What the four nations actually allow

Animal welfare is devolved, and since 2023 the four nations have genuinely diverged. This is the same practice compared across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the primary source and a last-checked date against every cell.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026; the oldest cell on this page was last checked against its primary source on 22 August 2026. Every cell carries its own date and source below. Data: /api/law.json.

This is a description of the law, not legal advice. Every row links to the primary source and carries the date it was last checked. Check the source before relying on it — general licences are reissued each January and commencement dates move.

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Companion animals

Can a dog's tail be docked?

Removing part of a dog's tail is an offence across the United Kingdom, and all four nations allow an exception for puppies certified as likely to work. What that exception covers differs in every one of them, so the same litter can be lawfully docked in one nation and not in another.

England

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
6 April 2007
Instrument
Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1

Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 except where these regulations apply. A veterinary surgeon may dock a puppy of not more than five days old on being shown evidence that it is likely to work in connection with law enforcement, lawful pest control or the lawful shooting of animals. Schedule 1 covers hunt point retrieve breeds, spaniels and terriers of "any type or combination of type", so a cross-bred dog can fall within the exemption.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Wales

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
29 March 2007
Instrument
Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (Wales) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1

Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 except where these regulations apply. Schedule 1 names individual breeds of spaniel, terrier and hunt point retriever and adds "but not combinations of breeds", so a cross-bred dog is outside the exemption in Wales even where the same dog would be within it in England.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Scotland

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
28 June 2017
Instrument
Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2017, regulation 2

Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 20 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. Scotland allowed no exemption at all until these regulations came into force on 28 June 2017. The exemption covers spaniels and hunt point retrieve breeds and, unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, not terriers. Not more than the end third of the tail may be removed, the puppy must be five days old or less, and the veterinary surgeon must be shown evidence that the dog is likely to be used in connection with lawful shooting.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
1 January 2013
Instrument
Welfare of Animals (Docking of Working Dogs' Tails and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 6 of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 except where these regulations apply. The veterinary surgeon must be satisfied that the puppy is not more than five days old and that its dam is of a breed specified in Schedule 1 to the Act, and must be shown evidence that the dog is likely to work in connection with law enforcement, lawful pest control or the lawful shooting of animals.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Can a shop or dealer sell a puppy it did not breed?

Commercial sale of a puppy or kitten by anyone other than its breeder, the subject of the campaign known as Lucy's Law, is prohibited through pet-selling licence conditions in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has consulted but has not yet made equivalent rules.

England

Banned
In force from
6 April 2020
Instrument
Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, Schedule 6, paragraph 1(1)(a)

A licensed pet seller must not advertise or offer for sale a dog that was not bred by the licence holder. The condition was inserted by the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 and applies to sales made on or after 6 April 2020.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Scotland

Banned
In force from
1 September 2021
Instrument
Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, Schedule 7, paragraph 2(1)(a)

A licence holder must not advertise or offer for sale an animal that was not bred by the licence holder, with an exception for an animal over twelve months old acquired for breeding. The same schedule prohibits selling a puppy or kitten under eight weeks old or separating it from its mother before that age.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Wales

Banned
In force from
10 September 2021
Instrument
Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Wales) Regulations 2021

Licence conditions require that a puppy or kitten offered for sale was bred by the licence holder, which removes the commercial third-party seller from the chain. The regulations came into force on 10 September 2021.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
no instrument recorded

No Northern Ireland legislation prohibiting the sale of a puppy or kitten by someone other than its breeder has been identified. Dog breeding establishments are licensed by district councils, but the licensing regime does not restrict who may sell the animal on.

Proposed change — not yet law

DAERA consulted on new rules for the sale and supply of puppies and kittens between 2 June and 25 August 2025. On 18 February 2026 the Minister announced next steps: anyone selling or supplying a puppy or kitten would have to have bred it, and sellers of animals under six months old would have to register with their district council. The department said legislation was anticipated in autumn 2026.

Source

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Can an electric shock collar be used on a cat or dog?

An electronic collar is one designed to administer an electric shock to the animal wearing it. Wales made attaching one to a cat or dog an offence in 2010 and remains the only nation to have done so. England laid draft regulations in 2023 which were not made, and said in December 2025 that it would consult on a ban.

Wales

Banned
In force from
24 March 2010
Instrument
Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (Wales) Regulations 2010, regulation 2

It is an offence to attach an electronic collar to a cat or a dog, to cause one to be attached, or to be responsible for an animal wearing one. An electronic collar is defined as a collar designed to administer an electric shock. The regulations were made under section 12 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and carry up to 51 weeks' imprisonment, a fine at level 5 on the standard scale, or both.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

England

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
no instrument recorded

No legislation prohibiting the use of electronic collars on cats or dogs in England has been identified. Causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal is an offence under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 whatever equipment is involved, but the equipment itself is not prohibited.

