On 22 August 2020, Recreational Wildlife Licences (RWL) were replaced with a new licensing system.
If you have an active RWL obtained before 22 August 2020, you can continue to use this until it expires, or you can choose to apply for a Native animal keeping licence. Once your active RWL expires, you will need to apply for one of the new licences.
To find out more about your existing RWL and licence responsibilities, and how to submit a movement advice please read this guide.
Please note, a recreational wildlife licence does not allow you to use the animals for commercial purposes. Visit Commercial wildlife permits and regulations for more information.
As the holder of a Recreational Wildlife Licence (RWL) you have a number of responsibilities.
You are required to keep your animal in a way that protects the animal’s welfare and minimises its likelihood of escape. You should adhere to the following codes of practice:
Once you buy or receive an animal, you must keep that animal on your licence for at least six (6) months. If you need to sell or give away the animal within this timeframe, a request must be made in writing to Permit and Licence Management (PALM). You are not to move the animal until you have received a response to your request.
When you obtain, accept, sell or give away wildlife under your RWL you must obtain verification of the other person’s identity (e.g. driver’s licence).
If the other person is acting under a wildlife authority you must inspect their licence and keep a record of the licence number in your record book.
You will need to obtain a movement advice or movement permit when you sell, buy, give away, or otherwise move your wildlife.
Every animal kept under a RWL must be recorded in a wildlife record book or approved electronic record system. It is the responsibility of the RWL holder to obtain either before keeping wildlife under the licence.
An inspection of your facilities by a Queensland Government officer can be undertaken at any time. Consequently records must always be kept up to date and penalties may apply if they are not complete, accurate, legible or up to date.
If your record book is lost or destroyed you must immediately contact PALM on 13QGOV (13 74 69).
The infringement notice penalty for failure to produce the record book or copy when requested is four (4) penalty units. If you are unable to comply with this direction you are required to provide a reasonable reason in writing to PALM.
Each record book can be used to record details about multiple animals, however only one species of animal can be recorded per page (each page is an individual Wildlife Record Form). Multipage record books are available for purchase.
To purchase a 20 page record book or 50 page record book phone 1300 130 372 (Option 4) or email the Online Services Help Desk.
You must notify PALM in writing if you change your address or contact details. Penalties may apply if you fail to notify the department of any address or licence changes.
Email: palm@des.qld.gov.au
Postal address
Permit and Licence Management
Department of Environment, Science and Innovation
GPO Box 2454
BRISBANE QLD 4001
You need to obtain a movement advice or movement permit when you sell, buy, give away, or otherwise move your wildlife.
It is generally the responsibility of the person selling or giving away the wildlife to complete a movement advice (except when the seller is in another state, in which case it is the Queensland buyer’s responsibility).
A movement advice must be completed before the movement happens.
Existing RWLs and Commercial Wildlife Licences (CWLs) will remain valid until they expire. This means that until 2025, the movement of native wildlife in Queensland will occur across both the old and new licensing systems.
When people buy and sell animals, they may move animals from old licence types to new licences, or vice versa, each of which have different reporting and record keeping obligations for the sale and movement of animals.
Native animal keeping licence holders are no longer required to provide or fill out movement advices. Instead they can record the sale in their online record book (or paper equivalent), which holds the relevant information about which animals they have bought and sold.
Existing RWL and CWL holders must continue to complete movement advices, even if they buy/sell/trade with native animal keeping licence holders. In cases where the movement advice is only required by one party to the trade, the movement advice will be used slightly differently.
The following table explains the movement advice and record keeping requirements for holders of RWLs, CWLs and Native animal keeping licences.
| Seller/sender | Buyer/receiver | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiver holds a Native animal keeping licence (Standard, Specialised or Advanced) | Receiver holds a Recreational or Commercial Wildlife Licence and is an Online Services user | Receiver holds a Recreational or Commercial Wildlife Licence but is not a registered Online Services User | |
Sender holds a Native animal keeping licence (Standard, Specialised or Advanced) | No movement advice required – Movement recorded in online record book/paper record book | Receiver completes Parts 2–3 of online movement advice, Sender records movement in online record book/paper record book | Receiver completes Parts 2–3 of online movement advice, Sender records movement in online record book/paper record book |
Sender holds a Recreational or Commercial Wildlife Licence and is an Online Services user | Sender completes Parts 1, 2 and 4 of online movement advice, Receiver records movement in online record book/paper record book | Online movement advice can be used in Online Services | All four parts of paper movement advice required |
Sender holds a Recreational or Commercial Wildlife Licence holder but is not a registered Online Services user | Sender completes Parts 1, 2 and 4 of online movement advice, Receiver records movement in online record book/paper record book | All four parts of paper movement advice required | All four parts of paper movement advice required |
There are two ways to complete a movement advice—online, or using a paper-based form.
If either person is not registered with the Online licensing system, the movement cannot be processed using the Online licensing system and a paper-based application must be used.
Please note that the Online licensing system will not grant a movement advice for a proposed wildlife movement that is later than two (2) business days from the date of your application.
In order to access the Online licensing system, you need to register or log in if already registered.
RWLs were issued for birds, reptiles or amphibians and classified as standard and restricted.
A standard RWL allows for the keeping of an unlimited number of controlled, commercial and recreational birds and/or reptiles and amphibians.
You are also able to keep up to two restricted birds, reptiles or amphibians other than venomous reptiles (reptiles of the families Elapidae, Hydrophiidae or Laticaudidae).
A restricted RWL allows for the keeping of more than two restricted birds, reptiles and amphibians as well as international birds (eclectus parrot) and international reptiles (green python).
In some cases, a restricted RWL includes specific approval to keep international reptiles, or dangerous snakes (reptiles of the families Elapidae, Hydrophiidae or Laticaudidae).
The list of species for recreation wildlife licences is available.
Recreational wildlife licence (obtained pre 22 August 2020), 28 Aug 2023, [https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/wildlife-permits/permit-types/recreational]
This document is uncontrolled when printed. Before using the information in this document you should verify the current content on https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/wildlife-permits/permit-types/recreational.