New streamlined night shooting licence released by Natural England

- Latest news

February 23, 2026

BASC has welcomed the release of Natural England’s new deer night licence, CL55.

The licence provides a streamlined and effective system for allowing deer managers to control deer at night. CL55 replaces the previous requirement for individual night shooting licences.

CL55 allows the use of thermal imaging rifle scopes for shooting deer at night under licence in England for the first time. This marks a significant and responsible modernisation of the licensing system and recognises advancements.

Tools to tackle a growing deer population

BASC worked closely with Natural England throughout the development of CL55 to ensure the framework and process are workable, intuitive and fit for purpose. We provided detailed technical input, field-based evidence and practitioner insight to help shape a licence that reflects real-world deer management challenges.

Crucially, BASC’s dedicated team of experts led the rewrite of the Night Shooting Best Practice Guide on behalf of the Deer Initiative Partnership. This updated guidance formed the foundation on which the new licensing framework was built.

Recent announcements from Natural England

The introduction of CL55 comes alongside Natural England’s deer impacts policy statement for England announced last week. The new CL55 licence provides clarity and consistency and reduces administrative delays.

With deer populations continuing to expand across parts of England, the ability to undertake safe, lawful and effective night shooting is an important component of sustainable deer management strategies.

BASC will continue to work with Natural England and partners across the sector to ensure that deer management policy remains evidence-led, practical and supportive of those on the ground.

Deer: licence to kill deer at night by shooting (CL55) – GOV.UK