Scientific licences

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water may grant a licence to persons or organisations to carry out research, surveys, educational or conservation related activities.

A scientist checks specimens at the Australian PlantBank in Mount Annan.A biodiversity conservation licence may be granted under Part 2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, which authorises the licensee and other nominated individuals to carry out activities involving protected and threatened animals or plants, habitat of threatened species, threatened ecological communities or areas of outstanding biodiversity value in accordance with our Scientific licensing policy. A scientific licence is a type of biodiversity conservation licence.

It is also important to note that under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, an individual or organisation also requires a defence to conduct any research activity within National Parks and Wildlife Services managed lands. Some activities, such as soil collection or non-invasive fauna surveys, will not require a biodiversity conservation licence and can be authorised by a consent issued by a park authority under Section 26 of the National Parks and Wildlife Regulation 2019.

You must contact the local National Parks and Wildlife Service area office for approval at least 2 weeks before commencing activities.

Licences help us protect and maintain our protected native plant and animal populations, as well as make sure people working with them have the experience and knowledge to work responsibly.

When you need a licence

You need a biodiversity conservation licence if your activity or project is likely to require a defence under Part 2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

You require a defence to:

  • harm or attempt to harm protected and threatened animals, or animals that are part of a threatened ecological community, this includes:
    • the capturing, injuring and/or killing of protected and threatened animals
  • pick protected and threatened plants, or plants that are part of a threatened ecological community, this includes:
    • collecting seeds, removing whole plants and taking cuttings of any part of a plant
  • damage a declared area of outstanding biodiversity value, this includes:
    • harming or attempting to harm animals
    • picking plants
    • removing or relocating any part of the area
    • carrying out an activity that prevents the continued use of the area by animals
  • damage the habitat of individually listed threatened species or a threatened ecological community, this includes:
    • harming or attempting to harm animals
    • picking plants
    • removing or relocating any part of the habitat
    • carrying out an activity that prevents the continued use of the habitat by animals
  • deal in or attempt to deal in protected and threatened animals or plants, this includes:
    • buying or selling, trading, importing or exporting, possessing
    • advertising or holding out to be prepared to do any of the above
  • liberate animals
  • approach or interfere with a marine mammal in a manner that varies from the prescribed regulations.

If you're unsure whether your action constitutes an offence, contact the Wildlife Team for advice.

Licence classes

We issue a number of different scientific licence classes, and these are issued with varying durations and specific conditions.

This applies to preparing species impact statements, and for general or targeted biodiversity surveys involving protected native animals and plants.

For bird and bat banding on approved sites, you first need a banding authority from the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme.

You can apply for the bird or bat banding licence from the department once you have received this authority. Licences are issued in association with identified banding projects.

Bird and bat banding

Related to bush regeneration for conservation purposes in threatened ecological communities, threatened species habitat or areas of outstanding biodiversity value. Licences will generally be issued to the landowner, manager, or organisations such as Local Land Services rather than individual contractors to ensure that the work is undertaken in a strategic and coordinated manner.

This class allows pile burns in threatened ecological communities or threatened species habitats to supplement approved bush regeneration works. Proposals need to meet the NSW Rural Fire Service Standards for Pile Burning.

You should also check with your local council to find out what and when you can burn in your area, and if you need a permit.

Hazard reduction

For commercial consultants who perform general plant and animal surveys. 

If you do not know where the survey will take place or the target species before applying, you can still apply for a licence to cover many sites.

For schools and other tertiary institutes to keep certain protected animal species from the NSW Native Animal Keeper Species List for teaching purposes, collect protected plants and demonstrate field-based survey techniques for plants and animals.

A recent change to the licensing process has allowed for the school sectors to hold a scientific licence on behalf of their schools, allowing staff to keep the following species in the classroom for educational purposes (provided animals are legitimately acquired from licensed captive sources):

The responsible teacher must submit a declaration form to the School Animal Care and Ethics Committee prior to obtaining any of the above animals. Further information is available on the NSW School Animals website. Schools and other tertiary institutes can also apply to hold a reference collection of protected animal specimens.

For academics, students or private researchers to perform scientific research.

Projects may be specific or more general.

Researchers considering projects involving koalas should utilise the Best Practice Guidelines for the use of Koalas in Scientific Research.

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Best Practice Guidelines for the use of Koalas in Scientific Research

Providing guidance on trapping, handling, health assessments and the use of koalas in scientific research.

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More info

This applies to collecting seed or cutting material from protected or threatened plants, and any plant that is part of a threatened ecological community for regeneration or propagation, but not for commercial purposes.

This licence is generally used along with a bush regeneration licence.

To collect protected plant material for commercial use, see our Protected native plant licences page.

Protected native plant licences

For projects to experimentally introduce or reintroduce a species to the wild, or to supplement a species in the wild.

Our Translocation operational policy provides a framework for the development of translocation proposals for threatened and protected plants and animals under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, where the department is the approval authority.

For projects not covered by any of the above classes ,email the Wildlife Team on scientific.licensing@environment.nsw.gov.au or phone  9585 6406 (option 2) to discuss your proposal.

Animal ethics

If your research involves animals, you may need to meet animal ethics obligations under the Animal Research Act 1985.

If this is the case, a biodiversity conservation licence will be valid only once ethics approval has been granted.

When you apply for a biodiversity conservation licence, please submit your animal ethics application form at the same time, as well as any approval received.

When you don't need a licence

You do not need a biodiversity conservation licence if:

  • activities are approved under development consents and reviews of environmental factors
  • activities are authorised via another existing biodiversity conservation licence or approval
  • working with introduced species, unless the project involves liberating these species
  • working with invertebrates, except those individually listed as threatened species or as part of an area of outstanding biodiversity value, habitat of a threatened species or threatened ecological community in the Biodiversity Conservation Act
  • working with fish as defined in the Fisheries Management Act 1994
  • working with non-protected plants (all species other than those listed in Schedules 1, 2, 3 or 6 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act).

Even if you don't need a scientific licence, you may still require a consent from the local National Parks and Wildlife Service area office, animal ethics approval, fisheries approvals, landowner consent or planning approvals before you start your project. If you intend to work in a karst environment, please refer to our Cave access policy.

Working in National Parks and Wildlife Service reserve systems

If carrying out research activities that do not require a scientific licence within the National Parks and Wildlife Services managed lands under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 you must still obtain a consent from the park authority under Section 26 of the National Parks and Wildlife Regulation 2019. You should contact the local area office for approval at least 2 weeks prior to commencement of activities.

More details and help

Read our Scientific licensing policy for more details.

If you are still unsure of whether you need a biodiversity conservation licence or the right class to apply for, email the Wildlife Team at scientific.licensing@environment.nsw.gov.au or phone 9585 6406 (Option 2).

Please read details of how to apply before submitting your application.

How to apply