Animal activity licences

If you have a business that involves animals, you may need a licence.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 came into effect on 1 October 2018 and introduced an updated licensing system in England for 5 activities involving animals.

Selling animals as pets

Selling animals as pets (or with a view to their being later resold as pets) in the course of a business including keeping animals in the course of a business with a view to their being so sold or resold.

Boarding for cats or dogs (providing for, or arranging for the provision of)

Providing or arranging for the provision of accommodation for other people’s cats or dogs in the course of a business on any premises where the provision of that accommodation is a purpose of the business by:

providing boarding for cats
providing boarding in kennels for dogs
providing home boarding for dogs
providing day care for dogs

Hiring out horses for riding or instruction in riding

Hiring out horses in the course of a business for either riding, instruction in riding, or both.

Dog breeding

Breeding 3 or more litters of puppies in any 12-month period; and/or breeding dogs and advertising a business of selling dogs (even one litter of puppies may need to be licenced).

Keeping or training animals for exhibition

Keeping or training animals for exhibition in the course of a business for educational or entertainment purposes, either to any audience attending in person, or by the recording of visual images of them by any form of technology, or both.

The 2018 Regulation also introduced the following:

a 1 licence system, whereby each of the activities underlined above is considered to be a licensable activity, and an operator may apply for multiple licensable activities on the one licence.
a new star rating scheme, ranging from 1 to 5 stars, assessed according to risk and welfare standards at the premises.
licence periods of up to 3 years, linked to the star rating given to the premises.

Existing licence holders, and anyone planning to apply for a new licence should read the 2018 Regulation, and the statutory guidance notes to fully understand your obligations and duties under the new Regulations.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) guidance

Defra are responsible for creating the new regulation via powers given to them by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. They have provided statutory guidance that the Licensing Authority must have regard to. Each licensable activity has its own specific guidance, and any person wishing to conduct that licensable activity must be able to comply with the minimum standards contained within the relevant document. The documents below are updated versions of the original versions published on 10 March 2022.

Defra have also provided procedural guidance for licensing officers. This illustrates how the licensing authority will administer and enforce the new regulations.

Application

Applying for a new licence

Once you have read through the guidance relevant to your chosen activity or activities, and the Regulations, you will need to submit your application form, and pay the application fee and relevant inspection fee, which is determined by the size or type of establishment.

Due to the fact that animal welfare may be undermined if your premises does not have suitable planning permission, proof of suitable planning permission must be provided at the time of application.

Once you are happy that you have prepared your premises ready for inspection, you will need to contact the licensing authority. Additional inspections prior to the official rating inspection can be booked once an application has been submitted, however, this will incur an additional inspection fee charge.

If you intend to conduct dog breeding or horse hiring activities, you will also be responsible for paying for a veterinarian to inspect the premises.

The veterinarian will accompany a licensing officer, but payment must be made to the veterinarian prior to the inspection taking place.

Apply for an Animal Welfare Licence

Renewing an existing licence

All existing licensing holders will be supplied a renewal notice no less than 3 months prior to the expiry date of their licence. In order to guarantee licence continuation whilst the renewal process takes place, licence holders must submit a valid application no less than 10 weeks prior to the expiry date of their licence.

Although called a renewal, the process is almost identical to applying for a new licence. The only difference being the fact that a dog breeding establishment does not have to have a veterinarian inspection upon renewal. The renewal notice supplied will provide detailed information regarding the renewal process.

Renew an Animal Welfare Licence

Fees

Breeding of Animals

Please note, the first inspection for dog breeders must be made by a veterinarian, along with our Animal Welfare Officer.

There is an additional cost for a vet inspection.

Fees payable for vet inspections will be invoiced separately.

Any change to a licence will incur a £36 charge and possible re-inspection from a vet, where applicable.

Number of Bitches up to 3
New application fee, plus Vet fee	£280
Renewal fee, plus Vet fee	£191
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £158
-	2 Year Licence £210
-	3 Year Licence £263

Number of Bitches 4-9
New application fee, plus Vet fee	£385
Renewal fee, plus Vet fee	£296
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £263
-	2 Year Licence £315
-	3 Year Licence £368

Number of Bitches 10+
New application fee, plus Vet fee	£490
Renewal fee, plus Vet fee	£401
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £315
-	2 Year Licence £368
-	3 Year Licence £420

Boarding of Animals Kennels and Catteries

Up to 20 Animals
New application fee	£333
Renewal fee	£228
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £263
-	2 Year Licence £315
-	3 Year Licence £368

20+ Animals
New application fee	£438
Renewal fee	£333
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £158
-	2 Year Licence £210
-	3 Year Licence £263

Any change to a licence will incur a £11 charge, and possibly a re-inspection from a vet (where applicable) which will occur an additional fee.

