---
title: "Prevention of Damage by Rabbits Act 1939"
id: ecb851b1-1e55-4c20-84f6-55472cb32ddd
authority: uk
place: "United Kingdom"
applies_also_from: []
kind: statute
in_force: true
publisher_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/2-3/43
attribution: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
solon_url: https://solon.orangecat.ch/law/ecb851b1-1e55-4c20-84f6-55472cb32ddd
language: en
in_force_from: 1993-11-05
date_basis: publisher
status: consolidated
source_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/2-3/43/data.xml
read_on: 2026-11-09
sha256: 8faaf2fb2887eda36462a2e0657bf0ce53046ae67dd291eebfa03d5db426626e
provisions: 5
---

# Prevention of Damage by Rabbits Act 1939

## Title and introductory text {#prelims}

Prevention of Damage by Rabbits Act 1939
1939 c.43
An Act to make provision for the prevention of damage by rabbits; and to amend the law relating to the use of poison and the use of spring traps above ground for the purpose of killing hares or rabbits.
[28th July 1939]

## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {#section-13}



## 4 Provisions as to use of poison in rabbit holes. {#section-4}

A person shall not be guilty of an offence under section eight of the Protection of Animals Act, 1911, by reason only that he uses poisonous gas in a rabbit hole, or places in a rabbit hole a substance which, by evaporation or in contact with moisture generates poisonous gas.

## 5 Prohibition of use of spring traps above ground. {#section-5}

(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(2) So much of section six of the Ground Game Act, 1880, as provides that no person having a right to kill ground game shall, for the purpose of killing ground game . . . employ poison shall cease to have effect.

## 6 Short title, interpretation and extent. {#section-6}

(1) This Act may be cited as the Prevention of Damage by Rabbits Act, 1939.
(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(3) This Act shall not extend to Scotland, to Northern Ireland or to the administrative county of London.