A licensable activity involves one of five activities involving animals:

• selling animals as pets
• providing for or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats or dogs
• hiring out horses
• dog breeding
• keeping or training animals for exhibition

Read the guidance on animal activities licensing (GOV.UK)

Operating without a licence or failing to follow the licensing conditions is a criminal offence under the regulations. If you are convicted, you are liable to pay a fine and/or imprisonment for up to six months.

Find out more about Animal Welfare Regulations 2018 (GOV.UK)

Apply for the licence

If you want to carry out one or more of the licensable activities, you will need an animal welfare licence.

If you are applying for only one licensable activity, apply online via our Online Portal (you will need to register an account).

You will need to contact us to apply for more than one activity.

All fees are paid in two parts. You will need to pay 65% of the fee with your application, then the remaining 35% if we grant you the licence. This will need to be done within the first 28 days of receiving the licence.

Conditions and fees of each activity

Selling animals as pets

A licence is required by anyone selling animals as pets, either directly or with a view to them later being sold as pets.

This includes the business of wholesale/pet shop supplier as a licensable activity, as well as anyone keeping animals for business with a view to them being sold or resold.

The exceptions to this are:

• selling animals in an aqua cultural business inspected (by CEFAS) and authorised under The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009
• breeding dogs to the extent that you require a licence relevant to this activity, rather than a pet sales licence

	New	Renew	Variation (admin only)	Variation (site visit required
Selling animals as pets	£851.46	£772.72	£75.68	£388.17

Providing or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats or dogs

A licence is required for providing or arranging boarding for other people’s dogs or cats as a business on any premises where the provision of that accommodation is the purpose of a business.

This includes:

• boarding for cats
• boarding kennels for dogs
• home boarding for dogs
• day care for dogs

	New	Renew	Variation (admin only)	Variation (site visit required)
Commercial boarding – single species	£801.42	£722.68	£75.68	£388.17
Commercial boarding – multiple species	£896.66	£817.93	£75.68	£388.17
Home boarding	£632.09	£548.96	£75.68	£388.17
Home boarding (franchise – first host)	£632.09	£548.96	£75.68	£388.17
Commercial dog day care	£724.86	£624.64	£75.68	£388.17
Home boarding (franchise additional hosts inspection fee)	£144.04	£144.04	£144.04	£144.04

Hiring out horses

A licence is required for the hiring out horses as a business for either:

• riding
• riding lessons

The exceptions to this are:

• any activity carried out solely for military or police
• students studying for a veterinary degree under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966

It is necessary to have an annual inspection by a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) registered veterinarian, regardless of the total length of the licence.

	New	Renew	Vet fees	Variation (admin only)	Variation (site visit required)
Small stables (up to 10 horses)	£857.91	£706.57	£18.31	£75.68	£388.17
Medium stables (11 to 50 horses)	£1041.01	£889.67	£12.21 per horse, over 10	£75.68	£388.17
Large stables (51+ horses)	£1529.41	£1378.07	£9.77 per horse, over 50	£75.68	£388.17

Dog breeding

Dog breeding is a licensable activity if it meets either or both of the following conditions:

• the breeding of 3 or more litters in any 12-month period
• the breeding and advertising of a business selling dogs (regardless of the number of litters)

The exceptions to this are:

• keeping a dog on any premises as a requirement of the Animal Health Act 1981
• breeding assistance dogs under Section 173 of the Equality Act 2010
• if you can produce documentary evidence to show none of the 3 litters bred have been sold

New	Renew	Variation (admin only)	Variation (site visit required)
Breeder (domestic dwelling)	£811.58	£722.68	£75.68	£388.17
Breeder (commercial/kennels)	£906.83	£817.93	£75.68	£388.17

View previous dog breeding license fees

Keeping or training animals for exhibition

If you keep or train animals for exhibition as a business or for the purpose of education or entertainment, you will need a licence.

See how to apply for a zoo licence on GOV.UK

Breaching your licensing conditions

If we suspect you might be breaching your licensing conditions, we will begin a graduated enforcement approach.

We will always offer advice and informal warnings where we can.

However, if these are not heeded or in particularly serious circumstances, we might begin formal legal proceedings which may result in revoking or not renewing your licence.

All inspections, complaints and enforcement action are done according to statutory guidance (GOV.UK) and our enforcement policy.