Bats: survey or research level 1 licence (CL17)

This licence allows you to disturb bats (but not hibernating bats) using torches.

To carry out other survey techniques you need a:

• level 2 licence to handlecapture bats by hand and use static hand-held nets or an endoscope
• level 3 licence to use mist nets and acoustic lures
• level 4 licence to use harp traps and acoustic lures

For survey, research or conservation work not covered by this licence you must apply for either:

• an individual licence
• a level 2 licence
• a level 3 licence
• a level 4 licence

For development work affecting bats, you must apply for a mitigation licence.

Register with Natural England

BeforeYou you can use this licence, you must register with Natural England usingbefore theyou registrationcan formuse this licence.

Register for a class licence to survey bats .

Natural England will confirm your registration in writing, usually within 30 working days. You must not carry out any licensed activities until you receive written confirmation of your registration.

What you need to pay

It costs £104 to register for a new CL17 licence.

It costs £35 a year to continue your registration.

You must declare the intended use of the licence on your registration form. To continue your registration, you must declare how you used the licence in the past year on your annual survey return form. This will determine if you need to pay, such as if you are going to survey bats for development projects.

Natural England will refund unsuccessful applications.

When you do not need to pay

You do not need to pay if the licence is only used for:

• voluntary purposes – any work you do is unpaid and you are registered with an organisation, charity or local recording group as a volunteer
• conservation, science or research purposes and research related to the protected species is carried out by a student or employee of an academic institution or research body

How to pay

You can pay using a bank card. Follow the GOV.UK Pay link on the registration form or survey return form.

Read the terms and conditions for paying for a wildlife licence.

References

You need to complete a reference to support a survey or research licence form when you register for this licence if you:

• have not held a licence for the species or a similar species for the last 3 years
• have a licence but want to add new methods

Report actionactions taken under this licence

You must completereport thein a bat survey licence return any actions that are taken under this licence. Report your actions from 1 November to 31 October and submit the form by 30 November each year, even if you’ve taken no action or did not find any target species.

You must reporttell yourus actionsabout fromall 1the Novembersurveys towhere 31you Octoberfound eachbats year.when Youusing mustthe listlicensable allmethods. surveysFor carriedCL17 outthese underwill thisbe licencesurveys where you founddisturbed bats.roosting bats, for example with a torch.

For each survey,site where you disturbed bats using the licensable methods, you must record:record the: 

• the bat species found
• survey

  location –of include the 10site (10 figure Ordnance Survey grid reference,reference site name, county and postcode (where available)county) 

• start and end date of eachthe surveyperiod that surveys took place 

• visit

  purpose typeof andyour roost typesurveys 

• total number of batseach youspecies observedof orbat capturedthat were disturbed using each licensable method over the entire survey period

• the

  peak purposecount of youreach species of bat recorded roosting on the site in any single survey

You’ll also need to detail whether you followed best practice when using the licence.

You cando alsonot recordneed additionalto informationtell suchus as:about surveys:

• where you did not use the sexlicensable andmethods, agefor ofexample, batsa foundnocturnal survey where you did not disturb any roosting bats 
• methodsthat youwere usedcarried forout thatunder surveya different licence, such as a bat mitigation licence 
• noteswhere onyou thewere surveyan site

You’llaccredited alsoagent needor toassistant detailon whetheranother youperson’s followedsurvey bestclass practicelicence

whenSubmit usinga thebat survey licence return

You must also send your results to the Local Record Centre. You can do this by recording your results on the iRecord website or contacting the Local Record Centre.

ContinueUsing your registrationlicence for another year

YouBy reporting your actions, you can continue to use the surveylicence returnfor formthe following reporting period. If you will use the licence for surveys to continueinform yourdevelopment registration.projects, Ityou costswill £35need ato yearpay £35 to continue your registration,registration unlessfor another year.

Get help

If you areneed exempt.help with registering for a class licence or completing your survey licence return form, contact wildlife.scicons@naturalengland.org.uk.