Statutory guidance

Evidence to support your experience of controlling wildlife at night under licence

Published 23 February 2026

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deer-licence-to-kill-deer-at-night-by-shooting-cl55/evidence-to-support-your-experience-of-controlling-wildlife-at-night-under-licence

To register to use the CL55 licence to kill deer at night, you may need to provide evidence of your experience of controlling wildlife at night. You’ll need this evidence if you’re applying as a registered user who meets the conditions for eligibility in category 3. Check the eligibility conditions for the licence to kill deer at night by shooting (CL55).

Natural England will accept confirmation of your experience from the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).

Request evidence from the NFU

You can request evidence from the NFU by emailing Tb.enquiries@nfu.org.uk. You should send your email from the same address you previously used to register with the NFU.

To help the NFU with your request, provide the following information:

  • the purpose of your request (to register to use the Natural England Deer night shooting class licence CL55)
  • your full name, contractor number and contact details registered with the NFU
  • the year that you completed the controlled shooting training
  • any licensed control companies that you were associated with

The NFU will respond within 15 working days to confirm:

  • that you successfully completed controlled shooting government-approved training
  • the year that the government-approved training was completed
  • that following your training you were recorded as active under the licence

When you register to use the CL55 licence to kill deer at night, upload the NFU response as evidence of your experience.

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