General Licences

This general licence allows you to carry out a range of otherwise prohibited activities against specific wild birds if you’re a land owner, occupier or other authorised person. It is not a requirement to apply for this general licence, however, the conditions and regulations must be met.

You are an authorised person if you’re one of the following:

• the land owner, occupier or anyone authorised by the owner or occupier
• authorised in writing by the local authority
• authorised in writing by any England, Scotland or Wales conservation body, a district board for fisheries or local fisheries committee
• authorised in writing by the Environment Agency, a water undertaker or a sewerage undertaker

You can only use this licence to preserve public health or public safety.

You can’t use this licence to kill birds because they are damaging your property, such as your car or house, or if they’re a nuisance.