Bats: licence to take and possess live bats for rabies testing (GL25)
Use this general licence to capture and temporarily possess live bats to test for European bat lyssavirus and kill those with the virus.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
As an authorised person, you need a licence to capture, possess or transport live bats for the purpose of testing for European bat lyssavirus (EBLV),(EBLV), a type of rabies. You also need a licence to kill any bats with the virus.
You are an authorised person if you’re:
- a bat worker registered or working with the Bat Conservation Trust
- an employee of approved quarantine facilities engaged in official business
- an employee of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) acting under the direction of APHA veterinary inspectors while engaged in official business
- a member or fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
You do not need to apply for this general licence but you must meet its conditions and follow its instructions.
Details
As an authorised person, you need a licence to capture, possess or transport live bats for the purpose of testing for European bat lyssavirus (EBLV),(EBLV), a type of rabies. You also need a licence to kill any bats with the virus.
You are an authorised person if you’re:
- a bat worker registered or working with the Bat Conservation Trust
- an employee of approved quarantine facilities engaged in official business
- an employee of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) acting under the direction of APHA veterinary inspectors while engaged in official business
- a member or fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
You do not need to apply for this general licence but you must meet its conditions and follow its instructions.
Updates to this page
Last updated 1 January
-
Updated this licence to cover the period 1 January to 31 December 2025. Reworded several sections to make the information clearer.
Update history
2026-01-01 00:01
Updated this licence to cover the period 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030.
2025-01-01 00:01
Updated this licence to cover the period 1 January to 31 December 2025. Reworded several sections to make the information clearer.
2024-01-01 00:01
There is an update to this licence for 1 January 2024.
2023-01-01 00:15
Annual licence update, valid from 1 January 2023.