Forest Licence
Forest Licence serves the purpose of regulation exploitation of Forest Products. The Forestry Department issues three different types of Forest Licences namely Casual, Pitsaw and Commercial License.

Casual Licence
Casual Licence is a permit issued for domestic use of forest produce such as poles, firewood and production of charcoal. This Licence is issued by the District Forestry Officer.

Charcoal Production
For charcoal production, the permit is obtained from the District Forestry Office in the area of production upon payment of production licence fee of K108,000 per cord and conveyance fee of K5,400 per bag when transporting charcoal to the market.

Pitsaw Licence
Pitsaw Licence is issued for the exploitation of Timber on a small scale. It is a three year renewable licence approved by the Provincial Forest Timber Select Committee in the respective province. The maximum area for a pitsaw licence is 5,000 hectares in extent.

New Conditions for Issuance of Pitsaw Licence
1. Letter of Consent from the local Tradition leadership (Area outside protected forest reserves).
2. Letter of consent from the Local Authority (Council).
3. Letter of recommendation from the respective District Forestry Officer.
4. Certificate of incorporation as a registered company or cooperative in Zambia.
5. Proof of possession of pitsaw equipment.
6. Map of the area of operation drawn to scale 1:50,000/1:100,000/1:250,000 showing detailed harvesting plan.
7. Plan of operation.
8. An official letter of application to the Principal Forestry Extension Officer
9. Letter of consent from Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) if the area falls in a Game Management Area (GMA) as per provision of the Wildlife Act of 1998.

Timber Concession Licence

Concession licence is issued for large scale exploitation of timber. It is a five year renewable licence issued by the National Forest Timber Select Committee (NFTSC). The maximum hectarage for a commercial licence is 10,000 hectares in extent.

New Conditions for Issuance of Timber Concession Licence
1. Letter of Consent from the local Tradition leadership (Area outside protected forest reserves)
2. Letter of consent from the Local Authority (Council)
3. Letter of recommendation from the respective Principal Extension Officer (PEO) in the province.
4. Certificate of incorporation as a registered company in Zambia, (Certificate of share capital and List of Directors)
5. Tax Clearance certificate from Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA)
6. Proof of immigration status in Zambia. (Copies of NRC, valid passport and valid work permit)
7. Proof of possession of sawing machinery and equipment by the applicant, possession of value adding machinery is an advantage.
8. Map of the area of operation drawn to scale 1:50,000/ 1:100,000/ 1:250,000 (showing detailed harvesting plan)
9. Investment plan and plan of operation
10. An official letter of application to the Director of Forestry
11. Financial proof that the company can run logging and sawmilling operations, by providing proof from a recognized and registered Bank in Zambia. (current Bank Statement)
12. The applicant should further pledge to bank at least 75% of the Timber proceeds within Zambia.
13. Letter of consent from Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) if the area falls under a Game Management Area (GMA) as per provision of the wildlife Act of 1998.
14. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report as per provision of the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Act (EPPCA) of 1990.

Collection of Non- Wood Forest Products
The collection of non wood forests products such as mushrooms, fruits, honey, fiber, medicine, caterpillars is done free. You do not have to obtain a licence for collecting these products.

Fees and Prices
Current fees and prices for forest products and services can be found in Statutory Instrument No. 121 of 2003 obtained from the Forestry Department and the Government Printer

Mission Statement
The Mission Statement of the Forestry Department is to ensure sustainable flow of wood and non-wood forest products and services while at the same time ensuring protection and maintenance of biodiversity for the benefit of the present and future generations through the active participation of all stakeholders.