Home Boarding of Animals

Any number
New application fee	£267
Renewal fee	£182
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £150
-	2 Year Licence £200
-	3 Year Licence £250

Hiring of Horses

Please note, the first inspection for Riding Establishments must be made by a veterinarian, along with our Animal Welfare Officer. Riding Establishments must continue to have annual veterinary and Council Officer inspections, organised by us. Fees payable for vet inspections will be invoiced separately.

Up to 5 horses
New application fee, plus Vet fee	£385
Renewal fee, plus Vet fee	£296
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £158
-	2 Year Licence £210
-	3 Year Licence £263

5+ horses
New application fee	£490
Renewal fee	£401
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £263
-	2 Year Licence £315
-	3 Year Licence £368

Any change to a licence will incur a £36 charge, and possibly a re-inspection from a vet, where applicable, which will occur an additional fee.

Selling Animals as Pets

Any number
New application fee	£280
Renewal fee	£191
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £158
-	2 Year Licence £210
-	3 Year Licence £263

Variation of licence requiring a re-inspection £173.

Exhibiting Animals

Any number
New application fee	£385
Renewal fee	£296
Maintenance fee after rating	1 Year Licence £150
-	2 Year Licence £200
-	3 Year Licence £263

Variation of licence requiring a re-inspection £104

Dangerous Wild Animals

Any number
New application fee	£367

There is an additional cost for a vet inspection.

Fees payable for vet inspections will be invoiced separately.

Any change to a licence will incur a £36 charge and possible re-inspection from a vet, where applicable.

Explanation of Fees

The application fee or renewal fee covers the administration of the initial request, and the cost of the Animal Welfare Officer inspecting the property, as well as the risk rating creation.

The maintenance fee covers any unannounced visits to check properties.

Any change to a licence will incur a £36 charge to cover administrative costs.

Inspections

Premises inspections

All premises will be inspected before the licence is granted. The inspector will be looking to make sure the applicant has the following:

Specialist knowledge in the species that they are caring for and a clear understanding of its needs and welfare. This would include the animals' mental and physical health, feeding and knowledge of environmental enrichment. The applicant should be able to demonstrate that they have researched and followed expert guidance in order to carry out their role.
Comprehensive records that contain all the information required by the conditions that apply to their particular activities.
An understanding of risks involved in caring for the animal, including an extensive risk assessment and written policies and procedures that are reviewed regularly. These documents should be available for the Inspector to examine.
Training procedures in place to make sure staff know what is expected of them, and clear evidence of good supervision of staff.

The premises itself will also be assessed so we can be sure the licence holder can meet the new laws relating to the physical environment in which the animals will be kept.

Rights of appeal

A right of appeal exists if your application is refused, or your licence is revoked. Appeals are heard by the First Tier Tribunal.

An internal appeals system exists if you do not agree with the star rating. Ultimately, if you do not agree with the rating awarded by the Licensing Authority having followed the appeal procedure, you may seek judicial review of the decision, or submit a formal complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Animal Welfare Licence Holders Register

We hold a Public Register which lists the licensed animal welfare establishments within our district boundary, and their star rating issued in accordance with the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) England Regulations 2018. For more information, please contact env.health@scambs.gov.uk.

When calculating the star rating of a premises Officers take into account both the risk rating (based on compliance and complaint history, and management processes) of the premises, and the animal welfare standards at the premises (based on facilities, staffing, training etc).

These 2 factors result in a star rating ranging from 1 to 5 stars. The table below shows how the star rating is worked out. Any establishment which is unable to provide 3 years history of compliance is automatically considered high risk and is therefore unable to obtain the higher star ratings.

Star rating	Risk	Licence period given
1 Star	Low or high risk with minor failings	1 year
2 Stars	High risk but meeting minimum welfare standards	1 year
3 Stars	Low risk and meeting minimum welfare standards - will be given a two-year licence	2 year
4 Stars	High risk but meeting higher welfare standards	2 year
5 Stars	Low risk and meeting higher welfare standards	3 year

Help us deliver service improvements