Statutory guidance

Licence to mark cage-trapped badgers to enable the identification of individuals administered with a BadgerBCG vaccine (CL49)

Updated 1 May 2025

Applies to England

Date of issue: 1 May 2025
Valid until: 30 November 2028
Reference: WML-CL49

This licence permits authorised persons to mark cage-trapped badgers that have been:

• given the badger Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine
• assessed as being unfit for vaccination

An authorised person is someone who has received written confirmation from Defra that they are registered by Natural England to mark badgers.

If the activity you plan to do is not covered by this licence, or if you cannot comply with its terms and conditions, you can apply to Natural England for an individual licence to take and mark badgers to enable vaccination.

What this licence permits

This licence permits you to mark cage-trapped badgers through:

• fur-clipping
• animal-safe spray paint

Who can use this licence

This licence is only available to authorised persons who have received confirmation from Defra that they are registered to use licence CL48, or vets who follow the registration guidance below.

You must also have either:

• successfully completed an approved vaccination training
• the appropriate knowledge and experience to mark cage-trapped badgers

It is your responsibility to keep your expertise and knowledge up to date while you use this licence.

Vet registration for CL49

A vet who is not registered on CL48 can apply to register for this licence. A registered and experienced person must confirm in writing that the vet has witnessed them fur clipping and spray marking a vaccinated badger in a cage trap. To do this, email the written confirmation to btbvaccination@naturalengland.org.uk.

Who cannot use this licence

You cannot use this licence if you have been convicted of a wildlife offence unless:

• you have served your conviction and are a rehabilitated person under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
• a court has made an order discharging you of the wildlife offence

You cannot use this licence if Natural England has withdrawn your permission to use it.

You cannot use this licence if the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has withdrawn your permission to use CL48.

If you’re not sure if you can use this licence, contact Natural England at btbvaccination@naturalengland.org.uk.

Where you can use this licence

You can use this licence in all English counties, except on land below a high-tide mark (a mark that shows the highest level that the sea or river reaches at a particular place).

You must get permission from the relevant landowner to access land you want to place traps on.

Land you want to place traps on could be a protected site. There are different types of protected sites, these include:  

• sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) 
• European sites, such as special protected areas (SPAs) and special areas of conservation (SACs) 
• Ramsar sites – a protected wetland area 

If you plan to use this licence on a protected site, or land that surrounds a protected site, you may need to follow extra conditions. Read Condition 6: protecting land, species and habitats for more information.

When you can use this licence

This licence is valid from 1 May 2025 to 30 November 2028 during each year’s open season (1 May to 30 November).

Breaching the conditions of this licence

If you do not follow the licence conditions, you may:

• have your licence withdrawn
• be committing an offence under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992
• be sent to prison for up to 6 months if convicted or given an unlimited fine, or both
• be unable to rely on this licence as a defence related to the prohibitions in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 or the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996
• be unable to use any other wildlife management licences you may have

Natural England will usually inform you within 28 days if they intend to withdraw your licence.

Licence conditions

You must meet all conditions of this licence.

You must also follow the conditions in Additional conditions for CL48 and CL49: to protect land, species and habitats when cage-trapping or marking badgers.

Condition 1: marking badgers

You can only use this licence (CL49) to mark badgers that have been:

• vaccinated
• assessed as unsuitable for vaccination

Condition 2: marking in the open season

You can only mark badgers in the open season. This runs from 1 May to 30 November each year.

Condition 3: marking methods

All marking must follow the guidance on how to cage-trap and mark badgers to enable vaccination to prevent the spread of bovine TB.

You must mark a badger:

• by clipping an area of fur roughly 6cm by 9cm (about the size of a playing card) on the middle of the back and below the shoulder blades
• with curved long-handled scissors to remove the outer dark guard hairs
• by spraying the clipped area with a brightly coloured animal-safe livestock marker

Do not spray near the badger’s eyes or face.

You must get written permission from Natural England if you wish to use alternative marking methods, such as microchipping.

Condition 4: protecting animal welfare

You must avoid causing any unnecessary suffering to badgers when using this licence.

When carrying out the authorised activities under this licence, you must follow all relevant legislation.

Advice: how to protect animal welfare

For further information, read the Animal Welfare Act 2006: what it means for wildlife.

Condition 5: veterinary assistance for an injured badger

You must have veterinary assistance planned to treat any injured badger. If any caught animal appears to be seriously injured, and it would be inhumane to release it, you must get advice from a vet immediately.

Condition 6: protecting land, species and habitats

If you need to carry out licensed activities on a protected site or on land that surrounds a protected site, you must follow the Additional conditions for CL48 and CL49: to protect land, species and habitats when cage-trapping or marking badgers. 

Contact Natural England at btbvaccination@naturalengland.org.uk for advice if you cannot comply with these conditions.

Condition 7: site visits for compliance monitoring

Licence users may be selected for compliance monitoring to check they are following this licence’s terms and conditions. 

If you’re asked to contact the relevant compliance authority (such as Natural England or whichever body Defra has appointed for this purpose) to accommodate an assessment of your compliance with licence conditions, you must:  

• allow the compliance authority to monitor your activity 
• help the compliance authority to arrange site visits 
• give the compliance authority reasonable notice of when you plan to take action under this licence (minimum of 10 days)

Condition 8: recording and reporting your activity

You must report all activity done under this licence to Defra and Natural England.

Keep your records for 18 months and give them to Natural England and Defra, if requested.

Information on how to record and report your activity will be provided in your registration confirmation email.

Legislation

You must follow all relevant legislation when carrying out authorised activities under this licence.

This licence is issued by Natural England under section 10(1)(c) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. This licence complies with Article 9(1) of the Bern Convention.

It is illegal to cause any unnecessary suffering to animals under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. This includes captured target and non-target animals held in traps. For further information, read the Animal Welfare Act 2006: what it means for wildlife.

Natural England authorises licence holders to mark badgers on a protected site or land that surrounds a protected site, as long as the licence holder meets the conditions in the Additional conditions for CL48 and CL49: to protect land, species and habitats when cage-trapping or marking badgers.

The common name for badgers is used in this licence for guidance only. If there are any legal disputes or proceedings, the scientific name (Meles meles) will be used.

Get help

For licensing enquiries contact us by:

Email at btbvaccination@naturalengland.org.uk Post at:

Wildlife Licensing
Operations Delivery
Natural England
Horizon House
Deanery Road
Bristol
BS1 5AH

For other enquiries contact the Enquiry Service by:

• telephone on 0300 060 3900
• email at enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk

Using and sharing your information

There is significant public interest in wildlife licensing and in people who have a wildlife licence, so we may make some of your information publicly available.

For more information, see our wildlife licencing privacy notice.