Proposed change — not yet law

Draft Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023 were laid before Parliament and debated in June 2023 but were not made. On 21 December 2025 Defra published an animal welfare strategy which includes consulting on a ban on the use of electric shock collars, with the strategy's commitments stated for delivery by the end of 2030.

Source

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Scotland

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
no instrument recorded

No Scottish legislation prohibiting electronic collars has been identified. The Scottish Government's Guidance on Dog Training Aids states that it does not condone electronic shock collars, electronic anti-bark collars or electronic containment systems. Guidance is not a prohibition. Causing unnecessary suffering is an offence under section 19 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

Scottish Government · checked 25 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
no instrument recorded

No Northern Ireland legislation prohibiting electronic collars has been identified. Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is an offence under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Does my cat have to be microchipped?

England has required every cat over 20 weeks old to be microchipped and registered on a compliant database since 10 June 2024. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland require microchipping for dogs but not for cats.

England

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
10 June 2024
Instrument
Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, regulations 3 and 4

Regulation 3 requires the keeper of a cat older than 20 weeks to have it microchipped and the keeper's contact details recorded on a compliant database. The provisions relating to cats came into force on 10 June 2024. Regulation 4 disapplies the duty for as long as a veterinary surgeon certifies, on a form approved by the Secretary of State, that the cat should not be microchipped for reasons relating to its health. The same regulations carry the dog requirement and revoked the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Wales

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
no instrument recorded

Microchipping a cat is not required in Wales. Welsh Government guidance says that while "not currently compulsory in Wales, it is good practice for all responsible owners to get their cats microchipped". Dogs must be microchipped under the Microchipping of Dogs (Wales) Regulations 2015.

GOV.WALES · checked 25 August 2026

Scotland

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
no instrument recorded

Microchipping a cat is not required in Scotland. Dogs must be microchipped under the Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission has recommended that Scottish Ministers introduce compulsory microchipping and registration of owned cats; no legislation following that recommendation has been identified.

Scottish Animal Welfare Commission · checked 25 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
no instrument recorded

Microchipping a cat is not required in Northern Ireland. Dogs must be microchipped before a dog licence can be issued, under the Dogs (Licensing and Identification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012.

nidirect · checked 25 August 2026

Is taking a pet a crime in its own right?

Taking someone's dog or cat is theft everywhere in the United Kingdom. What differs is whether there is also a specific offence: England and Northern Ireland have one under the Pet Abduction Act 2024, Scotland has passed a dog theft Act that is not yet in force, and Wales has neither.

England

Banned
In force from
24 August 2024
Instrument
Pet Abduction Act 2024, sections 1 and 2

Sections 1 and 2 create offences of dog abduction and cat abduction, carrying up to five years' imprisonment on conviction on indictment. The offence is committed only where the person and the animal are both in England or Northern Ireland at the time the animal is taken or detained. The sections came into force at the end of three months beginning with Royal Assent on 24 May 2024. Taking a pet also remains theft under the Theft Act 1968, for which the maximum is seven years.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Wales

Banned
In force from
1 January 1969
Instrument
Theft Act 1968, sections 1 and 7

There is no specific pet abduction offence in Wales. A dog or cat is property, so taking one is theft, for which the maximum on conviction on indictment is seven years' imprisonment. The Pet Abduction Act 2024 extends to England and Wales as a single jurisdiction, but its offences are committed only where the person and the animal are both in England or Northern Ireland, so they are not available in Wales.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Scotland

Banned
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Common law (theft)

Taking a dog or cat is theft at common law in Scotland, so there is no instrument or commencement date to record. The Pet Abduction Act 2024 does not extend to Scotland.

Proposed change — not yet law

The Dog Theft (Scotland) Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 10 February 2026. It creates a standalone offence of dog theft and an aggravated offence where the dog is a helper dog, carrying up to five years' imprisonment on conviction on indictment. Section 5 provides that the offence comes into force on a day appointed by the Scottish Ministers by regulations; no such day has been identified, so the offence is not yet in force. The Act covers dogs only, not cats.

Source

Scottish Parliament · checked 25 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Banned
In force from
24 August 2024
Instrument
Pet Abduction Act 2024, sections 1 and 2

Sections 1 and 2 create offences of dog abduction and cat abduction, carrying up to five years' imprisonment on conviction on indictment. In Northern Ireland the sections came into force on a day appointed by DAERA by order; DAERA states that the offences applied from 24 August 2024. Section 4, which extends to Northern Ireland only, gives DAERA power to make corresponding provision for other animals commonly kept as pets.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Can I keep an XL Bully?

