Statutory guidance

Bats: survey or research licence - level 2 (CL18)

Get a licence to take or disturb bats using your hand, artificial light, endoscopes and hand-held nets to survey for science, research and education.

Published 6 October 2014
Last updated 1 January 2021 — see all updates

• From: Natural England

• Applies to: England

Documents

Bats: survey or research licence - level 2 (CL18)

HTML

Details

This licence allows you to disturb or capture bats by hand or by using:

• torches
• endoscopes
• static hand-held nets

You can disturb but not handle hibernating bats.

You need a:

• level 1 licence if you only need to use a torch
• level 3 licence to use mist nets and acoustic lures
• level 4 licence to use harp traps
• separate personal licence to do anything not covered by this licence (for example to use rings and tags)

Register with Natural England

This is a class licence. You do not need to apply for it but you must register with Natural England first using the form to visit sites as a volunteer bat roost visitor or carry out a survey (Class-A34).

You do not need to send in this form if you have a personal survey licence for bats.

References

You usually need to send a reference form when you register for this licence if:

• you have not held a licence for the species or a similar species for the last 3 years
• you have a licence but want to add new methods

Report action taken

You must return a report of action taken under a bat survey or research licence form no later than 30 June each year, even if you’ve taken no action.

This form is also used to renew your registration.

Published 6 October 2014
Last updated 1 January 2021 + show all updates

1. 1 January 2021

   Annual licence update

2. 17 November 2020

   Accessible version added - HTML.

3. 5 May 2020

   Licence has been amended to state that reports of action taken must now be returned by 30 June each year.

4. 22 April 2020

   Reports of action taken must now be returned by 30 June each year (was 30 April).

5. 1 January 2020

   Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2020

6. 1 January 2019

   Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2019

7. 1 January 2018

   Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2018

8. 1 January 2017

   Annual licence update 2017.

9. 1 January 2016

   Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2016.

10. 1 January 2015

    new version of CL18 valid from 1 January to 31 December 2015.

11. 6 October 2014

    First published.