General wildlife licence requirements

Wildlife welfare and care

Housing wildlife

Objective

To ensure you provide appropriate permanent housing that provides for the good health and welfare of any wildlife held under your licence.

How to comply

You must make sure enclosures meet the needs of any wildlife held under your licence. It is your responsibility to seek the appropriate expertise and information to provide for the needs of your wildlife. When constructing and maintaining enclosures, it is important to balance the need to provide wildlife with opportunity to express natural behaviours with the need to actively monitor wildlife for injury or illness. As such, large open-air enclosures may not be suitable. Always ensure that your enclosure design meets the specific needs of your wildlife.

Below is a list of basic requirements. These are the minimum standards that should be provided to all wildlife.

Adequate shelter

• Provide protection from the elements and extremes in weather. This includes appropriate opportunities for your wildlife to regulate body temperature, such as shade or heat lamps; and if outdoors, covered areas to allow wildlife to retreat from non-preferred weather conditions.
• Enclosures must be of an appropriate size and dimension to suit the physical characteristics and behaviour of the animal. While minimum enclosure standards set in applicable Codes of Practice must be met, consider providing a captive environment that mimics, as much as practicable, the habitat and environment that your wildlife would naturally occupy in the wild. This includes the size, vegetation, hardscape, and climactic conditions.

Prevent escape or injury

• Enclosures must be designed to prevent the escape of wildlife. Depending on the species of wildlife you keep and where they are kept, this may include placing locks on enclosure access points, ensuring all enclosures are roofed, and maintaining enclosures to prevent escape through degradation of enclosure barriers.
• Enclosures must be appropriately constructed and maintained to reduce risk of injury (for example, through loose wires, sharp edges, rusted/corroded surfaces), or other hazards.
• Only house compatible wildlife types together.

Protect wildlife from predators

Enclosures must prevent access from animals that may be considered predators, including domestic dogs, cats and wild native birds.

Restrict access by unauthorised persons

Enclosures must be secured to prevent unauthorised access. Where people other than the licence holder may have access to enclosures, this may mean in practice that access points must be locked.

Uphold good health and welfare

• Provide enclosures that at minimum meet the dimensions specified in the relevant Code of Practice.
• Provide appropriate food for the species and ensure constant access to clean fresh water.
• Wildlife must not be kept in areas with excessive noise, vibration or temperature fluctuation. Many wildlife species have high sensitivity to over-stimulation and may maintain an active avoidance of humans. Wildlife enclosures should be placed in areas of low human traffic where appropriate.
• Birds, reptiles, amphibians and marsupials must not be restrained by a leash or tether.
• Undertake regular cleaning of enclosures and take precautions to prevent disease.
• Undertake regular surveillance and vet visits to monitor wellbeing and enable early detection of health problems.

The Victorian Codes of Practice for Animal Welfare(opens in a new window) are incorporated into the Wildlife Regulations 2024 and are enforceable by the Conservation Regulator. The requirements set by Codes of Practice apply to anyone who possesses living wildlife, regardless of the prescribed category of licence they hold.

The relevant Codes of Practice for wildlife basic and advanced licence holders are:

• Code of Practice for the Welfare of Amphibians in Captivity(opens in a new window)
• Code of Practice for the Housing of Caged Birds(opens in a new window)
• Code of Practice for the Husbandry of Captive Emus(opens in a new window)
• Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Private Keeping of Reptiles(opens in a new window)

There may be instances when it is reasonable to keep wildlife in a cage or enclosure that does not meet the requirements listed above. In those cases, written approval from the Conservation Regulator is required, and that written approval may include specific conditions to ensure animal welfare. You must act in accordance with any approval.

• Visit Victorian codes of practice for animal welfare(opens in a new window)

• Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Transportation

Objective

To ensure wildlife are transported in appropriate enclosures that prevent injury, stress and disease.

How to comply

Transport can be a particularly stressful and high-risk time for most wildlife species. Your transportation must meet the needs of the species being transported. The comfort and wellbeing of all animals should be monitored at minimum every two hours during transport.

Wildlife must be restrained during transport to prevent injury to the wildlife and to people. This may be achieved, for example, by use of an appropriately sized animal crate constructed of sufficiently robust material to prevent escape (for example, coated metal or rigid plastic).

Animals must be in a fit state before being transported. Sick or injured animals must not be transported except for veterinary care, with precautions taken to minimise further stress or injury. A person who is transporting sick, injured or abandoned wildlife to a vet or a wildlife rehabilitator does not need to meet these requirements.

