Guidance

What a gangmaster's licence is and who needs one

Published 7 April 2026

Gangmasters provide workers to specific sectors. These are called the regulated sectors. 

The regulated sectors are:  

• agriculture  

• horticulture  

• shellfish gathering  

• food processing and packaging  

You’re also a gangmaster if you: 

• use workers to gather shellfish 

• buy a crop and use your own or other workers to harvest, process or pack it 

• use a worker to provide a service to another person to do work in the regulated sectors, for example under a service contract 

Gangmasters must have a licence from the Fair Work Agency (FWA). This is a legal requirement, defined in the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004.  

This guidance is a broad description on the activities covered by the Act. There’s also more detailed guidance, which more closely references the legislation.  

If you’re not sure if you need a licence, contact us by:

• email at licensing@fairworkagency.gov.uk 

• phone on 0345 161 6000

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except public holidays) 

Find out about call charges

You could face up to 10 years in prison if you supply workers to the regulated sectors without a gangmaster’s licence.  

What ‘labour provider’ means  

You’re a labour provider if you introduce a worker in any way to a labour user. It does not matter how formal or informal the arrangement is.  

For example, you’re a labour provider if you:  

• have a contract with a worker and provide them to a third party for temporary work – the contract with the worker can be for services or employment  

• introduce a worker to a third party for direct employment with them for permanent or fixed-term recruitment or employment   

• source candidates and forward details to another labour provider or labour user to do work in the FWA licensed sectors – this includes sending CVs or completed application forms  

• screen candidates for work in the regulated sectors – it does not matter if the end client employs the worker  

What ‘worker’ means  

 The licensing scheme applies to all workers, including:  

• permanent workers  

• employees  

• temporary or agency workers  

• self-employed workers  

• family members  

• volunteers   

If you’re based outside the UK  

If you’re based outside the UK but provide workers to the regulated sectors within the UK, you must have a gangmaster’s licence. Check you’ve met the right to work requirements for workers before applying for a gangmaster’s licence. 

Licensing for payroll agencies  

Payroll agencies must be licensed if they employ a worker directly for any of the regulated sectors.   

A payroll agency does not need to be licensed if it only handles payroll for a labour provider without having a contractual relationship with the worker. 

Licensing for the agriculture sector   

This section lists the types of agricultural work covered by licensing.  

Working with livestock   

Working with livestock covers anything associated with the rearing of animals for human consumption, including mucking out.  

Animals include:   

• bulls kept and used for artificial insemination  

• cows

• sheep  

• pigs   

• poultry for meat and eggs 

Dairy farming  

This includes:  

• shepherding  

• relief milking  

• pasteurising milk   

• administrative tasks integral to the production process, such as maintaining milk yield records or ordering feed and fertilisers  

Poultry work  

This includes:   

• caring for or rearing poultry – including scattering litter and bird placement   

• cleaning poultry sheds – including using machinery to move or remove litter and dust, and using pressure hoses and chemicals   

• using forklifts to load lorries  

• washing equipment down ready to move to the next site   

• checking for damage around sheds  

Growing and harvesting produce  

This includes growing and harvesting:  

• fruit  

• herbs  

• vegetables  

• arable crops   

• vines and grapes for wine making  

Growing and harvesting non-edible crops  

This includes growing and harvesting: 

• bio-fuels
• bulbs
• flowers
• plants

Using land   

This includes using land for:

• market gardens
• nursery grounds
• grazing
• meadow
• pasture
• an orchard

Rearing non-traditional animals and insects  

This includes rearing:

• alpacas
• deer
• ostriches
• rabbits  

Maggot and worming farming is also considered to be agricultural work.  

Agricultural mechanics  

Work done by an agricultural mechanic where the mechanic is employed directly by a farmer.  

