Animal activities licence

A licence is required under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 for:

• Providing animal boarding or dog day care
• Arranging accommodation for other people's dogs
• Selling animals as pets (pet shops)
• Breeding dogs
• Hiring out horses
• Keeping or training animals for exhibition

A complete application has three elements. First is an appropriately filled in application form. Second is the attachment of any relevant documentation. Thirdly is the payment of the appropriate licence fee.  

All fees are non-refundable. Please ensure you read this page and the relevant animal activity page(s) in full, including any links.  

Please be aware that the persons stated at the bottom of this page are disqualified from making an application.

The animal activites licence fee is split into two seperate parts, both of which are non-refundable: 

1. The application fee which is paid when you submit an application. This fee covers the costs associated with determining the application to the point that it is ready to issue.
2. The issue fee which is paid after your inspection. This fee covers the cost of issuing the licence and the follow up inspection. 

The amount you pay will depend on if you are applying for one animal activity or to be a franchise or arranger. In some circumstances, you may need to pay additional fees.

Defra guidance

Applicants should read the applicable activity guidance documents and the local authority procedural guidance. Officers refer to these documents during the application process. The guidance sets out the higher standards, the risk rating and how they are applied. Compliance to the lowest risk rating (highest star rating) ensures a longer licence (up to three years) and better value for money. Note: The maximum star rating for a new licence is two years (three stars) and exhibition licenses are not star rated and are issued for three years.  

Documentation required 

If your documentation is correct, you will receive a lower risk rating and you are more likely to be compliant with the licence conditions. All the appropriate documentation is requested as attachments to the application form. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the required documentation in the Defra guidance.   

Officers use checklists to feedback on documentation requirements. Absence of any required documentation in most cases will result in a lower risk rating, not the refusal of a licence.

The following checklists are currently available:

• Home boarding document checklist

Not all checklists are available. Checklists will be updated, if required, at the time of an application. 

Disqualifications

Certain people are not allowed to apply for an animal activities licence as stated in schedule 8 of the legislation:

• A person who has at any time held a licence which was revoked under:
  • regulation 15 of these Regulations
  • regulation 17 of the Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2014
  • regulation 12 of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010
  • regulation 13 of the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012
• A person who is disqualified under:
  • section 34 of the Act
  • section 40(1) and (2) of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006
  • section 4(1) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
  • section 33 of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.
  • article 33A of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983
  • section 6(2) of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 from keeping a dangerous wild animal
  • section 3(3) of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 from keeping a breeding establishment for dogs
  • section 4(3) of the Riding Establishments Act 1964 from keeping a riding establishment
  • section 3(3) of the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 from keeping a boarding establishment for animals
  • section 5(3) of the Pet Animals Act 1951from keeping a pet shop
  • section 1(1) of the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954 from having custody of an animal
  • section 4(2) of the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925
  • section 3 of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 from the ownership of an animal