The static recovery kinetics in ferrite were investigated by means of the stress relaxation technique. Samples were deformed in compression for a variety of temperatures, strains and strain rates. The internal stress was found to decrease as recovery proceeded. In addition for a given relaxation time, the internal stress was found to decrease with increasing temperature. The results were analysed using a model previously proposed in the literature, the main parameters being activation energy and activation volume. At temperatures between 150 and 300°C the activation energy for recovery was close to that for dislocation core diffusion, whilst between 450 and 600°C it was close to the value for lattice diffusion of α-Fe. The activation energy was found not to depend on strain and strain rate.The activation volume for the lower temperature regime was approximately constant whilst for the higher temperature regime it decreased with increasing temperature. The activation volume was found not to depend on strain or strain rate.Analysis of the activation energies and activation volumes suggests that above 450°C, the rate controlling recovery mechanism is due to thermally activated glide of jogged screw dislocations, which are decorated with carbon solute atoms.