Agriculture work not covered by licensing  

Agricultural work not covered by licensing includes:   

• a worker doing only distributive duties, such as transporting milk from a farm  

• artificial insemination  

• blacksmithing  

• chick sexing  

• collecting fallen livestock  

• fencing  

• fish farming (however, fish processing is covered)  

• gathering of wild creatures or wild plants  

• game keeping  

• looking after gardens  

• groundsperson looking after playing fields or a golf course  

• hedging, ditching and drainage  

• peat walling  

• producing arable fertiliser  

• rearing game  

• seed analysis  

• working at hunting or racing stables  

• working with non-food chain animals, for example, a zookeeper  

If you’re not sure if you need a licence, contact us by:

• email at licensing@fairworkagency.gov.uk 

• phone on 0345 161 6000

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except public holidays) 

Find out about call charges

Licensing for processing and packaging of food, drink or other produce   

Processing and packaging any product derived from agriculture, fish or shellfish is covered by the licensing scheme.    

Types of food and drink  

Processing and packaging of food and drink products covered by licensing includes:  

• airline food  

• alcohol  

• animal feed  

• baby food  

• biscuits  

• bread  

• cakes  

• carbonated drinks that contain agricultural products, for example flavoured carbonated mineral water (unflavoured mineral water is not included)  

• cereals  

• confectionery, chocolate, sweets and chewing gum  

• concentrated drinks  

• crisps  

• dairy products, such as cheese, milk and yoghurt   

• dips  

• edible oils, such as rapeseed, soya, corn and sunflower  

• fish   

• flour  

• fresh produce  

• fruit juice  

• meat and meat products  

• pet food  

• pizza 

• ready meals 

• salad  

• sandwiches  

• shellfish  

• soup  

• soft drinks that contain agricultural products (unflavoured mineral water is not included)  

• spices and condiments, except salt 

• sugar  

Processing and packing activities   

Production line work  

Production line work includes:  

• checking and weighing raw materials  

• preparing and sorting materials to be processed  

• checking machine settings   

• loading bottles, tins, containers and packaging  

• feeding in produce to be processed  

• preparing and processing produce  

• taking samples and carrying out quality checks  

• removing the processed product  

• operating conveyor and processing equipment and machinery  

• daily cleaning and maintenance of machinery  

• removing, washing or taking back trays  

Cleaning areas away from the immediate production line area is not covered by licensing.   

Processing work  

Meat processing incudes all butchery activities, such as cutting and dressing meat or poultry.  

All types of fish and shellfish processing is covered.    

The processing and packing of flowers and bulbs, including preparing bouquets.  

Packaging work  

Food and drink packaging work includes packing products by hand or by machine.    

Packaging work includes:  

• selecting packaging  

• operating packaging, canning, bottling and sealing machinery  

• packing products by hand  

• preserving perishable products  

• packing items to prepare a product for sale  

• weighing packaged products  

• labelling packaged products  

• breaking down pallets of food and drink into cases or part pallets  

• putting packed food items into other containers – such as packets of crisps into boxes or products into hampers   

• repackaging in a different place from where the product was previously packed    

Work that is not considered part of processing or packaging   

Tasks not covered by licensing include:  

• on-site engineers who support the operation of a production line    

• engineers who visit a site to carry repair or service production lines  

• fork-lift truck drivers who have no other role in food and drink processing and packaging  

• halal blessers whose sole act is blessing the meat processing   

• loading lorries  

• driving lorries to transport produce  

If you’re not sure if you need a licence, contact us by:

• email at licensing@fairworkagency.gov.uk 

• phone on 0345 161 6000

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except public holidays) 

Find out about call charges

Licensing for shellfish gathering  

Shellfish means all types of crustaceans and molluscs.    

Any part of shellfish, from an egg to the point of maturity, is covered.  

This includes:  

• any part of a shellfish, including the shell or any part of the shell  

• any brood, ware, halfware, spat, spawn of shellfish   

Exclusions from the licensing scheme  

There are specific and limited activities that do not need to be licensed, if certain conditions are met.  

These are defined in the exclusions from licensing guidance.  

Comprehensive definitions are explained in the exclusion regulations for the UK and exclusion regulations for Northern Ireland. 

If you’re not sure if you need a licence, contact us by:

• email at licensing@fairworkagency.gov.uk 

• phone on 0345 161 6000

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except public holidays) 

Find out about call charges