Game Dealers Licensing

Background
The Game Act 1931, Game Licences Act 1860 and the Deer Act 1991 form part of a large body of law which controls killing, taking and dealing in game. 'Game' includes pheasant, partridge, woodcock, snipe, hare, rabbit and deer. Much of the law is intended to prevent poaching.

Legislation and Licences
From 1st August 2007, the requirements for licences to take, kill or deal in game were repealed by the Regulatory Reform (Game) Order 2007. Further details are available from the Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) web pages and the order itself, links to which appear on the right of this page.

Although licences are no longer required for these activities, restrictions on poaching and taking game out of season still apply. If you require further information about any aspect of controls on game, you should make enquiry of Defra.

From 1 August 2007, the Regulatory Reform (Game) Order 2007 removed existing licensing requirements on taking, killing or dealing in game.

This means that those who deal in game will no longer have to hold a local authority licence or an excise licence.

Restrictions on dealing in game birds and venison during the close season will no longer apply. This means that anyone will be allowed to sell game and venison all year round provided the animals in question were lawfully killed.

There is no longer a requirement to keep records under section 11 of the Deer Act 1991, relating to the sale and purchase of venison, but you records to the level specified in EC Regulation 178/2002 must be kept if you sell game birds or venison. This will allow your business to hold records records with a level of detail commensurate with the size and nature of your activities.

If you deal in game birds or venison, you should check your source before you either:

• sell

• offer or expose for sale

• possess or transport for purposes of sale

This is because it would be an offence if you knew or had reason to believe that the game bird or venison offered for sale was unlawfully killed, taken or poached during the close season.

The new regulations will also remove the requirement for a licence to kill or take game.

Details on the new regime are available from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' web site or from the Defra Help line - 08459 33 55 77