All four nations have designated the XL Bully as a type to which section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, or its Northern Ireland equivalent, applies. Keeping one is an offence unless the dog is on an exemption register, and in every nation the deadline for applying has passed.

England

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
1 February 2024
Instrument
Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023, articles 2 and 3

Article 2 designates the XL Bully for the purposes of section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, with effect from 31 December 2023. From that date it is an offence to breed from, sell, advertise, exchange, give away or abandon an XL Bully, or to have one in a public place without a lead and muzzle. Article 3 set 31 January 2024 as the last day for applying for a Certificate of Exemption, so possession without one has been an offence since 1 February 2024. Defra states that it will only process applications received by 31 January 2024.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Wales

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
1 February 2024
Instrument
Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023, articles 2 and 3

The Order applies to England and Wales, so the designation, the dates and the exemption conditions are identical to England's. Article 2 designates the XL Bully for the purposes of section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 with effect from 31 December 2023, and article 3 set 31 January 2024 as the last day for applying for a Certificate of Exemption.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Scotland

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
1 August 2024
Instrument
Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (Scotland) Order 2024, article 2

Article 2 designates the XL Bully for the purposes of section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The Order came into force on 23 February 2024, from which date it is an offence to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully, to let one stray, or to have one in a public place without a lead and muzzle. From 1 August 2024 possession is an offence unless the owner holds a certificate of exemption, or has applied for one, under the Dangerous Dogs (Compensation and Exemption Schemes) (Scotland) Order 2024.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
1 January 2025
Instrument
Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024, article 2

Article 2 designates the XL Bully for the purposes of Article 25A of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983. DAERA states that safeguards came into operation on 5 July 2024, requiring a lead and muzzle in public and prohibiting sale, gift, exchange and breeding. Possession or custody is prohibited from 1 January 2025 unless an exemption certificate was applied for by 31 December 2024, or by 15 December 2024 for postal applications, under the Dangerous Dogs (Compensation and Exemption Schemes) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Trapping and pest control

Can I use a snare?

A snare is a wire noose set to catch an animal by the neck or body. Two nations have prohibited use outright; two permit it subject to conditions.

England

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 11

Self-locking snares are prohibited. Free-running snares may be set, and a person who sets one must inspect it at least once every day.

Proposed change — not yet law

The Animal Welfare Strategy for England, published 22 December 2025, states that the government will ban snare traps. No commencement date has been announced.

Source

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Wales

Banned
In force from
17 October 2023
Instrument
Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023, section 46

Section 46 amended the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to prohibit setting in position or using any snare or other cable restraint in Wales. The section contains no licensing exception.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Scotland

Banned
In force from
25 November 2024
Instrument
Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, section 6

Section 6 amended the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to prohibit setting or using a snare to kill or take any animal other than a wild bird, and prevents a licence authorising snare use. Commenced by SSI 2024/267.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Snares Order (Northern Ireland) 2015, SR 2015 No. 352

Snares may be used subject to conditions: free-running, fitted with a stop and a swivel, staked or attached to prevent dragging, checked at least once every 24 hours, and not set where a caught animal could become suspended or drown. Breach is an offence under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. The Order came into operation the day after it was affirmed by resolution of the Assembly; that date is not recorded here.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Can I use a glue trap?

A glue trap is a board coated in adhesive, used mainly against rodents. The four nations differ on whether use is an offence and on whether a licence is available.

England

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
31 July 2024
Instrument
Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022, section 1

It is an offence to set a glue trap in England for the purpose of catching a rodent. Professional pest controllers may hold a licence issued by Natural England under the Glue Traps (Licensing) Regulations 2024. Commenced by SI 2024/686.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Wales

Banned
In force from
17 October 2023
Instrument
Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023, section 46

Section 46 amended the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to prohibit setting in position or using a glue trap in Wales to kill or take any vertebrate other than a human. The section contains no licensing exception.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Scotland

Banned
In force from
1 July 2026
Instrument
Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, sections 1 to 3

Using, supplying and possessing a glue trap are each offences. Section 5 allows Scottish Ministers to make regulations authorising use, supply or possession for the protection of public health where no other method of rodent control is practicable. Commenced by SSI 2026/127.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
no instrument recorded

No Northern Ireland legislation prohibiting glue traps has been identified. The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 creates offences in England. The Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 applies to any animal caught.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Hunting

Is trail hunting legal?

