Collection

Water vole licences

Licences for activities affecting water voles.

• From: Natural England and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 9 October 2014
• Last updated: 16 June 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 16 June 2025

     Added strategic licence.

  2. 21 December 2022

     Link changed to direct applicants to the new water vole mitigation licence information.

  3. 1 January 2016

     Added licence for displacing water voles for development.

  4. 9 October 2014

     First published.

Find out how water voles are protected.

Licences to take, disturb or damage and destroy burrows

The strategic licence is being trialled in limited areas.

• Water voles: apply for a mitigation licence (A11)
  • 25 July 2025
  • Form
• Water voles: strategic licences
  • 1 July 2026
  • Guidance

Licences to displace water voles

• Water voles: licence to displace them (CL31)
  • 1 January 2026
  • Statutory guidance
• Water voles: licence to displace them for work on flood defences, water courses or drainage systems (CL24)
  • 1 January 2026
  • Statutory guidance

Licence to possess or sell water voles

• Licence to sell animal specimens taken before October 1981 (CL07)
  • 1 January 2026
  • Statutory guidance

Licence to survey or research water voles

• Protected species licence for science, education or conservation (A29)
  • 1 April 2025
  • Form