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Commercial wildlife licences

Find the right commercial wildlife licence for your business.

Want to know more about your licence obligations?

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Who can apply for a commercial wildlife licence?

Commercial wildlife licences can be issued to a person or to a corporation, company or business entity. Licences are not transferable and are available for on or three years.

What are the requirements?

Any application for a commercial wildlife licence must include:

Applicants (including the nominated responsible person) must be over 18 years of age.

Select a wildlife licence

Commercial wildlife licences: Natural person

Complete the wildlife licence to be issued to a person:

Commercial Wildlife Licence Application - Natural Person (July 2025) Word 112.17 KB (opens in a new window)

Licences issued to a natural person are not transferable. If you are seeking to buy or take over an existing wildlife business, a new licence is required prior to taking possession of any wildlife.

Commercial wildlife licences: Body corporate

Complete the commercial wildlife licence in the name of a body corporate (including corporations, companies or business entities):

Commercial Wildlife Licence Application - Body Corporate (July 2025) Word 113.06 KB (opens in a new window)

The body corporate must nominate a natural person who will be responsible for managing the business on the application. A National Police Certificate (name only) must be supplied for the nominated responsible person.

For licences issued to a body corporate, if the nominated responsible person leaves the business, a new person can be added to a licence issued to a body corporate without having to apply for a new one.

Prepare your application

Ensure that you provide all required information as part of your application. Missing information will result in a delay in processing your application.

An inspection or interview may be required as part of the application process.

It may benefit your application to provide additional detail such as:

  1. A plan of the area the licence relates to, including buildings, facilities, fences and yards.
  2. The design and specifications of any enclosure which wildlife will be held in under the licence, including materials and dimensions.
  3. The design, specifications and materials to be used in the construction of an enclosure for the display or demonstration of venomous or dangerous wildlife.

Licence fees

Do not include payment with your application. If your application is successful, you will be invoiced for the appropriate licence fee.

From 1 July 2025, the annual cost for each type of commercial wildlife licence is provided as a guide only, as the licence fee is pro-rata by month. Discounts apply for licences issued for 3 years.

Licence Months Fee
Wildlife Controller 12 $336.20
Wildlife Dealer 12 $961.50
Wildlife Demonstrator 12 $627.00
Wildlife Demonstrator Short-Term 3 $156.70
Wildlife Displayer 12 $862.30
Wildlife Processor 12 $827.00
Wildlife Farmer 12 $827.00
Wildlife Taxidermist 12 $684.10

Please note that once licence fees are paid, refunds will not be issued for change of mind. If you have a specific refund enquiry, please contact wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Submit your application

Email your completed application to wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

You can also post your application to: DEECA Permissions Delivery 475 Mickleham Road Attwood VIC 3049

Allow 6-8 weeks for the application process.

You must not acquire any wildlife until you have received your licence and record book.

Licence types

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This licence authorises the licence holder to possess, keep, breed, buy, sell and dispose of any living wildlife listed in Schedule 2, Part A of Schedule 3, Part B of Schedule 4 and Schedule 7 of the Wildlife Regulations 2024 and specified in the licence, for the purposes of dealing in wildlife.

A Wildlife Dealer Licence also authorises the licence holder to dispose of dead wildlife listed in Schedules 2, Part A of Schedule 3, Part B of Schedule 4 and Schedule 7 and specified in the licence.

A Wildlife Dealer Licence is available for 1 or 3 years and has a common expiry date of 30 June of the relevant year.

A Wildlife Demonstrator Licence authorises the licence holder to:

Possess and display any taxon of wildlife listed in Schedule 2, 3 or 4 or as specified in the licence to the public for the purpose of:

  1. promoting an understanding of the ecology and conservation of wildlife
  2. providing the wildlife for use in commercial films. A Wildlife Demonstrator Licence is available for 1 or 3 years and has a common expiry date of 30 June of the relevant year.

A Short-Term Wildlife Demonstrator Licence is also available for a period of 3 months. It is subject to the same licence conditions as the 1 year licence.

For more information on wildlife controller licences, the conditions that apply, and how to comply, see the Wildlife Demonstrator Licence Guide(opens in a new window).

A wildlife displayer licence authorises the licence holder to buy, sell, acquire, receive, dispose of, keep, possess, breed and display any wildlife specified in the licence for any of the following purposes:

  1. displaying the wildlife in commercial films;
  2. promoting the conservation of or providing education about wildlife. Wildlife held under this licence is, unless being demonstrated or off-display, housed in permanent and fixed facilities where the enclosure is an integral part of the display, and the display of wildlife has a clear conservation theme and is designed to present information on the ecological role of the wildlife being displayed.

A Wildlife Displayer Licence is available for 1 or 3 years and has a common expiry date of 30 June of the relevant year.

A Wildlife Controller Licence authorises the licence holder to take any wildlife listed in Schedule 6 and specified in the licence from the wild and to destroy, dispose of but not sell the wildlife, in circumstances where the wildlife is damaging property or is a danger to persons.

Of the species listed in Schedule 6 of the Wildlife Regulations 2024, only the following may be controlled under a wildlife controller licence:

  1. Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), long-billed corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) and galah (Cacatua roseicapilla).
  2. Common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula).
  3. All indigenous reptiles. A Wildlife Controller Licence is available for 1 or 3 years and has a common expiry date of 30 June of the relevant year.

For more information on wildlife controller licences, the conditions that apply, and how to comply, see the Wildlife Controller Licence Guide(opens in a new window).

A Wildlife Processor Licence authorises the licence holder to, for the purpose of providing wildlife products for sale, buy, acquire or receive:

  1. A taxon of dead wildlife listed in Part A of Schedule 5 of the Wildlife Regulations 2024 from a source approved by the Secretary
  2. Any dead wildlife listed in Schedule 7 of the Wildlife Regulations 2024 from the holder of a Wildlife Farmer Licence. A Wildlife Processor Licence is available for 1 or 3 years and has a common expiry date of 30 June of the relevant year.

A Wildlife Farmer Licence authorises the licence holder, for the purpose of farming wildlife to:

  1. possess, keep, breed, buy, sell, display, destroy, process and dispose of any wildlife that is of the taxa listed in Schedule 7 and specified in the licence and that has been bred in captivity or obtained from a sources approved in writing by the Secretary
  2. dispose of infertile eggs of any wildlife that is of the taxa listed in Schedule 7 and specified in the licence to any person
  3. possess and display any wildlife that is of the taxa listed in Schedule 7 and specified in the licence at sites other than the premises specified in the licence.

A Wildlife Farmer Licence is available for 1 or 3 years and has a common expiry date of 30 June of the relevant year.

A Wildlife Taxidermist Licence authorises the Licence Holder to possess, keep, buy, sell, process and dispose of wildlife listed in Schedules 2, 3, 4 and 7 of the Wildlife Regulations 2024 for the purpose of preserving, preparing and mounting, and restoring, parts or complete specimens of dead wildlife, or for purpose of providing specimens of dead wildlife for use in commercial films.

A Wildlife Taxidermist Licence is available for 1 or 3 years and has a common expiry date of 30 June of the relevant year.

Secondary permissions

Wildlife Regulations 2024 require the holder of certain types of wildlife licence to obtain prior written permission before conducting certain transactions.

The most common secondary permissions are:

Apply now

Alternatively, you can email your request to wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au.

More information

Wildlife Regulations 2024(opens in a new window)

Updated 13 January 2026

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