Natural England - Bats
Bats
Advice and legislation relating to bats.
Legal status
All species of bat and their breeding sites or resting places (roosts) are protected under Regulation 39 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) and Section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence for anyone intentionally to kill, injure or handle a bat, to possess a bat (whether live or dead), disturb a roosting bat, or sell or offer a bat for sale without a licence. It is also an offence to damage, destroy or obstruct access to any place used by bats for shelter, whether they are present or not.
For guidance on applying for licences see below.
Advice on bats
For advice about bats causing problems:
- for general advice contact your local bat advice service
- for licensing related queries Contact us.
- for advice leaflets visit the Advisory leaflets page
How to apply for a licence
Licences can be applied for using forms and guidance notes that can be downloaded from the European Protected Species page.
Rabies in bats
For information on rabies in bats see Rabies in Bats - European Bat Lyssaviruses (EBLV).
Form for Bat submissions for rabies screening.
Research reports
Monitoring bat populations (Bat Conservation Trust)
