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Hazel dormice, their breeding sites and resting places are protected by law.

You may be able to get a licence from Natural England if you can鈥檛 avoid disturbing them or damaging their habitats.

What you must not do

You鈥檙e breaking the law if you do certain things including:

• deliberately capture, injure or kill hazel dormice
• damage or destroy a dormouse resting place or breeding site
• deliberately or recklessly disturb a hazel dormouse while it鈥檚 in a structure or place of shelter or protection
• block access to structures or places of shelter or protection
• possess, sell, control or transport live or dead hazel dormice, or parts of hazel dormice

Any of the following could happen if you鈥檙e found guilty of any offence:

• you could get an unlimited fine
• you could be sent to prison for up to 6 months

Activities that can harm hazel dormice

Hazel dormice can be affected by:

• handling
• disturbance, eg noise and light, woodland and hedgerow management
• habitat removal, clearing woodland and removing hedgerows
• habitat fragmentation and isolation

In most cases you should be able to avoid harming the hazel dormice, damaging or blocking access to their habitats.

If you can鈥檛 avoid this and you鈥檙e doing development work, you can apply for a mitigation licence from Natural England. You鈥檒l need expert help.

Find out what you need to do for surveys and when planning mitigation measures for hazel dormice.

Find out what鈥檚 involved for construction that affects protected species.

If you鈥檙e planning any other activities to study or conserve dormice and you can鈥檛 avoid handling or disturbing them, you can apply for a science and conservation licence from Natural England.