Water voles: licence to displace them (CL31)
Register for a licence to displace water voles to allow work that could disturb them or damage their burrows and report your actions.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
You must have a licence to displace water voles.
This licence allows you, as the registered person, to intentionally displace water voles by damaging or destroying their burrows. This includes:
- removing vegetation back to bare earth in spring and autumn
- carrying out a destructive search of water vole burrows after an appropriate monitoring period, after removing vegetation
Intentionally disturbing water voles by displacement is a method of reducing harm to them where work is to take place. Read the licence document on this page for more details.
You can only use this licence for projects that:
- preserve public health or safety
- prevent serious damage
- are for reasons of overriding public interest
You should apply for an individual licence if you cannot follow the terms and conditions of this licence.
Register to use this licence
You must register with Natural England before you can use this licence.
You can only use this licence if you’re an:
- ecological consultant registered to use it - the ‘registered person’
- accredited agent of the registered person
- assistant working under the direct supervision of the registered person or accredited agent
Pay for your licence
You need to pay for a CL31 licence.
New registrations cost £60.£104.
It costs £50£35 a year to renew your licence registration.
Read the terms and conditions for paying for a wildlife licence.
How to pay
You can pay using a bank card. Follow the GOV.UK Pay link on the application form.
Report your actions
You must report any actions you took while using this licence. Use the online reporting, monitoring and licence renewal form for CL31 licences.
You must submit your report by 31 January each year, even if you’ve taken no action.
There is a monitoring element to the online form. This information allows Natural England to assess the effectiveness of displacement as a new licensed activity.
Renew your licence
It costs £50£35 a year to renew your licence.
Complete the online reporting, monitoring and licence renewal form for CL31 licences.
Updates to this page
Last updated
-
Changed the scientific name of water voles to Arvicola terrestris for the purpose of this licence. We have added a new information and advice note (note f).
Update history
2025-04-01 00:01
Updated licence charges.
2025-03-05 11:48
Changed the scientific name of water voles to Arvicola terrestris for the purpose of this licence. We have added a new information and advice note (note f).
2025-03-03 10:00
Added a link to the updated ‘Register for a licence to displace water voles’ form.
2025-02-10 16:03
We are currently making improvements to our licensing forms.The register for a licence form on this page will change to a new format in early March 2025.Once this happens, the current version of the form will no longer be available.
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, including the sections on ‘Registering to use this licence’ and ‘Recording and reporting requirements’. Amended licence conditions (conditions 10, 12, 14 and 22) and information and advice notes (note f and note g). Added additional licence conditions (conditions 5, 9, 11, and 24); these have been renumbered following the addition of the new conditions. Licence note ‘c’ has become note ‘a’.
2024-01-01 00:01
There is an update to this licence for 1 January 2024.
2023-01-01 00:15
Licence updated to cover new purposes and to permit autumn displacement of water voles. Annual updates valid from 1 January 2023.
2022-12-15 15:14
Added an online form titled ‘Report and monitor your actions and renew your CL31 water vole class licence’. This replaces reporting form LR31 and monitoring form MON-CL31.
2022-08-24 16:47
Removed charge form as the way to renew a licence to displace water voles for development will change before the next renewal date.
2022-08-22 14:24
Updated guidance on how to register for a licence to displace water voles for development projects.