Guidance

Beavers: licence to capture, transport and re-release beavers or modify or remove beaver dams, burrows and lodges (CL50)

How to apply for a licence to capture, transport and re-release beavers or modify or remove beaver dams, burrows and lodges at any time of year.

• From: Natural England and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 2 September 2022
• Last updated: 1 January 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Valid from: 1 January 2024

Valid until: 31 December 2024

Reference: CL50

You can use this licence at any time of year. If you are a person registered under this licence, you can:

• capture, transport, possess or control live Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber)
• use the certified ‘Bavarian type’ trap to capture beavers
• re-release captured beavers
• modify or remove beaver dams, burrows and lodges
• possess and transport dead beavers or their body parts

This licence allows you to disturb beavers while carrying out the licensed actions. You cannot disturb beavers for any other reason. Disturbance includes any activity that is likely to affect an animal’s population numbers or distribution, or their ability to:

• survive
• breed, reproduce, rear or nurture their young
• hibernate or migrate

If you have a Natural England contract for a research project, you must only carry out licensed actions that are essential to the contract requirements.

Natural England issues this licence to allow activities that:

• prevent serious damage to livestock, animal feed, crops, growing timber, fisheries or any other property
• preserve public health or safety
• conserve wild animals or plants of conservation concern
• allow you to carry out scientific or educational work
• let you ring or mark a beaver or examine a ring or mark
• prevent the spread of disease

You must contact Natural England to apply for an individual licence if this licence does not cover the action you want to take.

Register to use the licence

To register for this licence, you must be one of the following:

• a beaver expert or specialist
• a member of a beaver management group
• someone with a Natural England contract for a science and conservation project

You must also do either of the following:

• attend a Natural England accredited training course
• have a Natural England contract to carry out a science and conservation project

You must complete registration before you can:

• use this licence
• authorise others to act under this licence as an accredited agent or supervised assistant

Email wildlife.scicons@naturalengland.org.uk to request a registration form for this licence.

If Natural England confirms your registration, you will receive a copy of the licence that will include the conditions you must follow.

Where you can use this licence

You can only use this licence in England. The licence applies to all counties in England, inland from where the sea reaches at low tide.

You do not need a licence for some beaver management activities.

COVID-19 

You should stay at least 2 metres from live, wild mammals to avoid passing COVID-19 to them. Only capture or handle live wild mammals if necessary and avoid going within 2 metres of known breeding sites or regularly used resting sites.  

If you cannot follow these guidelines, then you should:  

• minimise the time spent in close proximity and handling mammals 
• limit the number of people that come into close proximity or handle mammals 
• keep animals separate from other individuals as far as possible 

Under this licence, you should follow good hygiene practices, including:  

• wearing disposable gloves, or clean and disinfected non-disposable gloves 
• wearing a face covering when handling and close to any mammal 
• washing hands before and after being close to or handling mammals  

Face coverings, non-disposable gloves and overalls or other clothing should be washed or disinfected between uses when handling mammals.  

You should not carry out activities under this licence if you feel unwell, test positive for COVID-19 or live with someone who has, or might have COVID-19.  

Any products used to clean and disinfect equipment should be safe to use should there be contact with animals and must be used at an effective and safe dilution rate. ‘Safe4’ is an appropriate disinfectant and is considered effective against the virus at a dilution of 1:50. Other products can be used to clean and disinfect equipment.

Published 2 September 2022
Last updated 1 January 2024 + show all updates

1. 1 January 2024

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

2. 2 September 2022

   First published.