Licence Amendments and Record Keeping
A licence or permit is a legal document that authorises the person named to undertake a certain activity or activities which would otherwise be unlawful. As such, it is important that your name, address and date of birth are correct.
Correction
If your name, address or date of birth does not appear correctly in your licence or permit, please contact the DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or by email customer.service@dse.vic.gov.au. An amended replacement licence or permit will be returned to you, free of charge.
Change of Name
If your have formally changed your name (eg. marriage or by deed poll), it is a requirement that you notify the Department of this in writing (and provide supporting documentation), within 7 days.
Please write to: WAGLS, PO Box 500, East Melbourne VIC 8002.
Change of Address
If you have changed your residential or postal address, it is a requirement that you notify the Department within 7 days after changing address. It is also a good idea to confirm your telephone contact details are up to date.
Amending your Licence
Once issued, a licence generally remains in effect until it expires unless it is surrendered or cancelled by a Court. However, it is possible to amend certain licences to include additional entitlements for the period remaining on the licence. If you wish to amend a Wildlife Licence, please use the generic Amendment Form provided below.
Amendment of a Wildlife Licence (PDF - 165 KB)If you have any question about amending your licence or permit, please contact the DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or by email customer.service@dse.vic.gov.au
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Record Keeping
Record Book | About Returns | Return Forms | Species Codes | Helpful Hints | Renewal is Conditional
Protected Wildlife Record Book
If your application for a wildlife licence is successful, you will be issued with a Protected Wildlife Record Book with your licence. The Regulations require licence holders to maintain accurate and up to date records to assist in monitoring wildlife possession and trade. This helps guard against illegal exploitation of wildlife. As a licence holder, you must record any transactions immediately they are completed.
It is your responsibility to obtain and record all of the required information from any person with whom you deal in wildlife and to keep accurate and up to date records. The Record Book remains the property of the Department of Sustainability and Environment. It is a permanent record of all of your wildlife transactions and must be shown or surrendered to an authorised officer when requested. You must keep your Record Book in a safe place and you must not remove any pages.
Failure to keep your record book safe and failure to keep accurate and up to date records are offences under the Wildlife Act 1975. An administrative fee may be charged for replacement of lost or damaged books. However, if you are requested to surrender a record book, you will receive a replacement free of charge. If your record book is full, a replacement may be requested from the DSE Customer Service Centre free of charge.
If you need to replace a Record Book, please contact the DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or by email customer.service@dse.vic.gov.au
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Returns for Wildlife
In Victoria, Wildlife Regulations require licence holders to submit an annual 'Return for Wildlife', which is a written summary of transactions involving wildlife which were conducted between 1 April and 31 March. This gives the Department a State-wide overview of wildlife possession and trade and can be used for wildlife management.
Information contained in the returns is strictly confidential. The deadline for submission of returns is 14 April each year. Note that even if no wildlife was held under the licence a return is still required). A reminder letter is posted to all wildlife licence holders about one week before returns are due which includes a blank return form on the back of the reminder letter.
Your return must be forwarded to the WAGLS, PO Box 500, East Melbourne VIC 8002 in order to be eligible to renew your licence when it expires.
Return Forms
A small quantity of Returns Forms will be provided with your licence. However, if you need more forms, please download the PDF (below) relevant to the type of licence you hold:-
| Which type of licence do you hold ? |  |
| Basic or Advanced | Return Form Private Basic Adv (PDF - 51 KB) |
| Specimen: | Return Form Private Specimen (PDF - 50 KB) |
| Controller | Return Form Controller (PDF - 49 KB) |
| Dealer | Return Form Dealer (PDF - 51 KB) |
| Demonstrator | Return Form Demonstrator (PDF - 51 KB) |
| Displayer | Return Form Displayer (PDF - 51 KB) |
| Producer (Type 1) | Return Form Producer Type 1 (PDF - 49 KB) |
| Producer (Type 2) | Return Form Producer Type 2 (PDF - 48 KB) |
| Producer (Type 3) | Return Form Producer Type 3 (PDF - 35 KB) |
| Taxidermist | Return Form Taxidermist (PDF - 51 KB) |
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Species Codes
Species Codes are used to ensure accuracy in record keeping and data-entry. (Penalties may apply if you submit an inaccurate Return). If you use an incorrect code in your Return, issue of your licence or a related permit may be delayed while the matter is investigated. Licence holders should refer to the correct codes provided in the Species Code Lists (below):
| Scheduled species by Common Name | Scheduled Species x Common (PDF - 40 KB) |
| Scheduled species by Scientific Name | Scheduled Species x Scientific (PDF - 39 KB) |
| Scheduled species by Code | Scheduled Species x Code (PDF - 37 KB) |
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Helpful Hints
- It is a legal requirement that you submit a Return for Wildlife at the times specified in your licence. You must keep a copy of your Return for future reference (Penalities apply). You must submit a complete and accurate Return (Penalties apply). The deadline for submission of Returns is 14 April (Penalties apply)
- If you do not submit a return, you will not be eligible to renew your licence. Your Return is a summary of the wildlife transactions you conducted under your licence between 1st April and 31st March each year. Even if you did not conduct any transactions during the return period and do not currently hold any wildlife, you must still submit a return. In such cases, clearly and accurately write your name, address and licence number in the space provided, sign and date the form and write ‘NIL RETURN’ across the form
- Remember:- Your return must not be completed before 31 March
- Make sure that you fill in all of the sections of the return form clearly and accurately, using the species code numbers provided in the species code list and sign and date the form. Make sure that your current licence number is correct, as an incorrect licence number may mean that your return is not registered
- Make sure that all transactions for a single species are summarised on one line only and that each species is listed only once in each return
- Make sure that your numbers add-up ! e.g. 11 Alive + 2 Bred + 3 Purchased – 1 Death (Destroyed) – 3 Exports – 1 Escape = 11 Alive at End
- Don't record male and female specimens of the same species separately
- Don't record adult and juvenile specimens of the same species separately
- Don't record breeding that occurred before the current return period
- Don't record acquisitions or purchases that occurred before the current return period
- Don't record exotic species or wildlife species that do not require a licence.
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Licence Renewal is Conditional
The Department of Sustainability and Environment may refuse to grant an application for a licence (or to renew a licence) if the licence holder has committed an offence by failing to comply with the conditions of the licence. It is a condition of your licence that you submit a Return for Wildlife by 14 April each year. If you do not comply with this requirement you may be fined or prosecuted and you will not be eligible to renew your licence, which means that you will not be able to keep any wildlife after your licence expires.
If you have any questions about Returns for Wildlife, please contact the DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or by email customer.service@dse.vic.gov.au
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Please note: Document(s) on this page are presented in PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Reader, you can download a copy free from the Adobe web site.