Licence - Deal in Game

Business Licences and Street Trading

From the 1st of August 2007 a licence is no longer required from the council to take or kill game and to deal in game.

To make an online request for information please click here.

New Game Licensing Regulations from 1st August.

The new regulations which came into force on 1st August 2007 will:

• remove the restriction on dealing in game birds and venison during the close season. This means that any person will be allowed to sell game and venison all year round provided the animals in question were only killed in the open season;
• remove the requirement for a licence to kill or take game; and
• remove the requirement for two licences for game dealers to sell game.

More guidance for game dealers and retailers on implementing the new regulations can be viewed at www.businesslink.gov.uk/gamelicensing.

In addition to removing various requirements and restrictions, the Regulatory Reform Order will introduce a new criminal offence to sell game birds which have been unlawfully killed or taken where the person concerned knew or had reason to believe that they were so killed or taken. The new offence is necessary to maintain the protection afforded to game birds during the close season whilst allowing the sale of game lawfully taken during the open season to be sold all year round.

Protections for wildlife during close seasons are not linked to the requirement for a game licence and these protections would be retained. Penalties for poaching game and shooting it outside the relevant open season and trespassing in season of game will be retained.