From August 2007 new regulations removed licensing requirements for the game trade.
This means that you no longer need to hold a local authority licence or an excise licence in order to deal in game.

Restrictions on dealing in game birds and venison during the close season no longer apply. This means that any person is allowed to sell game and venison all year round provided the animals in question were lawfully killed.

You are no longer required to keep records - as previously required under section 11 of the Deer Act 1991 - relating to the sale and purchase of venison. You only have to keep records to the level specified in EC Regulation 178/2002 (pdf document) if you sell game birds or venison. This allows your business to set up traceability records with a level of detail that fits the size and nature of your activities.

If you deal in game birds or venison, you should check your source before you either:

• sell
• offer or expose for sale
• possess or transport for purposes of sale

This is because you could be committing an offence if you know or have reason to believe that the game bird or venison you offer for sale was unlawfully killed, taken or poached during the close season.

The new regulations also remove the requirement for a licence to kill or take game.