Collection

Class licences for wildlife management

Register to use a class licence for activities that need specific skill or experience to avoid risk to the conservation or welfare of a protected species.

Published 1 January 2015
Last updated 1 January 2016 — see all updates

• From: Natural England

If you plan to act under the authority of a class licence you:

• must be registered to use most class licences
• need to apply to be registered for each licence you use
• remain eligible to use the licence(s) for as long as you remain registered
• meet the recording and reporting requirement for each licence

You should use a general licence for activities that have a lower risk for conservation or the welfare of a protected species.

For further information see Wildlife licences: when you need to apply.

Amphibians

1. Great crested newts: survey or research licence (level 1)

   • 26 February 2018
   • Form

2. Great crested newts: survey or research level 2 licence (CL09)

   • 26 February 2018
   • Form

Birds

1. Barn owls: licence to survey them to guide future development work (CL29)

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

2. Birds: licence to catch them on food premises

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

3. Birds: licence to kill or take them for air safety purposes

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

4. Hen harriers: licence to feed them on grouse moors (CL25)

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

Invertebrates

1. Bumblebees: licence for emergency release of non-native species for pollination and research

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

2. Bumblebees: licence to release non-native species in commercial premises for research

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

3. Little whirlpool ramshorn snails: licence to do ditch maintenance (CL14)

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

4. White-clawed crayfish: licence to catch them to carry out maintenance (CL23)

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

5. White-clawed crayfish: survey or research licence (CL11)

   • 26 February 2018
   • Form

Mammals

1. Badgers: licence for internal drainage boards to interfere with setts for drainage operations

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

2. Badgers: licence for the Forestry Commission to interfere with setts for forestry operations

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

3. Badgers: licence to interfere with setts (CL35)

   • 9 April 2018
   • Form

4. Bats: mitigation class licence to allow low impact work on bat roosts (CL21)

   • 19 June 2018
   • Guidance

5. Bats: survey class licence for volunteer bat roost visitors (level 1)

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

6. Bats: survey class licence for volunteer bat roost visitors (level 2)

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

7. Bats: survey or research licence (level 1)

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

8. Bats: survey or research licence (level 2)

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

9. Bats: survey or research licence (level 3)

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

10. Bats: survey or research licence (level 4)

    • 1 January 2018
    • Form

11. Edible dormice: licence to trap them

    • 1 January 2018
    • Form

12. Hazel dormice: survey or research licence (level 1)

    • 26 February 2018
    • Form

13. Hazel dormice: survey or research licence (level 2)

    • 26 February 2018
    • Form

14. Otters: licence to capture and transport those trapped in fisheries to prevent damage

    • 1 January 2018
    • Form

15. Water voles: licence to displace them for development projects (CL31)

    • 1 January 2018
    • Form

16. Water voles: licence to displace them for work on flood defences, water courses or drainage systems (CL24)

    • 1 January 2018
    • Form

Other

1. Licence for police forces to interfere with protected species during crime investigations

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

2. Licence to possess plants and animals for scientific purposes

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

3. Licence to sell animal specimens taken before October 1981

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

4. Wild animals: licence for individuals to possess specimens

   • 1 January 2018
   • Form

Published 1 January 2015
Last updated 1 January 2016 + show all updates

1. 1 January 2016 Page updated for new licences issued on 1 January 2016.
2. 1 January 2015 First published.