Trail hunting is the activity in which a dog is directed to find and follow an animal-based scent laid for that purpose. It is defined in statute in Scotland; elsewhere it is described in government consultation documents.

England

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Hunting Act 2004

The Hunting Act 2004 prohibits hunting a wild mammal with a dog. It does not prohibit trail hunting, in which a dog follows an animal-based scent laid for that purpose.

Proposed change — not yet law

Defra consulted on proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales between 26 March and 18 June 2026. The consultation states that the ban is not intended to extend to drag hunting or clean boot hunting.

Source

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Wales

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Hunting Act 2004

The Hunting Act 2004 extends to England and Wales and prohibits hunting a wild mammal with a dog. It does not prohibit trail hunting.

Proposed change — not yet law

Defra consulted on proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales between 26 March and 18 June 2026. The consultation states that the ban is not intended to extend to drag hunting or clean boot hunting.

Source

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Scotland

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
3 October 2023
Instrument
Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, section 14

It is an offence to engage or participate in trail hunting unless an exception under section 16 applies. Trail hunting is defined in section 14 as the activity in which a dog is directed to find and follow an animal-based scent laid for that purpose. Commenced by SSI 2023/262.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Not prohibited
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
no instrument recorded

The Hunting Act 2004 extends to England and Wales. No Northern Ireland legislation prohibiting hunting wild mammals with dogs or trail hunting has been identified.

Proposed change — not yet law

The Hunting with Dogs Bill, a private member's bill introduced in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 27 April 2026, would prohibit hunting a wild mammal with a dog and prohibit trail hunting. It completed Second Stage on 26 May 2026 and stands referred to the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Source

legislation.gov.uk · checked 22 August 2026

Bird control

Can feral pigeons be killed legally?

Feral pigeons are wild birds. Killing or taking them is an offence unless done under licence, and each nation issues its own general licence.

England

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
1 January 2026
Instrument
General Licence GL41 (Natural England)

Feral pigeon may be killed or taken under GL41 to preserve public health or public safety, and nests and eggs may be taken, damaged or destroyed. Valid 1 January to 31 December 2026. No registration is required and actions taken do not have to be reported. For feral pigeon the licence permits a target-illuminating device and a sighting device for shooting, including shooting at night. Condition 1, requiring reasonable endeavours to achieve the purpose by alternative lawful methods, applies only to jackdaw in this version; in the licence issued 1 January 2024 and valid to 31 December 2025 it applied to feral pigeon as well. Condition 2 requires a quick and humane kill, which the licence defines as all reasonable precautions to ensure a single, swift action.

GOV.UK · checked 23 August 2026

Wales

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
1 January 2026
Instrument
General Licence 002 (Natural Resources Wales)

Feral pigeon is the only species on GL002, which permits killing or taking the bird and taking or destroying its nests or eggs to preserve public health or public safety or prevent the spread of disease. Valid 1 January to 31 December 2026. Written records are recommended for three years, not required.

Natural Resources Wales · checked 22 August 2026

Scotland

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
1 January 2026
Instrument
General Licence GL03/2026 (NatureScot)

Feral pigeon may be killed or taken, and nests and eggs damaged or destroyed, under general licence GL03/2026 for the preservation of public health and public safety and preventing the spread of disease. Valid 1 January to 31 December 2026.

NatureScot · checked 22 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
1 January 2026
Instrument
General Licence TPG1 (DAERA)

TPG1 permits an authorised person to kill or take feral pigeon and jackdaw to preserve public health or public safety. Issued under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and valid 1 January to 31 December 2026.

DAERA · checked 22 August 2026

Can gulls be killed legally?

Gulls are wild birds and killing one, or destroying a nest in use or an egg, is an offence unless it is licensed. No gull is on a general licence anywhere in the United Kingdom any more: all four nations took the large gulls off between 2019 and 2020 on conservation grounds, so control now needs an individual licence in every nation.

England

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1; licensed under section 16

Killing or taking a wild bird, or taking or destroying a nest while it is in use or an egg, is an offence under section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 except under licence. No gull appears on the current general licences GL40, GL41 or GL42, which run from 1 January to 31 December 2026: GL41, the public health and safety licence, covers Canada goose, feral pigeon, jackdaw and monk parakeet only. Herring gull and lesser black-backed gull were left off Defra's general licences issued in 2019, and Natural England said on 30 January 2020 that control would be licensed individually and prioritised, generally with the protection of human life and health as the overriding priority. No commencement date is recorded here because the prohibition itself did not change: what changed is which licence is available.