If you are consigning wildlife to transport for long periods, such as interstate travel or bulk consignments, additional measures may be required to maintain the animal’s health and welfare. Refer to the applicable Code of Practice for the wildlife you are consigning.

Any equipment used to transport wildlife must be clearly and securely labelled with the details of the licence holder including the licence number.

Dependent wildlife

Objective

To ensure the welfare and survival of dependent, sick or juvenile wildlife and prevent the spread of disease.

How to comply

Do not enter into any transaction where the wildlife is dependent, diseased, sick or injured.

If your wildlife is diseased, sick or injured, you must take it to a veterinarian for assessment as soon as possible.

Unweaned or unfledged juvenile wildlife (where the wildlife is not independently feeding) must not be traded.

This condition does not apply where you have written approval from the Conservation Regulator to buy, sell, dispose of, consign or transport wildlife to which this regulation applies. These will only be considered where animal welfare can be protected. Applications for written approval can be submitted via email.

Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Restrictions to interbreeding of wildlife

Objective

To prevent the interbreeding of wildlife that does not occur in the wild. This includes preventing the interbreeding of domestic and wild animals, and the trade of cross bred animals. Crossbreeding of different taxa can lead to genetic problems and increased care requirements and can have poor animal welfare outcomes.

How to comply

Ensure you house different taxa of wildlife separately to prevent unintended interbreeding, including domesticated animals.

If in the event of unintended offspring from different taxa, you cannot sell or dispose of the offspring without first seeking written approval from the Conservation Regulator.

Wildlife transactions

Import and export

Objective

To prevent wildlife trafficking by regulating the trade of wildlife between States and Territories, ensuring that only wildlife legally able to be held in Victoria is transported from interstate.

Trade monitoring also assists in reducing or tracing the spread of disease and ensures the health and welfare of wildlife being imported and exported.

How to comply

You can apply for a permit and complete your notification of outcome for a permit online, or you can download and complete the relevant form from our website(opens in a new window).

Please allow three to five business days to process your application.

Further information, including import and export restrictions and cases where an import/export permit is not required, is available on our website(opens in a new window). If you are unsure, call or email us.

• Visit Import and export permits for Victorian wildlife(opens in a new window)

• Call DEECA Customer Contact Centre 136 186

• Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Advertising sale of wildlife

Objective

To ensure wildlife is only possessed and traded by those with an appropriate licence.

How to comply

You can only trade wildlife with a person who holds an appropriate licence. This means a wildlife licence that is current and allows them to keep that species of wildlife.

You must include your licence number when advertising wildlife for sale. This allows others to be satisfied that the advertisement is lawful. When purchasing wildlife, ask to see the seller’s wildlife licence and make sure it is valid before completing the transaction.

Visit Wildlife transactions (Private wildlife licence conditions)

Record keeping requirements

Record books

Objective

To ensure that captive wildlife has come from a lawful source, and to ensure accurate and up-to-date records of all wildlife transactions in Victoria.

How to comply

Relevant transactions include purchases, sales, import, deaths, gifts, breeding and escapes.

Your Wildlife Record Book is used to record all wildlife transactions. You cannot keep and trade wildlife until you have received both your licence and record book.

All record books for all wildlife licences are supplied by the Conservation Regulator and remain the property of the Conservation Regulator. Making or keeping records that are inaccurate or false is an offence under the Wildlife Act.

To comply with this condition, you must:

• Ensure entries are recorded on the same day that a transaction occurs.
• Ensure entries are permanent and legible.
• Request an additional record book from wildlife licensing if you no longer have sufficient pages to record your wildlife transactions.
• Retain all record books you have been issued until you choose not to renew your licence or surrender your wildlife.
• Return your record book to the Conservation Regulator within 10 business days should you choose not to renew, or surrender your wildlife licence.
• Return your record book the Conservation Regulator if your licence is cancelled.

If you lose or damage your record book, you must report your loss to the Conservation Regulator by email or the online form(opens in a new window) within two business days. There is a fee for each book lost or damaged.

Please refer to Theft, loss or damage of record book or return form for further information.

• Visit Theft, loss or damage of record book or return form

• Visit Notify theft loss damage or escape form(opens in a new window)

• Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Annual return forms

Objective

To provide a state-wide overview of the volume and species of wildlife currently being possessed and traded in Victoria, which helps to ensure we have the right legal framework in place. This record keeping also provides a mechanism for the regulator to prevent illegal trade of wildlife and understand where wildlife may not be properly cared for.

How to comply

Your return is a summary of the wildlife transactions you conducted under your licence in the 12-month period between 1 April and 31 March. Information contained in the returns is confidential.

