Licences to cage-trap and mark badgers for bovine TB vaccination

Badgers can be given an injection of the badger Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine to help prevent the spread of disease.

Badgers are a protected species, so you need a licence to capture them before they are vaccinated.

You also need a licence to temporarily mark a badger to show it has been vaccinated or assessed as unfit for vaccination.

This page gives details on how to register for the 2 licences:

• CL48 is issued by Defra and allows you to use cage traps to capture badgers
• CL49 is issued by Natural England and allows you to temporarily mark badgers

You need to register and beb approved as an authorised person to use these licences.

If your registration is successful, you will receive the relevant licence for the activity you plan to do (either cage trapping only or cage trapping and marking). For example, if you’re approved to cage trap and mark badgers, you will receive both licences.

How to register

Register by completing the form linked on this page.

You cannot act under either of these licences until you’ve received written confirmation that you are an authorised person.

Before you register you must:

• complete the Bovine TB: Badger vaccination training
• be satisfied you can meet all conditions in the licences you plan to use
• be satisfied you can meet all conditions in the Additional conditions for CL48 and CL49: to protect land, species and habitats when cage-trapping or marking badgers relevant to your planned activities

If your registration is unsuccessful, or you’re not eligible to use CL48 or CL49, you can apply to Natural England for an individual licence to take and mark badgers to enable vaccination. Contact Natural England at btbvaccination@naturalengland.org.uk.

Get help

Defra is responsible for the authorised person registration process.

If you have queries on how to register as an authorised person, contact Defra at badger.vaccination@defra.gov.uk.