GOV.UK · checked 25 August 2026

Scotland

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1; licensed under section 16

Gulls were removed from the Scottish general licences in April 2020 following observed declines in breeding populations. An individual licence from NatureScot is now needed to destroy gull nests or eggs, to relocate chicks, or to carry out lethal control. Licences are issued with quotas and require returns stating how many gulls or nests were destroyed before a renewal is granted, and NatureScot states that lethal control of chicks and adults is licensed only as a last resort. NatureScot records that Britain and Ireland hold as much as 43 per cent of the global herring gull population.

NatureScot · checked 25 August 2026

Wales

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1; licensed under section 16

Herring gull and lesser black-backed gull are not covered by a Welsh general licence, so lethal action against them, and the removal of nests or eggs, requires a specific licence from Natural Resources Wales. NRW states that it must be satisfied there is no other satisfactory solution and that preventative measures have been tried or ruled out before it will licence control, and its gull management guidance sets out proofing, exclusion and habitat modification as the alternatives to be attempted first.

Natural Resources Wales · checked 25 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, licensed by DAERA

Herring gull, lesser black-backed gull and great black-backed gull have been removed from the Northern Ireland general licences. TPG1, the licence for preserving public health or public safety, covers feral pigeon and jackdaw only, and TPG2, for preventing the spread of disease and serious damage, covers hooded crow, jackdaw, magpie, rook, feral pigeon and woodpigeon. Control of a gull therefore requires an individual wildlife licence from DAERA.

DAERA · checked 25 August 2026

Disease control

Can badgers be culled for cattle TB?

Badgers are protected across the United Kingdom and may only be killed under licence. What each nation licences for bovine tuberculosis is now moving in four different directions: England is ending its cull, Wales has committed not to hold one, Scotland has no programme, and Northern Ireland is introducing one.

England

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Protection of Badgers Act 1992, sections 1 and 10

Taking, injuring or killing a badger is an offence under section 1 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, and interfering with a sett is an offence under section 3. Natural England has licensed badger culling to reduce bovine tuberculosis under section 10. On 30 August 2024 the government announced it would end the badger cull by the end of the parliament. Defra states that 2025 was the final year of industry-led culling in the High Risk and Edge Areas and that all supplementary badger control licences have now ended.

Proposed change — not yet law

The replacement strategy announced on 30 August 2024 is a Badger Vaccinator Field Force to expand badger vaccination, a national wildlife surveillance programme, the first major badger population survey since 2011-13, and field trials of a cattle vaccine. Natural England says it continues to determine existing licences until the new measures are in place.

Source

GOV.UK · checked 25 August 2026

Wales

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Protection of Badgers Act 1992, sections 1 and 10

The same 1992 Act offences apply. The Welsh Government has committed not to cull badgers and its bovine TB programme uses cattle measures and badger vaccination, supported by a Badger Vaccination Grant scheme. It is not a complete prohibition on killing: on farms with chronic TB breakdowns where badgers are considered to be contributing to disease persistence, licences are issued to trap and test badgers and those testing positive are humanely killed. The Welsh Government has said it is phasing out that trap-and-test work to concentrate resources on vaccination.

GOV.WALES · checked 25 August 2026

Scotland

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Protection of Badgers Act 1992, sections 1 and 10A

The same 1992 Act offences apply, with licensing functions delegated in Scotland under section 10A. No bovine tuberculosis badger control programme has been identified in Scotland. Licences relate to development, sett interference and similar purposes rather than to disease control.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Licence or conditions apply
In force from
not recorded
Instrument
Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, licensed by DAERA

The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 does not extend to Northern Ireland; badgers are protected under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. A bovine TB eradication strategy announced in the Assembly on 24 March 2022 includes non-selective badger culling in areas of higher than average badger social group density and prolonged high levels of herd breakdown. It follows a five-year Test and Vaccinate or Remove research project begun in 2014, in which trapped badgers were tested, negative animals vaccinated and positive animals removed.

Proposed change — not yet law

DAERA has consulted on the options for wildlife intervention: non-selective culling, selective culling through Test and Vaccinate or Remove, and vaccination only. Northern Ireland is the only nation moving towards introducing a badger cull rather than away from one.

Source

DAERA · checked 25 August 2026

How to read this

Status describes the position today. Anything proposed, consulted on or before a legislature is shown separately as a proposed change, and is never counted as law.

“Not recorded” means not recorded. Where a commencement date or an instrument has not been confirmed against a primary source, the cell says so rather than estimating.

Data: /api/law.json. Corrections with a primary source are welcome — a wrong cell here is worse than a missing one.