Form: Bats: licence to disturb or take bats for science or conservation (A34, Class-A34 and LR34)
Updated: Separate class licence registration form Class-A34 added for volunteer bat roost visitor and survey use.
Personal licences
You should use form A34 to apply for a personal:
- research licence for scientific projects
- licence for photography or other special projects
To apply for a personal licence you need to include a project plan showing the objectives of the project and why the work is necessary.
Volunteer bat roost visitor licences
You should use form Class A-34 to register for a:
- level 1 volunteer bat roost visitor (VBRV) licence (allows you to do visits for Natural England’s bat advice service)
- level 2 VBRV licence (allows you to train new volunteers towards their level 1 licence)
- bat survey licence for science or education
When applying for your first level 1 VBRV licence you must:
- have your application form endorsed by a registered and licensed trainer
- be registered as a Natural England volunteer (email batvolunteers@naturalengland.org.uk to do this)
When applying for your first level 2 VBRV licence you must:
- already have a level 1 licence
- already be registered as a Natural England volunteer
- have completed Natural England’s ‘train the trainer’ course
You’ll need a different licence to capture, disturb or transport bats, or damage their roosts.
References
You may need to complete a reference form when you apply for these licences if you:
- haven’t held a licence for the species or a similar species for the last 3 years
- have a licence but want to add new methods
How to report your actions
You must report any actions you took using these licences on the report form LR34 on this page. You must a report no later than 2 weeks after your licence expires, even if you’ve taken no action. Send your completed form by post or email to Natural England using the details on the form.