Licence - game dealing
A licence is required to take or kill game and to deal in game.
Game licence legislation dates back to the nineteenth century.
Both the Game Act 1831, which applies to England and Wales only,
and the Game Licences Act 1860, which applies also to Scotland,
deal with similar offences concerning the taking and trading in
game without the appropriate licence.
This page provides only a brief overview of licensing
requirements and we recommend that you consult the
legislation or seek advice if you need to know the law in more
detail.
Licences to kill or take game
There are four types of game licence, each catering for
different periods of the year, taking into account the open seasons
for various game birds. They are colour coded and can be purchased
from Post Offices. The date and time of issue will
be shown on the licence, which will only be valid from that
particular time. The licence will, however, expire at midnight of
the day on which it is stated to expire. The holder's full name and
address and the amount of duty paid must also be shown on the
licence.
Not all licences are readily available from stock and there may
be a delay in issue, particularly in respect of the occasional
licence.
| Duration |
Colour |
Purpose |
| Taken out after 31 July and expiry 31 July following year |
Red |
Covers all open seasons for game birds and shooting of hares
where not exempt |
| Taken out after 31 July and expiry 31 October same year |
Green |
Popular for grouse shooters |
| Taken out after 31 October and expiry 31 July following
year |
Blue |
Popular for pheasant shooters |
| Occasional licence for any continuous period of 14 days |
Black |
Popular where game is perhaps shot only once during the
year |
Gamekeeper's licence
A gamekeeper's employer may obtain an annual gamekeepers licence
(at a lower cost than the normal twelve month licence). This
permits the gamekeeper to take or kill game on land where his
employer has the right to game. The licence is transferable should
a new gamekeeper be employed while it is still valid, and only
covers a person while they are employed as a gamekeeper.
If a gamekeeper wishes to shoot game on land where their
employer does not have right to game, then they must obtain a
licence in their own name.
Licences to deal in game
The Game Act 1831 requires dealers to be licensed in England;
the Game Licences Act 1860 extends the provisions relating to the
sale of game to Wales and Scotland. The sale of venison is covered
by separate legislation under the Deer Act 1991 (England and Wales)
and the Deer (Scotland) Act 1959.
Two licences required to trade in certain game species. A
council licence and an excise licence.
Council licences are obtained from us and are
not charged for, as we are content to register dealers for public
health purposes.
Excise licences are obtained from the post
office; it is a condition of issue that a council licence be
produced at the time of application.
The council licence will specify the business premises: an
excise licence is required for each one. Both licences expire on 31
July each year. The excise licence must be renewed; the council may
not require renewal of their licence, but this should be checked on
initial application.
Copies of the Game Act 1831 and Game Licences Act 1860 can be
purchased from Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
A copy of the legislation can be viewed at the address above
where you can also obtain an application form and a copy of our
standard conditions.
Applying for a licence
To apply for a licence please contact Environmental Health using
the contact details to the top right.