Releasing beavers into the wild: guidance and licensing
You need an A69 licence to release beavers into the wild in England.
Releasing beavers into enclosures: licensing
You need an A03 licence to release beavers into a secure enclosure in England.
Updates to this page
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Added a link to new guidance about releasing native beavers into secure enclosures.
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First published.