The Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 requires that venison dealers in Scotland must be licensed. It is an offence for any person to sell, offer or expose for sale venison, unless he is a licensed venison dealer or is selling to or has purchased from a licensed venison dealer.
It is essentially the wholesalers who need to be licensed. In other words, every butcher and retailer in Scotland does not need a licence so long as the venison on sale has been purchased from a licensed dealer.
Licences are issued by the Council and are valid for three years. Licensed venison dealers must maintain records of purchases and receipts of venison which are open to inspection by the Deer Commission for Scotland. The Council will notify the Commission of the numbers and details of the licences which they have issued.
For further information, please contact the Licensing Unit using the details below.