You must submit a completed return form by 14 April each year. You must also keep a copy for your returns for future reference.

A Return form must be submitted even if you:

• Have not bought, sold, traded, or otherwise acquired any wildlife.
• Do not currently have wildlife in your possession.

If you have no wildlife in your possession and have not acquired or disposed of any wildlife throughout the year (including births, deaths, escapes and transactions), you must mark your return as Nil and submit it by 14 April.

If you have acquired or disposed of any wildlife (including births, deaths, escapes and transactions), or if at any time in the return period you have had wildlife in your possession, you must indicate these events on your return and indicate the number and species of wildlife in your possession as of 31 March of the year the return is submitted. You must submit your return by 14 April.

You may submit your return online on our website(opens in a new window).

If you are unable to complete the online form, you can request a form by calling or emailing us.

If you do not submit a return, you may not be eligible to renew your licence. Additional penalties may also apply if these obligations are not met.

• Visit Licences and annual returns(opens in a new window)

• Call DEECA Customer Contact Centre 136 186

• Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Do not tamper with record books or return forms

Objective

To ensure record books and return forms are a true and accurate representation of wildlife possession and trade in Victoria.

How to comply

Record books and return forms are legal documents. They must be accurate and include all wildlife in your possession or legally traded.

Record books and return forms remain the property of the Conservation Regulator. Tampering with them in any way is an offence. Tampering includes erasing or editing entries, removing pages, or otherwise damaging records.

All entries in your record book, and on hard copy return forms, must be permanent and legible. You must write in your record book with a pen in black or blue ink.

If you make a mistake when filling in an entry, you should:

• Strike a line through the entry.
• Write your initials and date of the correction next to the corrected entry.

You cannot use white out or other methods to cover up entries. You also cannot remove any pages from your record book.

Additional record keeping obligations

Objective

To ensure oversight of all wildlife transactions in Victoria, while maintaining the confidentiality of licence holders.

How to comply

Keep your record book and return forms at the address specified on your wildlife licence and in a secure location to prevent loss or theft.

Under the Wildlife Act 1975, you must provide a copy of your record book, licence and return forms to Authorised Officers when asked. Authorised Officers have the power to, at any reasonable time with regard to the circumstances, ask to see, inspect or make copies of record books and any other documentation associated with your wildlife licence.

The record book and return forms remain the property of the Conservation Regulator. Should you choose not to renew your licence, or surrender your wildlife, you must return your record book to the Conservation Regulator within 10 business days.

If you are provided with a written direction to surrender your wildlife record book by the Conservation Regulator, you must surrender all record books and return forms by the date specified.

Reporting

Theft or loss of wildlife

Objective

To uphold the health and wellbeing of wildlife in captivity, through appropriate monitoring and investigation of theft, loss or escape.

How to comply

If there has been a theft, loss or escape of wildlife in your care, you must:

• For suspected theft, report it to Victoria Police within two business days of you becoming aware.
• Retain a copy of the police report. If requested by an Authorised officer, you must produce a copy of the police report.
• Report the theft, loss or escape of wildlife to the Conservation Regulator by email, or by completing the Notify Theft, Loss, Damage or Escape form available on our website(opens in a new window) and emailing us the completed form within two business days of becoming aware of the loss.
• Record the theft, loss or escape of wildlife into your record book.

• Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

• Visit Private licence obligations and record keeping(opens in a new window)

Theft, loss or damage of record book or return form

Objective

To ensure the integrity and confidentiality of records.

How to comply

You must report the loss, theft or damage of your Wildlife Record Book or Annual Returns to the Conservation Regulator by email within two business days of becoming aware. You can do this by completing the Notify Theft, Loss, Damage or Escape form available on our website(opens in a new window) and emailing us the completed form.

• Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

• Visit Private licence obligations and record keeping(opens in a new window)

Objective

To ensure licence details are up to date and the person responsible for the wildlife licence is identifiable.

How to comply

You must notify the Conservation Regulator within 10 business days of any changes to the details listed on your licence, including changes to your name, contact details, or residential address. You can do this by completing the form available on our website(opens in a new window).

An amended licence will be posted to you.

Your residential address is the specified premises where wildlife must be kept in accordance with your licence. If your specified premises change, you must ensure the new premises have wildlife enclosure(s) that meets the requirements for all wildlife held under your licence.

Changing your specified premises may prompt inspection from Authorised Officers to determine if your new enclosures meet the required specifications.

Visit Private licence obligations and record keeping(opens in a new window)