Check if you can get a glue trap licence
Information for pest controllers about the rules for using glue traps to catch rodents and how to apply for a licence.
Applies to England
It is against the law to use glue traps to catch rodents unless you have a licence.
You must be a professional pest controller involved in rodent control management to hold a licence for glue trapping. A professional pest controller is someone who provides a pest control service for a public authority or as part of a business.听
Licences must only be used in exceptional circumstances, and where all other methods of rodent control have failed or are not practical.听聽
Types of licence聽
There are 2 types of glue trap licence:聽聽
- class licence (CL53) 鈥� register in advance to use when needed urgently, in very specific circumstances聽
- individual licence (A15) 鈥� apply for a single-use licence at the time you need it, to deal with a particular problem at a particular site聽
Class licence (CL53) conditions of use聽
You can only use a class licence for an indoor location and in the following specific and time-critical circumstances:聽
- inside aircraft鈥�
- in hospital surgery operating rooms (and related areas needed for maintaining equipment)聽
- inside critical infrastructure sites at imminent risk of fire or equipment failure鈥�
Critical infrastructure means sites that maintain public health, safety or security at a regional or national scale.听
As the licence holder, you must:聽
- remain on site while the traps are in use, or use remote monitoring devices聽聽
- respond to a triggered trap within 2 hours聽
- check the traps every 6 hours聽
- have a named emergency pest controller to act as a back-up, who will remove traps if you are unable to聽聽
- report to Natural England every time you use the licence聽
Class licence registration lasts until 31 December of the year it is issued.听
Applying for class licence registration聽
When you apply for class licence (CL53) registration you need to include with your form:聽
- training certificates as evidence of your qualifications聽
- a reference from a professional pest controller, if you have not held a licence in the past 3 years聽
Find the CL53 form at Glue trap licence application forms.
Individual licence (A15) conditions of use聽
An individual licence is issued to deal with a problem at one site only, and within a given timeframe.听聽
Individual licences are issued only in exceptional circumstances, for an indoor location, where public health or safety is at risk, and where other methods of rodent control have been tried but have not worked.听聽
Exceptional circumstances are situations with a large-scale risk to public health and safety, such as:聽
- hospitals, where there are large numbers of vulnerable people聽
- food manufacturing facilities with regional distribution聽
- laboratories where contamination risk has nationally significant impact聽聽
Restaurants, pubs, takeaways and private houses are not likely to be considered exceptional circumstances. 聽
Applying for an individual licence聽
When you apply for an individual licence (A15) you will need to send a scaled plan of the site showing:聽
- the site name聽聽
- a red line boundary of the site within which glue traps will be used聽聽
- where glue traps will be placed within the site聽
You will also need to include with the form:聽聽
- training certificates as evidence of your qualifications聽
- a reference from a professional pest controller, if you have not held a licence in the past 3 years聽
- confirmation that you鈥檝e visited the site where glue traps are to be placed and you have permission from the site owner or occupier聽
Find the A15 form at Glue trap licence application forms.
Qualifications to hold a glue trap licence聽
You must have one of the following qualifications:聽聽
- RSPH (Royal Society for Public Health) level 2 award in pest management
- Lantra Level 2 Award in Pest Management
- RSPH or BPCA (British Pest Control Association) Level 2 Certificate in Pest Control
- RSPH or BPCA Level 2 Certificate in Pest Management
- RSPH or BPCA Certificate in Pest Control
- BPCA Diploma Part 1
- City and Guilds Pest Control Level 2 NVQ
You must also have completed one of the following training courses:
- 鈥楶rinciples In The Use Of Rodent Glue Traps Under Licence鈥�, Killgerm
- 鈥楽afe Use of Rodent Glue聽Boards鈥�, Pelsis Academy
You will need to attach copies of your qualifications and training certificates when you submit your application.听
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You will need to send a reference with your application if you have not held a glue trap licence in the past 3 years. Your referee must:
- be a professional pest controller
- meet the qualifications for a glue trap licence
If you got your qualification in pest management after 31 July 2024, your referee must have observed you using glue traps to capture rodents.
Ask your referee to fill in the reference form on the Glue trap licence application forms page and return it to you.听
Submitting your licence application聽
Email your completed form, certificates, reference if necessary, and any other documents to: [email protected].听
聽You can also send your application by post to:聽
Wildlife Licensing聽
Natural England聽
Horizon House
Deanery Road
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BS1 5AH聽
You鈥檒l hear whether your application has been successful:聽
- for a class licence - within 15 working days of receiving the application聽
- for an individual licence - within 30 working days of receiving the application聽聽
If your application is successful, the licence will be emailed to you. If your application is not successful, you will get an email explaining why.听
You must not act under your licence until you鈥檝e received it from Natural England.听聽
Paying for your licence聽
Class licence charges聽
Class licence charges are as follows:聽
- initial registration for the licence: 拢180聽
- renew registration for the following year: 拢121 a year聽
- reporting each time the licence is used: 拢230 for each report聽
Your invoice will give details of how to pay. You will not be charged if your application is unsuccessful.听聽
Individual licence charges聽
An individual licence costs 拢535. 聽
You will be sent an invoice after your application is approved, with details of how to pay. If your application is unsuccessful you will not be charged.
If you want to add a purchase order number to your invoice, make sure you include it in your application form.听
There may be an additional charge if you need to change or add information after you鈥檝e submitted your form. This will be at a rate of 拢121 per hour of extra time needed to process the application.听
Terms and conditions聽
Read the鈥�terms and conditions鈥痜or paying for a licence.听
Reporting when you use a licence聽
Class licence report聽
Natural England will send you the reporting forms you need with your class licence.听聽
You must fill in and return:聽
-
a 鈥榬eport of action鈥� within 5 working days every time you use your class聽licence聽
-
an 鈥榓nnual report鈥� by 14 January, stating whether you want to continue your class licence registration
Individual licence report聽
You must fill in and return the 鈥楢ctions taken under A15 licence report鈥� within 14 days of the licence end date to describe what you did.
Find the 鈥楢ctions taken under A15 licence report鈥� at Glue trap licence application forms.
Updates to this page
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The list of qualifications and certifications needed has been updated.
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Updated to say that applicants who passed RSPH Level 2 Award in Pest Management after 31 July 2024 must use a referee who has observed them using glue traps to capture rodents.
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First published.