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Statutory guidance

Bats: licence to transport and possess dead bats for rabies testing (GL03)

Get a general licence to temporarily possess and transport dead bats for testing as part of the passive surveillance for bat rabies project.

Updates to this page

From:
Natural England
Published:
31 December 2013
Last updated:
1 January 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updated this licence to cover the period 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030.

  2. Updated this licence to cover the period 1 January to 31 December 2025. Reworded several sections to make the information clearer.

  3. There is an update to this licence for 1 January 2024.

  4. Annual licence update, valid from 1 January 2023.

  5. Annual licence update, valid from 1 January 2022.

  6. Annual licence update.

  7. Accessible version of licence added - HTML.

  8. From 15 April 2020, this licence now includes condition 2 (ii) to deal with non-urgent testing during the coronavirus outbreak.

  9. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2020

  10. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2019

  11. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2018

  12. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2017

  13. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2016

  14. Added updated general licence. New version valid between 1 January and 31 December 2015.

  15. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Licence to possess and transport dead bats as part of the passive surveillance for bat rabies project (GL03)

HTML

Details

You need a licence to temporarily possess and transport any species of dead bat that you send for testing under the passive surveillance programme for bat rabies.

This general licence only allows you to possess or transport dead bats so you can send them to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). You cannot possess or transport live or dead bats for any other reason with this licence.

You do not need to apply for this general licence but you must meet its conditions and follow its instructions.

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