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Birds: licence to catch them on food premises (CL03)

Register for a licence to catch certain birds trapped on food premises and report actions under this licence.

Updates to this page

From:
Natural England
Published:
1 January 2015
Last updated:
15 September 2026
Show all updates

  1. Added links to new digital forms for registering for this licence as well as reporting actions taken under this licence.

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

  3. Updated this licence to cover the period 1 January to 31 December 2025. Reworded several sections to make the information clearer, including the sections on 'Definitions used in this licence', 'Registering to use this licence' and 'Recording and reporting requirements'. Additional species added to the section on 'What this licence permits' (carrion crow, magpie and woodpigeon). Updated licence condition 25 and the 'Avian influenza' advice note.

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

  5. Annual licence updates, valid from 1 January 2023.

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

  7. Annual licence update.

  8. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2020

  9. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2019

  10. Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2018

  11. Annual licence update 2017.

  12. Replaced licence with new version issued on 1 January 2016.

  13. terms and conditions updated for clarity

  14. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Licence to take birds trapped in food premises to preserve public health or safety (CL03)

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Details

This licence lets you catch certain wild birds that have become trapped on your premises if you’re the owner or manager of food premises. An individual food premises can register to use this licence, as well as the representative of a group of premises under the same ownership.

This licence covers:

  • blackbirds
  • blue tits
  • carrion crows
  • dunnocks
  • great tits
  • house sparrows
  • magpies
  • pied wagtails
  • robins
  • song thrushes
  • starlings
  • woodpigeons

This licence can only be used at premises that are registered with Natural England.

Birds can only be caught for the purpose of preserving public health or safety.

On this page you can:

Register with Natural England

You must register with Natural England before you can use this licence.

Natural England will confirm your registration in writing. You must not carry out any licensed activities until you receive written confirmation of your registration.

Complete the registration form

Complete the registration form for a new licence.

Register for a CL03 class licence to catch certain birds on food premises

Using your licence for another year

If you plan to use your licence for another year, confirm this on your submit a catching certain birds in food premises CL03 class licence report of action when you report the actions taken under this licence.

You should check for any amendments to the terms and conditions of the use of the latest published version of this licence.

Report actions taken under this licence

You must use the catching certain birds in food premises CL03 class licence report of action to report any actions taken under this licence. Report your action by 31 January each year, even if you’ve taken no action.

You’ll be asked about:

  • bird species involved
  • number caught
  • number released
  • method used

Report actions taken under the bird catching in food premises CL03 licence

Get help

If you need help with registering for a class licence or completing your licence return form, contact enquires@naturalengland.org.uk.

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